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An illustration of the legend of Alfred the Great letting the cakes burn because he was preoccupied with thoughts of his kingdom.

Alfred the Great

An illustration of the legend of Alfred the Great letting the cakes burn because he was preoccupied…

A poster with facts and images of England to the Norman Conquest.

England Poster

A poster with facts and images of England to the Norman Conquest.

"The king of the herrings is from three to four feet in length, of a general silvery color, spotted with brown. It inhabits the North Sea, living on mollusks and crustaceans."

Chimaera Monstrosa (the Arctic chimaera)

"The king of the herrings is from three to four feet in length, of a general silvery color, spotted…

Charlemagne (Charles the Great) was king of the Franks during the Middle Ages.

Charlemagne

Charlemagne (Charles the Great) was king of the Franks during the Middle Ages.

"Francis Joseph I (1830-1916), emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, and next to the last of the Hapsburg rulers." -Foster, 1921

Francis Joseph I

"Francis Joseph I (1830-1916), emperor of Austria and king of Hungary, and next to the last of the Hapsburg…

(1712-1786) King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynaasty, known as the founder of Germany's military power.

Frederick II

(1712-1786) King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynaasty, known as the founder of Germany's military…

In Longfellow's poem, an angel took King Robert's place and made Robert the royal jester until he admitted he deserved it.

King Robert of Sicily

In Longfellow's poem, an angel took King Robert's place and made Robert the royal jester until he admitted…

A legend of the knight Roland, who fearlessly claimed his rights by taking food and drink straight from Charlemagne's hands at a feast.

Roland

A legend of the knight Roland, who fearlessly claimed his rights by taking food and drink straight from…

Gustavus Vasa hiding out with peasants in the story about the king from "The Red True Story Book" by Andrew Lang.

Gustavus Vasa

Gustavus Vasa hiding out with peasants in the story about the king from "The Red True Story Book" by…

"In France, where they are common, they are called 'king of the quails.'"

Land-Rail

"In France, where they are common, they are called 'king of the quails.'"

"The King Bird of Paradise is a rare bird, a native of the islands of Molucca."

King Bird of Paradise

"The King Bird of Paradise is a rare bird, a native of the islands of Molucca."

"The King-vulture is distinguished from the condor by the collar-ruff which surrounds the neck being slate-colored."

King Vulture (Sarcorhamphus Papa)

"The King-vulture is distinguished from the condor by the collar-ruff which surrounds the neck being…

Sir Galahad from the painting by George Frederick Watts.

Sir Galahad

Sir Galahad from the painting by George Frederick Watts.

"Vertical Section of the Great pyramid, looking West showing A. Entrance passage. B. A later opening. D. First ascending passage. E. Horizontal Passage. F. Queen's chamber. G G. Grand gallery. H. Antechamber. I. Coffer. K. King's chamber. M N. Ventilating chambers. O. Subterranean chamber. P. Well, so-called. R R R. Probable extent to which the native rock is employed to assist the masonry of the building." - West, 1904

Vertical section of the Great Pyramid

"Vertical Section of the Great pyramid, looking West showing A. Entrance passage. B. A later opening.…

A print from the engraving, The King's Banquet from "Tristan" published by Antoine Verard.

The King's Banquet

A print from the engraving, The King's Banquet from "Tristan" published by Antoine Verard.

The King, from Hans Holbein's series of engravings, Dance of Death.

Dance of Death, The King

The King, from Hans Holbein's series of engravings, Dance of Death.

The Happiness of the Godly, from Hans Holbein's series of engravings known as his Bible Cuts.

The Happiness of the Godly

The Happiness of the Godly, from Hans Holbein's series of engravings known as his Bible Cuts.

Joab's Artifice, from Hans Holbein's series of engravings known as his Bible Cuts.

Joab's Artifice

Joab's Artifice, from Hans Holbein's series of engravings known as his Bible Cuts.

"Antoine Macault Reading his Translation of Diodorus Siculus to King Francis I. Designed by Holbein. Engraved by Geoffroy Tory?" -Cundall, 1895

Antoine Macault Reading his Translation of Diodorus Siculus to King Francis I

"Antoine Macault Reading his Translation of Diodorus Siculus to King Francis I. Designed by Holbein.…

An illustration of King's College located in Aberdeen.

King's College

An illustration of King's College located in Aberdeen.

A group of knights on a quest for King Arthur to find Mabon, the son of Modron, who was stolen from his mother when only three nights old.

Knights

A group of knights on a quest for King Arthur to find Mabon, the son of Modron, who was stolen from…

Whitby Abbey is a ruined Benedictine abbey sited on Whitby's East Cliff in North Yorkshire on the northeast coast of England. It was founded in 657 AD by the Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria, Oswy as Streoneshalh.

