Medieval kings and queens

From William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England, who defeated Harold II at the battle of Hastings in 1066; to Henry Tudor, who took the English throne after defeating and killing Richard III at the battle of Bosworth in 1485, the medieval period is full of fascinating kings and queens. Here, we explore the best, worst and most forgotten medieval monarchs…

Newgrange Passage Tombs, Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland. (Photo by Hoberman Collection/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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BlogMedieval(ish) matters #9: Do early medieval Irish texts shed light on prehistoric incest?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A statue of Robert the Bruce Statue at Stirling Castle, Scotland. (Dreamstime)

Medieval

The battle of Bannockburn: Robert Bruce's fight for freedom

King Edward II

Medieval

In profile: King Edward II

Medieval prisoners

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What was it like to be a Prisoner of War during the Hundred Years’ War?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

King John hunting on horseback

Plantagenet

Was King John really that bad? Yes!

This is the famous Rhynie Man carved stone, thought to be Pictish in date. (Photo by © Aberdeenshire Council Archaeology Service: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/archaeology)

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BlogMedieval(ish) matters #4: back to Braveheart, Viking river boats, Picts, and the Crusades. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Henry III during the Second Barons' War

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Simon de Montfort and the barons’ crusade: why rebel lords waged holy war against Henry III. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Queen Victoria on an ivory throne

Viking

Top 11 monarchs in British history

Old Norse: Page from the manuscript Codex Regius, which was written in Iceland and contains the poems of elder Edda. (Photo by Werner Forman/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

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BlogMedieval matters #1: The Last Kingdom, Robin Hood and how to learn Old Norse in lockdown. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Isabella of Castile

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Isabella of Castile: a brief guide to the medieval queen. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

King Richard I, aka Richard the Lionheart. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Medieval

Richard the Lionheart may not have spoken English – plus 7 more surprising facts

Tomb of Richard the Lionheart

Medieval

Q&AHow did Richard the Lionheart die? And where is he buried?

A bust of Charlemagne

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Charlemagne: creating the myth. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of the barons compelling King John to ratify Magna Carta, 1215. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Medieval

6 facts about Magna Carta

William the Conqueror (1027–87), king of England from 1066 when he beat Harold II at the battle of Hastings. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Norman

9 surprising facts about William the Conqueror and the Norman conquest

Portrait of Henry V

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Q&AWhy is Henry V's portrait in profile?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

King John out hunting

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8 things you (probably) didn’t know about medieval elections. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A 15th-century map of the world illustrating a Latin edition of Ptolemy's the 'Geography'. (Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

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12 alternative giant leaps for mankind – from carnivorism to Magna Carta. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Richard III. Was the last Yorkist king a usurper? Historian John Ashdown-Hill explains why this is a myth. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Medieval

Did fear drive Richard III to the throne?

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What did Magna Carta mean to the English in 1215?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Elizabeth Woodville, queen of Edward IV. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

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8 things you (probably) didn’t know about the Woodvilles. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of Edward II. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

Medieval

The big debate: was Edward II really murdered?

The tomb of King Richard III, who was reinterred at Leicester cathedral of Saint Martin following the discovery of his body in 2012. (Photo by Getty Images)

Medieval

A ‘car park king’ timeline: the discovery of Richard III

Illustration of Isabella of France. From the book ‘Our Queen Mothers’ by Elizabeth Villiers. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Medieval

Isabella of France: the rebel queen

Queen Elizabeth II (centre) makes her 2016 Christmas speech (Photo by YUI MOK/AFP/Getty Images). What would queens before her have said in their festive speeches, if they'd had the chance? Clockwork from top right: Elizabeth I (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images); Queen Anne (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images); Mary Tudor (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) and Queen Matilda (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

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Alternative Queen's Christmas speeches: what would Elizabeth I and Matilda have said?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Henry III (1207-1272), king of England from 1216. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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10 reasons why Henry III may have been a great king. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Robert the Bruce, famous for beating the English army of Edward II despite having far fewer troops, is commemorated at the 1314 battleground in Bannockburn. (Dreamstime)

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Robert the Bruce: champion of Scotland or murderous usurper?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of King James I of Scotland. James was taken prisoner by the English in 1406, and it would be 18 years before he was freed to take the reins of power in his native nation. (Photo by Bridgeman Art Library)

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James I: Henry V’s Scottish protege. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Portrait of Richard III, dated 15th century. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

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Treachery at Bosworth: what really brought down Richard III. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The blue-robed Henry VII pictured performing a variety of tasks at the Tower of London following his accession to the throne, in a contemporary illustration. (Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

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Bosworth: the dawn of the Tudors. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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