Medieval kings and queens - HistoryExtra

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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

Pregnant woman before giving birth in the 13th century

16 things you (probably) didn’t know about the rituals behind royal births, from the medieval era to the present day

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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

Defining moments that shaped the medieval monarchy

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The White Ship disaster

The White Ship disaster "The most disastrous moment in British maritime history" . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The death of Wat Tyler', 1859. Tyler was a leader of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt in England, which saw a group of rebels march on London to oppose the institution of a poll tax and demand economic and social reforms. He was killed by officers loyal to King Richard II during negotiations at Smithfield, London. (Photo by Print Collector/Getty Images)

Your guide to the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381

Henry III during the Second Barons' War

Simon de Montfort and the barons’ crusade: why rebel lords waged holy war against Henry III

BL52779 Roy 2 B VII f.78 Reaping corn harvest in August, from the Queen Mary Psalter, c.1310-20 (vellum) by English School, (14th century); British Library, London, UK; © British Library Board. All Rights Reserved; PERMISSION REQUIRED FOR NON EDITORIAL USAGE; English, out of copyright

PLEASE NOTE: The Bridgeman Art Library works with the owner of this image to clear permission. If you wish to reproduce this image, please inform us so we can clear permission for you.

What did Magna Carta mean to the English in 1215?

A painting of the Princes in the Tower

Did Richard III really kill the Princes in the Tower?

Defining moments: Agincourt may have been the springboard for Henry V's conquest of Normandy but it was the treaty of Troyes that secured his position as next in line to the crown of France. (Photo by Getty Images)

Henry V’s greatest victory (and it wasn’t at the battle of Agincourt)

Kings and queens in focus

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

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

Edward IV of England. (GeorgiosArt via Getty Images)

The secret intimacies of Edward IV: multiple marriages and a same-sex affair?

Empress Matilda

Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I: a queen in a king’s world

The coronation of Philippa of Hainault

How did Philippa of Hainault, wife of Edward III, become one of medieval England’s best-loved queens?

Our composite image shows Henry II framed by an Arabic arch. Henry claimed he

King Henry II: the Muslim monarch of medieval England?

A portrait of Isabella I of Castile. (Photo by PHAS/UIG via Getty Images)

Isabella I of Castile: Europe’s greatest queen?

Edward I in parliament with the Archbishop of Canterbury; King Alexander III of Scotland; the Welsh Prince Llywelyn ab Gruffydd and the Archbishop of York. From the Wriothesley MS, 1523, published in ‘The Island Race’, a 20th-century book written by Sir Winston Churchill covering the history of the British Isles from the pre-Roman times to the Victorian era. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

Edward I: man of principle or grasping opportunist?

Margaret of Anjou married Henry VI of England in 1445

Margaret of Anjou: a brief guide to the ‘She-Wolf of France’

More medieval kings and queens

Realities of rulership

Marriage of French king Henry VI to Margaret of Anjou. (Photo by Time Life Pictures/Mansell/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)

How to be a medieval queen: the realities of being a royal woman in the Middle Ages

The effigy of Eleanor of Castile on her tomb

The love lives of medieval queens

Brothers in arms Louis IX on his way to the Seventh Crusade, 1248. The French king kept his three brothers onside – preventing any potential family infighting – by providing them with huge lordships. (Photo by Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images)

How to run a medieval dynasty: survival secrets of ruling royal families

Elizabeth Woodville with her husband, Edward IV. According to one medieval document, their marriage only came about “by Sorcerie and Wichecrafte, committed by the said Elizabeth, and her Moder Jaquett Duchess of Bedford”. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Medieval royal witches: from Elizabeth Woodville to Queen Joan of Navarre

Medieval monarchs at war

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Richard III

What if… Richard III had won at Bosworth? . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Cousins at war: King Stephen is shown holding a falcon in a miniature from 1253. His battle with his cousin Matilda for the English crown plunged the realm into a long civil war. (Photo by Alamy)

The Anarchy: how bloody was Stephen and Matilda’s medieval battle for the English crown?

The battle of Towton during the War of the Roses, 1461. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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

How Edward IV reclaimed his throne at the battle of Tewkesbury

More medieval battles