The Ruins of Whitby Abbey

Whitby Abbey is a ruined Benedictine abbey sited on Whitby's East Cliff in North Yorkshire on the northeast…

The site of Bangor Cathedral was originally occupied by St. Deiniol's monastery, established in the 6th century around c.525 on land given by the king of Gwynedd, Maelgwn Gwynedd. Deiniol is said to have been consecrated as a bishop by Saint David, making him the first Bishop of Bangor. This monastery was sacked in 634 and again in 1073. Nothing of the original building survives.

Bangor Cathedral, Caernarvonshire

The site of Bangor Cathedral was originally occupied by St. Deiniol's monastery, established in the…

Cycas revoluta or sago cycad is known as the king sago palm but is not a palm; it is a cycad.

Sago Cycad

Cycas revoluta or sago cycad is known as the king sago palm but is not a palm; it is a cycad.

St. Martin's was the private chapel of Queen Bertha of Kent in the 6th Century before Augustine arrived from Rome. Queen Bertha was a Christian when she arrived in England with her Chaplain, Bishop Liudhard, and King Ethelbert, her husband.

St. Martin's Church, Canterbury

St. Martin's was the private chapel of Queen Bertha of Kent in the 6th Century before Augustine arrived…

The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded by Irish born Saint Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off the west coast of Scotland to Northumbria at the request of King Oswald around AD 635. It became the base for Christian evangelizing in the North of England and also sent a successful mission to Mercia.

Lindisfarne Priory Ruins before 1860

The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded by Irish born Saint Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off…

Dating back to Saxon times, the village of Hatfield was first known as "Hetfelle" and then became known as "Haethfeld" when around 970 King Edgar gave 5,000 acres to the monastery of Ely. No records remain from this time until 1226 when Henry III granted the Bishops of Ely rights to an annual four-day fair and a weekly market.

Hatfield, Herts

Dating back to Saxon times, the village of Hatfield was first known as "Hetfelle" and then became known…

Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, on the request of King David I of Scotland. In 1544, as English armies raged across Scotland and badly damaged the Abbey which was never fully repaired.

Melrose Abbey Ruins

Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks,…

An illustration of Memphis, Tennessee's Cotton Carnival, which consisted of a series of parties and festivities staged annually since 1931 in Memphis, TN by the centralized Carnival Mephis associated and its member krewes during the month of June. Carnival salutes various aspects of Memphis and its industries, and is reigned over by the current year's secretly selected King, Queen, and Royal Court of Carnival.

Memphis Cotton Carnival

An illustration of Memphis, Tennessee's Cotton Carnival, which consisted of a series of parties and…

In the year 869, the Danes who had wintered at York, marched through Mercia into East Anglia and took up their quarters at Thetford. Edmund engaged them fiercely in battle, but the Danes had the victory, killed King Edmund, and remained in possession of the battlefield. They tied Edmund to an oak tree and shot at him with arrows, but nothing would shake his fortitude.

Murder of King Edmund

In the year 869, the Danes who had wintered at York, marched through Mercia into East Anglia and took…

Alfred the Great (c. 849 – 26 October 899) was king of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. Alfred is noted for his defense of the kingdom against the Danish Vikings, becoming the only English King to be awarded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself "King of the Anglo-Saxons".

Alfred the Great

Alfred the Great (c. 849 – 26 October 899) was king of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex…

In the center of Bury St. Edmunds lies the remains of an abbey, surrounded by the Abbey Gardens, a park. The abbey is a shrine to Saint Edmund, the Saxon King of the East Angles, who was killed by the Danes in AD 869. The town grew around Bury St. Edmunds Abbey, a site of pilgrimage, and developed into a flourishing cloth-making town by the 14th century.

Abbey Gate, Bury St. Edmunds

In the center of Bury St. Edmunds lies the remains of an abbey, surrounded by the Abbey Gardens, a park.…

Notable is the Saxon church (dedicated to St. Laurence), which may have been founded by St. Aldhelm around 700, and could have been a temporary burial site for King Edward the Martyr. It was re-discovered by Canon Jones in the 19th century, having been used for secular purposes (apparently becoming a house, a school and part of a factory).

St. Aldhelm's Church, Bradford-on-Avon

Notable is the Saxon church (dedicated to St. Laurence), which may have been founded by St. Aldhelm…

King Edward the Confessor (c. 1003 – 5 January 1066), son of Ethelred the Unready, was the penultimate Anglo-Saxon King of England and the last of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 until his death. His reign marked the continuing disintegration of royal power in England and the aggrandizement of the great territorial earls, and it foreshadowed the country's later connection with Normandy.

