Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union 1707, England and Scotland were united as a single state, the Kingdom of Great Britain. Anne became its first sovereign, while continuing to hold the separate crown of Queen of Ireland. Anne reigned for twelve years until her death in August 1714.

Queen Anne of Great Britain

Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March…

Charles I, (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from March 27, 1625 until his execution. Charles famously engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England. He was an advocate of the Divine Right of Kings, and many subjects of England feared that he was attempting to gain absolute power. Many of his actions, particularly the levying of taxes without Parliament's consent, caused widespread opposition.

Charles I of England

Charles I, (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from…

Charles II (Charles Stuart; 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. According to royalists (and retrospective English law), Charles II became king when his father Charles I was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, the climax of the English Civil War. The English Parliament did not proclaim Charles II king at this time, passing a statute making it unlawful, and England entered the period known to history as the English Interregnum. The Parliament of Scotland, on the other hand, proclaimed Charles II King of Scots on 5 February 1649 in Edinburgh. He was crowned King of Scots at Scone on 1 January 1651.

Charles II of England

Charles II (Charles Stuart; 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland,…

(1818-1906) Crowned King of Denmark in 1863

Christian IX

(1818-1906) Crowned King of Denmark in 1863

Edward II, (April 25, 1284 – September 21, 1327?) of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. His tendency to ignore his nobility in favour of low-born favourites led to constant political unrest and his eventual deposition. Edward is perhaps best remembered for his supposed murder and his alleged homosexuality as well as being the first monarch to establish colleges in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge; he founded Cambridge's King's Hall in 1317 and gave Oxford's Oriel College its royal charter in 1326. Both colleges received the favour of Edward's son, Edward III, who confirmed Oriel's charter in 1327 and refounded King's Hall in 1337.

Edward II

Edward II, (April 25, 1284 – September 21, 1327?) of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307…

Henry II of England (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154–1189). Henry was the first of the House of Plantagenet to rule England and was the great-grandson of William the Conqueror. Like his grandfather, Henry I of England, Henry II had an outstanding knowledge of the law. A talented linguist and excellent Latin speaker, he would sit on councils in person whenever possible. His interest in the economy was reflected in his own frugal lifestyle. He dressed casually except when tradition dictated otherwise and ate a sparing diet.

Henry II

Henry II of England (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154–1189). Henry…

Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272) was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. Despite his long reign, his personal accomplishments were slim and he was a political and military failure. England, however, prospered during his century and his greatest monument is Westminster, which he made the seat of his government and where he expanded the abbey as a shrine to Edward the Confessor.

Henry III

Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272) was the son and successor of John "Lackland" as…

"By embracing the Catholic religion he made his way to the throne of France; and this monarch, Henry the Fourth, secured to his Protestant subjects, by the famous Edict of Nantes, in 1598, a full enjoyment of their civil rights and privileges, without persecution or molestation from any quarters." — Goodrich, 1844

Henry IV

"By embracing the Catholic religion he made his way to the throne of France; and this monarch, Henry…

Henry I (c. 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106. He was called Beauclerc for his scholarly interests and Lion of Justice for refinements which he brought about in the rudimentary administrative and legislative machinery of the time.

Henry the First

Henry I (c. 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first…

He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary, Queen of Scots. Regents governed during his minority, which ended officially in 1578, though he did not gain full control of his government until 1581. On 24 March 1603, as James I, he succeeded the last Tudor monarch of England and Ireland, Elizabeth I, who died without issue. He then ruled England, Scotland and Ireland for 22 years, often using the title King of Great Britain, until his death at the age of 58.

James the First

He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother…

John (24 December 1167 – 19 October 1216) reigned as King of England from 6 April 1199, until his death. John acquired the nicknames of "Lackland" for his lack of an inheritance as the youngest son and for his loss of territory to France, and of "Soft-sword" for his alleged military ineptitude. As a historical figure, John is best known for acquiescing to the nobility and signing Magna Carta, a document that limited his power and that is popularly regarded as an early first step in the evolution of modern democracy.

King John

John (24 December 1167 – 19 October 1216) reigned as King of England from 6 April 1199, until…

"The reign of Louis the Fourteenth has been termed the Augustan age of France. This monarch had none of the commanding qualities which create a nation or an era, and he would not have been distinguished from common princes in common circumstances. Destitute himself of the true sentiment of greatness, he yet became, fortuitously, the instrument of great deeds, and his reign will always be a memorable period in history." — Goodrich, 1844

Louis XIV in his chambers

"The reign of Louis the Fourteenth has been termed the Augustan age of France. This monarch had none…

Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He was known as Richard the Lionheart, or Cœur de Lion, even before his accession, because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior. Richard was a central Christian commander during the Third Crusade, effectively leading the campaign after the departure of Philip Augustus, and scoring considerable victories against his Muslim counterpart, Saladin.

Richard I

Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death.…

An ancient Greek sceptre from Tarentum.

Ancient Greek sceptre

An ancient Greek sceptre from Tarentum.