Monarchy with David Starkey

The Unique Idea Of A Monarch Who Is Answerable To The People Has Its Roots In Early Anglosaxon Kings Such As Alfred The Great The Intellectual Warrior Who United England

After decades of pounding by Danish invaders intent on shock and awe England survives and thrivesbut faces a true crisis after Edward the Confessors death

With A Mere 7000 Soldiers William Of Normandy Conquers And Brutally Subjugates A Nation Of Two Million Changing Englands Culture Social Structure And Politics Forever

Charismatic and hottempered Henry II restores order to his realm by law and by the sword Later in his line the Magna Carta curbs and codifies royal power

During The Century Of Edwards The Hammer Of The Scots Boldly Extends Their Rule Over Neighboring Kingdoms After Edward Ii Loses The Crown As A Captive Of His Passions Edward Iii Styles Himself As A New King Arthur

In a kingly conflict dramatized and embellished by Shakespeare Richard II and his cousin Henry Bolingbroke vie for the throne They begin a decadeslong struggle that threatens the very basis of the English monarchy

Although Edward Ivs Coronation Seems To End The War Of The Roses Sibling Ambitions Within The House Of York Eventually Throw The Monarchy Into Turmoil Henry Tudor Forces A Dynastic Showdown At Bosworth Field And Ushers In A New Kind Of Monarchy

In his unquenchable thirst for celebrity and tortuous quest for a male heir Henry VIII takes the English monarchy to new heights asserting power over the souls of his subjects as well as their bodies

After Six Marriages Ending In Two Divorces Two Executions And One Bereavement Henry Leaves Three Children With A Clear Succession Plan For The Throne But Edward Mary And Elizabeth Soon Face Their Fathers Real Legacy A Volatile Fusion Of Politics And Religion

James I takes the throne as the first king of Great Britain ruling not only England but also Scotland and Ireland But the Stuart reign soon turns from heady triumph to failure and civil war

Under The Charismatic Oliver Cromwell Parliament Commits A Previously Unthinkable Act It Executes A Reigning King Eventually The Fledgling Republic Discovers That It Needs A Monarch After All

In 1660 amid great pomp and celebration Charles II returns from exile to assume the throne

Outraged By James Iis Hamhanded Attempts To Promote Tolerance For His Fellow Catholics Parliament Invites His Daughter Mary And Her Dutch Husband William Of Orange To Invade England They Take The Throne Ushering In The Glorious Revolution

Under William and Mary and their successor Anne the nation transforms itself into Europes greatest power and enjoys unprecedented financial prosperity

George I and his two namesakes forge new relationships with Parliamentary leaders creating a dynamic that survives in British governance today

Weathering the antiroyalist storm breaking on the Continent Great Britain stands strong against the military might of Napoleon By the mid19th century Queen Victoria accedes to the throne reinventing the British monarchy as a stable yet progressive institution