The Tomb of Edward the Confessor

King Edward the Confessor (c. 1003 – 5 January 1066), son of Ethelred the Unready, was the penultimate…

The stone Abbey was built around 1045–1050 by King Edward the Confessor and was later rebuilt again by Henry III in 1245, who had selected the site for his burial: it was consecrated on December 28, 1065, only a week before the Confessor's death and subsequent funeral. It was the site of the last coronation prior to the Norman Invasion, that of his successor King Harold.

Westminster Abbey

The stone Abbey was built around 1045–1050 by King Edward the Confessor and was later rebuilt…

Waltham Abbey was founded in 1030 and a building was constructed on the site by Harold Godwinson (aka King Harold II). In 1177 the abbey was refounded as an Augustinian foundation. The Augustinian abbey was a popular place for overnight stays with kings and other notables who were hunting in Waltham Forest. It was the last abbey in England to be dissolved, in 1540.

Harold's Church at Waltham

Waltham Abbey was founded in 1030 and a building was constructed on the site by Harold Godwinson (aka…

In 1070 Pope Alexander II ordered the Normans to do penance for killing so many people during their conquest of England. So William the Conqueror vowed to build an abbey where the Battle of Hastings had taken place, with the high altar of its church on the very spot where King Harold fell in that battle on Saturday, 14 October 1066. He did start building it and named it Battle Abbey, though he died before it was completed. Its church was finished in about 1094 and consecrated during the reign of his son William Rufus. It was remodelled in the late 13th century but virtually destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII.

Battle Abbey Gateway

In 1070 Pope Alexander II ordered the Normans to do penance for killing so many people during their…

Odo of Bayeux (c. 1036 – February 1097, Palermo), Norman bishop and English earl, was the half-brother of William the Conqueror, and was for a time second only to the king in power in England.

Odo of Bayeux

Odo of Bayeux (c. 1036 – February 1097, Palermo), Norman bishop and English earl, was the half-brother…

William II (c. 1056 – 2 August 1100), the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror), was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers also over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales. William is commonly known as 'William Rufus', perhaps because of his red-faced appearance. Although William was an effective soldier, he was a ruthless ruler and, it seems, was little liked by those he governed: according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, he was 'hated by almost all his people.'

William Rufus

William II (c. 1056 – 2 August 1100), the third son of William I of England (William the Conqueror),…

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…

The monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot of Menevia, who died in AD589. Between AD645 and 1097, the community was attacked many times by raiders, including the Vikings, however it was of such note as both a religious and intellectual centre that King Alfred summoned help from the monastic community at St David's in rebuilding the intellectual life of the Kingdom of Wessex.

St. David's Cathedral

The monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot of Menevia, who died in AD589. Between AD645…

It was begun during the reign of King Henry I by the first Bishop of Carlisle, the Englishman Athelwold (1133-1155), who built a moderate-sized Norman minster of which the transepts and part of the nave still exist. The present cathedral has fine examples of stone tracery, mediæval stained glass, paintings and carvings. The building is made of red sandstone, which due to local weather at some places appears black.

Carlisle Cathedral

It was begun during the reign of King Henry I by the first Bishop of Carlisle, the Englishman Athelwold…

The original Saxon church on the site was dedicated to St. Edmund the King and Martyr. During the Crusades in the 12th century the church was renamed St. Edmund and the Holy Sepulchre, in reference to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The name eventually became contracted to St Sepulchre.

St. Sepulchre's, Cambridge

The original Saxon church on the site was dedicated to St. Edmund the King and Martyr. During the Crusades…

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…

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.…

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…

Magna Carta Island is an island in the River Thames in England, on the reach above Bell Weir Lock. It is in Berkshire (formerly Buckinghamshire) across the river from the water-meadows at Runnymede. The island is one of several contenders for being the place where, in 1215, King John sealed the Magna Carta. Whilst the charter itself indicates Runnymede by name, it is possible the island may have been considered part of Runnymede at the time. It is known that in 1217 the island was the meeting-place of Henry III and Louis (afterwards Louis VIII) of France.

Magna Charta Island

Magna Carta Island is an island in the River Thames in England, on the reach above Bell Weir Lock. It…

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…

Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (1208 – August 4, 1265), was the principal leader of the baronial opposition to King Henry III of England. After the rebellion of 1263-1264, de Montfort became de facto ruler of England and called the first directly-elected parliament in medieval Europe. Because of this, de Montfort is today regarded as one of the progenitors of modern parliamentary democracy.

