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James I of England and VI of Scotland (1567-1625)

King of Scotland (1567-1625) and England (1603-1625)

The only child of Mary Queen of Scots. He became king of Scotland as an infant and took power personally in 1586. James followed the politics of friendship with England, moderate government in Scotland.

Charles I (1600-1649)

King of England and Scotland (1625-1649). Second son of King James I.

Charles’s disagreements with Parliament led to his ruling for 11 years without it. In 1649 Charles was tried for treason and executed and the country became a commonwealth. Until Charles’s son was restored to the throne in 1660.

Interregnum (1649-1660)

meaning “between the reigns”. Term used to describe the years of the English Republic created by the Parliament, between the abolition of the monarchy in England in 1649 and the restoration to the throne the king Charles II in 1680.

Charles II (1630-1683)

King of England (1660-1683). Son of Charles I.

Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. He was a great patron of the arts and his reign was marked by the new Renaissance architecture and a revival of theatre, art and literature.

But this was also a time of great social disasters, the plague and the Great fire of London among them. On his death the throne passes to the brother, James II.

James II of England and VII of Scotland (1633-1701)

King of England and Scotland (1685-1688). Second son of James I and IV.

He was determined to return his realm.

He was deposed and forced into exile with his wife and son. James died in France in 1701.

William III (1650-1707)

Joint monarch of England with his wife Queen Mary II (1689-1702).

He was invited by seven English peers to invade England. He was offered the throne

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joining his wife Mary. (daughter of James II). They became England’s only dual monarchy as William III and Mary II. Mary died in 1649. With the agreement of Princess Anne, Mary’s sister, William remained king until his death in 1702.

Anne (1665-1714)

Queen of England (1702-1714)

Inherited the throne after the death of the joint monarchs Mary II and William III. The most notable event of her reign was the Act of Union, which saw England and Scotland united politically. After the premature death of her last surviving child in 1701 the throne passed to electors of Hanover.

HANOVERIAN DYNASTY

George I (1660-1721)

King of England (1714-1727)

The first monarch of the Hanoverian dynasty.

He was not popular among his subjects.

George II (1683-1760)

King of England (1727-1760)

Son of George I. Britain’s importance vastly increased during George’s long reign and by the time he died in 1760, he was ruler of an appreciable overseas empire. He was succeeded by his son George III.

George III (1738-1820)

King of England (1760-1820)

The first Hanoverian monarch to be born and educated in England. He was very religious and moral, interested in botany and farming. After the year 1810 he became blind and mad and spend the rest of his life as a prisoner in Windsor Castle. The country was ruled by his son, Prince of Wales.

George IV (1762-1830)

King of England (1821-1830) Son of George III.

He was uninterested in his royal duties and preferred the pleasure of high society social life. He was succeeded by his brother William IV.

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William IV (1765-1837)

King of England (1830-1837)

William was delighted to become a king on the death of his brother George IV. In his youth William had served in the Royal Navy and commanded ships. His two daughters died in childhood and William’s heir was his niece Victoria.

Victoria (1819-1901)

Queen of England (1837-1901).

Married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Cotha whom she adored and was shattered by his early death at the age of 42.

They had 9 children. They all married foreigners, what explained her nick-name “Grandmother of Europe”. During her reign Britain made substantial social progress with acts of control working hours and conditions in factories and mines, establish education for all children, improve the position of women. Britain became the dominant world power with India the “jewel of the crown”.

SAXE-COBURG GOTHA

Edward VII (1841-1910)

King of England (1901-1910).

Son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

He became a king after death of his mother and a royal ambassador for England able to converse easily with other monarchs and their ministers.

VINSDOR

George V (1865-1936)

King of England (1911-1936). Second son of Edward VII.

George V and his wife Mary became very popular and highly respected. George V was the first English monarch to be crowned Emperor of India in Delhi, in 1911.

King George was a model royal leader of the nation during the World War I.

Edward VIII (1894-1972)

King of England (1936).

Eldest Son of George V and Queen Mary.

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Edward rejected the elitist royal social life. He wanted to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson who was twice divorced and made her his queen. This move was strongly opposed by the British and Commonwealth governments, the church and his family. Rather than give her up, Edward abdicted in 1936. His brother took his place as George VI.

George VI (1855-1952)

King of England (1936-1952).

The King and Queen became the social leaders of Britain at World War II and remained in London where Buckingham Palace was bombed several times in air raids. George VI died suddenly in 1952 and his daughter Elizabeth II succeeded him.

Elizabeth II (1926 - )

Queen of England (1952 - ).

The half-century in which she ruled has been one of the enormous change for the monarchy, but Elizabeth has remained a dutiful and well-informed queen. Elizabeth married Lieutenant Phillip Mounthatten, a distant cousin in 1947. They have four children.

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Vocabulary

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noble (nobleman) дворянин nun монахиня

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Literature

1.Virginia Evans Round-up. Longman, 1995.

2.British History, Flame Tree Publishing, 2003.

3.David McDowall An Illustrated History of Britain. Longman, 2001.

4.Английская литература в Средние века. Сост. Трусова В.Р. М.: Просвещение, 2002.

5.Guryeva Ju.F. Deep Are The Roots. 2006.

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