In the almost-1000 year history of the Monarchy, Elizabeth II is the 41st Monarch to reign, and the 12th Sovereign of Great Britain. But how do you keep track of them all, to be able to know who came first?
House of Normandy:
William I (the Conqueror) 1066-1087
William II 1087-1100
Henry I 1100-1135
Stephen 1135-1154
Henry II 1154-1189
Richard I (the Lionheart) 1189-1199
John I 1199-1216
House of Plantagenet:
Henry III 1216-1272
Edward I (Longshanks) 1272-1307
Edward II 1307-1327
Edward III 1327-1377
Richard II 1377-1399
Henry IV 1399-1413
Henry V 1413-1422
Henry VI 1422-1461 and 1470-1471
Edward IV 1461-70 and 1471-1483
Edward V 1483-1483
Richard III 1483-1485
Remember your Monarchs with this catchy song (wikimedia commons images)
House of Tudor:
Henry VII 1485-1509
Henry VIII 1509-1547
Edward VI 1547-1553
Mary I 1553-1558
Elizabeth I 1558-1603
House of Stuart:
James I ( and VI) 1603-1625
Charles I 1625-1649
Interregnum
Charles II 1660-1685
James II 1685-1688
William III and Mary II 1688-1702, 1688-1694
Anne 1702-1714
House of Hanover:
George I 1714-1727
George II 1727-1760
George III 1760-1820
George IV 1820-1830
William IV 1830-1837
Victoria 1837-1901
Edward VII 1901-1910
House of Windsor:
George V 1910-1936
Edward VIII 1936-1936
George VI 1936-1952
Elizabeth II 1952-
Horrible Histories had a solution to that – a song! The lyrics even include a few interesting facts about the Monarchs.
Here are the lyrics, if you’d like to learn the song!
I’m William the Conqueror
My enemies stood no chance
They call me the first English king
Although I come from France
1066, the Doomsday book
I gave to history
So fat on death my body burst
But enough about me
To help remember all your Kings
I’ve come up with this song
A simple rhyming ditty
For you all to sing along
[Chorus]
Oh, William
(Bit short init? We need more kings. Who came next?)
William second, cheeks were red
Killed out hunting, so it’s said
I took over, Henry one
That’s my next eldest son
Then King Stephen, it’s true check it!
Hi, Henry two, killed Thomas Beckett
Richard Lionheart? That’s right!
Always spoiling for a fight
Oh King John, what a disaster
Rule restrained by Magna Carta
William, William, Henry, Stephen
Henry, Richard, John, oi!
Time for my mate, King Henry eight
To take up this song
Henry three built the abbey
Ed one hated Scots
A red hot poker killed Ed two
That must have hurt him lots
Edward third was a chivalry nerd
Began the hundred years war
Then Richard two was king aged ten
Then Henry, yes one more
King Henry four, plots galore
Not least from Henry five, why?
Killed ten score at Agincourt
Then Henry six arrived
Edward four, Edward five
Richard the third, he’s bad
‘Cause he fought wars with Henry seventh
First Tudor and my dad
So Henry eight, I was great
Six wives, two were beheaded
Edward the sixth came next
But he died young and so my dreaded
Daughter Mary ruled, so scary
Then along came… me
I’m Liz the first, I had no kids
So Tudors R.I.P
[Chorus]
William, William, Henry, Stephen
Henry, Richard, John, oi!
Henry, Ed, Ed, Ed, Rich two
Then three more Henrys join our song
Edward, Edward, Rich the third
Henry, Henry, Ed again
Mary one, good Queen Bess
That’s me, time for more men
James six of Scotland next
As England’s James the first he led
Then Stuarts ruled, so Charles the first
The one who lost his head
No monarchy until came me
Charles two, I liked to party
King Jimmy two was scary, woooh
Then Mary was a smarty
She ruled with Bill, their shoes were filled
By sourpuss Queen Anne Gloria
And so from then, you were ruled by men
Till along came me Victoria
[Chorus]
William, William, Henry, Stephen
Henry, Richard, John, oi!
Henry, Ed, Ed, Ed, Rich two
Then three more Henrys join our song
Edward, Edward, Rich the third
Henry, Henry, Ed again
Mary one, good Queen Bess
Jimmy, Charles and Charles and then
Jim, Will, Mary, Anna Gloria
Still to come, it’s Queen Victoria
And so began the Hanover gang
George one and George two (grim)
Then George the third was quite absurd
Till I replaced old him
King George the fourth and known henceforth
As angry, fat and cross (hang on)
It’s true you beat Napoleon
But for mostly a dead loss (bang on)
Old William four was a sailor (ahoy)
It’s nearly the end of the story-a
As onto the scene comes the best loved queen
Hail to Queen Victoria
[Chorus]
William, William, Henry, Stephen
Henry, Richard, John, oi!
Henry, Ed, Ed, Ed, Rich two
Then three more Henrys join our song
Edward, Edward, Rich the third
Henry, Henry, Ed again
Mary one, good Queen Bess
Jimmy, Charles and Charles and then
Jim, Will, Mary, Anna Gloria
George, George, George, George
Will, Victoria
Victoria Victoria Victoria
Ed seven, George five
Then Ed, George sixth
Liz two then reigned and how
And so our famous monarch song
Is brought right up to now, oh
[Chorus]
William, William, Henry, Stephen
Henry, Richard, John, oi!
Henry, Ed, Ed, Ed, Rich two
Then three more Henrys join our song
Edward, Edward, Rich the third
Henry, Henry, Ed again
Mary one, good Queen Bess
Jimmy, Charles and Charles and then
Jim, Will, Mary, Anna Gloria
George, George, George, George
Will, Victoria
Edward, George, Edward, George six
And Queen Liz two completes the mix
That’s all the English kings and queens
Since William first that there have been
What do you think of the song? Useful? Let us know in the comments!