Simon de Montfort

Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester (1208 – August 4, 1265), was the principal leader of…

The stone Abbey was built around 1045–1050 by King Edward the Confessor, who had selected the site for his burial: it was consecrated on December 28, 1065, only a week before the Confessor's death and subsequent funeral. The attached Chapter House was built under King Henry III between 1245 and 1253. This octagonal room was built in the Geometric gothic style. A pier of eight shafts carries the vaulted ceiling. To the sides are blind arcading, remains of 14th-century paintings and numerous stone benches above which are innovatory large 4-light quatre-foiled windows. originally used by the monks for their daily meetings, it later became a meeting place of the King's Great Council and the Commons.

Chapter House, Westminster Abbey

The stone Abbey was built around 1045–1050 by King Edward the Confessor, who had selected the site…

The Abbey Church of Saint Peter, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England. Founded in the 7th century, reorganized in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries, it is one of the largest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in the West Country.

Bath Abbey (Cathedral) Church

The Abbey Church of Saint Peter, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and…

King Edward's Chair, sometimes known as St. Edward's Chair or The Coronation Chair, is the throne on which the British monarch sits for the coronation. It was commissioned in 1296 by King Edward I to contain the coronation stone of Scotland — known as the Stone of Scone — which he had captured from the Scots who had kept it at Scone Abbey. The chair was named after England's only canonized king, Edward the Confessor, and was kept in his shrine of St. Edward's Chapel at Westminster Abbey.

Coronation Chair

King Edward's Chair, sometimes known as St. Edward's Chair or The Coronation Chair, is the throne on…

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…

In the 14th and 15th centuries seamen's guilds were formed in Bristol, King's Lynn, Grimsby, Hull, York and Newcastle.

Fourteenth Century Ships

In the 14th and 15th centuries seamen's guilds were formed in Bristol, King's Lynn, Grimsby, Hull, York…

The Hospital of St. Cross is a medieval almshouse in Winchester, England, founded between 1133 and 1136 it is the oldest charitable institution in the United Kingdom. The founder was Henry de Blois Bishop of Winchester, grandson of William the Conqueror, half brother to King Stephen of England. Not only is it the oldest but is also the largest medieval almshouse in Britain; it is built on the scale of an Oxford or Cambridge college, but is older than any of the colleges at the universities.

Holy Cross Church, Near Winchester

The Hospital of St. Cross is a medieval almshouse in Winchester, England, founded between 1133 and 1136…

Richard II (6 January 1367 – ca. 14 February 1400) was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard, a son of Edward, the Black Prince, was born in 1367, during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III. Richard became second in line to the throne when his older brother Edward of Angoulême died, and heir apparent when his father died in 1376. With Edward III's death the following year, Richard succeeded to the throne at the age of ten.

Richard II

Richard II (6 January 1367 – ca. 14 February 1400) was King of England from 1377 until he was…

The town was granted its Market Charter in 1214 by King John and continues to hold a market to this day. In the 14th century religious reformer Canon John Wyclif was Rector in Lutterworth's Parish Church of St. Mary between 1374 and 1384, and it was here that he is traditionally believed to have produced the first ever translation of the Bible from Latin into English. Lutterworth's biblical connections continue as it houses the British Isles headquarters of Gideons International.

Bridge over the Swift, Lutterworth

The town was granted its Market Charter in 1214 by King John and continues to hold a market to this…

Eton College was founded in 1440 by Henry VI as a charity school to provide free education to seventy poor boys who would then go on to King's College, Cambridge, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, which he also founded in 1441. This was a copy of William of Wykeham's link between Winchester College and New College, Oxford. Henry VI took half the scholars and the headmaster from William of Wykeham's Winchester College (founded 1382). Eton was modelled on Winchester College, and became popular in the 17th century.

Eton College, Near Windsor

Eton College was founded in 1440 by Henry VI as a charity school to provide free education to seventy…

Henry VI planned a university counterpart to Eton College, the chapel being the only portion that was built. The Chapel features the world's largest fan vault, stained glass windows, and the painting The Adoration of the Magi by Rubens, originally painted in 1634 for the Convent of the White Nuns at Louvain in Belgium.

King's College Chapel, Cambridge

Henry VI planned a university counterpart to Eton College, the chapel being the only portion that was…

William I of England (1027 – 9 September 1087), better known as William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy from 1035 and King of England from 1066 to his death. To claim the English crown, William invaded England in 1066, leading an army of Normans to victory over the Anglo-Saxon forces of Harold Godwinson (who died in the conflict) at the Battle of Hastings, and suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest. His reign, which brought Norman culture to England, had an enormous impact on the subsequent course of England in the Middle Ages. In addition to political changes, his reign also saw changes to English law, a programme of building and fortification, changes to the vocabulary of the English language, and the introduction of continental European feudalism into England.

William I of England

William I of England (1027 – 9 September 1087), better known as William the Conqueror, was Duke…