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 forgotten medieval monarchs…
Our top picks
16 things you (probably) didn't know about the rituals behind royal births, from the medieval era to the present day
The real Eleanor of Aquitaine: 5 myths about the medieval queen
QuizHow much do you know about medieval kings and queens?
5 things you (probably) didn’t know about the Plantagenets
How to be a medieval queen: the realities of being a royal woman in the Middle Ages
7 things you (probably) didn’t know about the houses of Lancaster and York. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
Defining moments that shaped the medieval monarchy
The White Ship disaster"The most disastrous moment in British maritime history". This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
Your guide to the Peasants' Revolt of 1381
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.
What did Magna Carta mean to the English in 1215?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
Did Richard III really kill the Princes in the Tower?
Henry V’s greatest victory (and it wasn't at the battle of Agincourt). This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
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Kings and queens in focus
Richard the Lionheart may not have spoken English – plus 7 more surprising facts
The secret intimacies of Edward IV: multiple marriages and a same-sex affair?
Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I: a queen in a king’s world. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
How did Philippa of Hainault, wife of Edward III, become one of medieval England’s best-loved queens?
King Henry II: the Muslim monarch of medieval England?
Isabella I of Castile: Europe’s greatest queen?
Margaret of Anjou: a brief guide to the 'She-Wolf of France'
More medieval kings and queens
Realities of rulership
How to be a medieval queen: the realities of being a royal woman in the Middle Ages
The love lives of medieval queens. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
How to run a medieval dynasty: survival secrets of ruling royal families. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
Medieval royal witches: from Elizabeth Woodville to Queen Joan of Navarre
Medieval monarchs at war
What if…Richard III had won at Bosworth?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
The Anarchy: how bloody was Stephen and Matilda’s medieval battle for the English crown?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
The Wars of the Roses: the 15th-century clash of kings that heralded the dawn of the Tudor dynasty
King John and the French invasion. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.
The battle of Crécy: triumph of the longbow
