So the other night I couldn’t sleep as we were having an epic thunder storm and I hate thunder. So what was I thinking about while hiding under the bed cover? Well obviously how many monarchs of England and Great Britain dies of the same thing or similar. So here we go.
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Let’s start with illness. Well this can be divided into 5 main categories. 5 monarchs died from dysentery. Can you imagine, you’re a monarch, the most powerful person in the country and you end your days on the toilet with your hose round your ankles. Well not really, more likely in bed dying from the dehydration. Well this was the way Henry the Young King in 1183, King John in 1216, King Edward I in 1307, King Henry V in 1422 and King James VI ended their days. Although Henry V may have died from heatstroke or both. 

4 other monarchs died from the result of a stroke. These were King Edward III in 1377, Queen Anne in 1714, King George I in 1727 and Queen Victoria died.

Now onto TB. This was the final cause of the deaths of 2 of the Tudor monarchs. It took King Henry VII in 1509 and then his grandson King Edward VI in 1553.

Heart attacks took the lives of King William IV in 1837 and then King Edward VII in 1910 along with bronchitis.

18 of the other monarchs died as a result of illness. These were due to a wide spectrum of conditions.  Stomach conditions from overeating was a cause in the case of King Henry I and possibly King Edward IV although there is some evidence it was the purging after over eating got King Edward IV and most notably King Henry VIII but he had lots of other things as well. Brain conditions were also a cause. King James VII died from a brain haemorrhage in 1701 while in exile and King George III died from the result of dementia. King George IV must have had a massive death certificate from all the things that lead to his death. They included upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to a rupture blood vessel in the stomach as well as bladder tumours, an enlarged heart and obesity.

Let’s consider those who died as a result of an accident or injury. The most noticeable accident was probably King William II in 1100. He died while out hunting in the New Forest. He was hit by an arrow that no one knew where it came from. So thought it was probably a stray arrow that got to close during the hunt. Others thought it was deliberate and done so that his younger brother Henry could take the throne. If it was it worked as he became King Henry I. He got his comeuppance thought as he died from over eating on lamprey’s, gross eel fish things.  King Richard I also died as a result of an arrow wound. He was shot with one while from a crossbow at the siege of the castle of Chalus-Chabrol in France. William I may also have died as a result of injury. He is reported to have been injured by the pommel of his horse which caused him to suffer internal injuries which eventually cost him his life in 1087.

Surprisingly since as a nation we have engaged in many wars with other countries especially the French and Scottish, only 1 monarch has died in battle. This of course was the King in the car park King Richard III. He died in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth during the Wars of the Roses. Richard from the house of York was against the house of Lancashire’s Henry Tudor.
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Now murder played a part in the death of 6 monarchs. So we’ve already looked at King William II and King Richard I. Many believed that King Edward II was murdered in a most unusual way while in the hands of his wife and her lover. He may have had a red hot poker stuck up his bottom. This would mean there would have been no noticeable wound and the reason of depression while in captivity could be used. Which it was who knows? Then there is King Edward V. What did happen to him after his uncle Richard III usurped the throne from him? Was he one of the bodies found under a staircase in the Tower of London alongside his brother or did something else happen to him? I guess we shall never know.

Technically these 2 were not murder, but then what is execution if not sanctioned murder. Anyway. Queen Jane was the first monarch to be executed in 1554. Whether she was actually a monarch is open to contention, but I regard her as a monarch, not matter how short the time. In short the dying Edward VI didn’t what his catholic sister Mary to take the crown so he gave it to his cousin’s daughter. Jane was the daughter of Frances Brandon and her husband Henry Grey. Frances was the daughter of Mary Tudor the dowager Queen of France, Duchess of Suffolk and her husband Charles Brandon the Duke of Suffolk. Mary Tudor was King Henry VII daughter and King Henry VIII sister. Edward’s sister Mary didn’t like that she had been passed over so she marched to London and with her supporters took the throne. Jane was imprisoned and eventually beheaded so that her followers couldn’t rise against her.
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Charles the second had a similar fate to Queen Jane in 1649. Charles effectively got too big for his boots and felt he was above the laws of the land and felt he should rule without the interference of the Government and his Lords. In short a civil war began with the Royalist Cavaliers on the side of the King and the Roundheads fighting for the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. Charles was captured and tried. He was executed in Whitehall in front of a crowd of on looker.

So our past monarchs have died from a variety of causes ranging from illness to murder and it just goes to show that even if you are the Monarch you can still die of the same things as the rest of the country.

So in part 1 we looked at Henry’s first 3 fathers in law, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, Sir Thomas Boleyn and Sir John Seymour. Now we move on to fathers in law 4 to 6.

John was born in 1490 to John II, Duke of Cleves (the baby maker) and his wife Mathilde of Hesse. His father was prolific before his marriage and is rumoured to have had around 60 illegitimate children. John was born in the Dukedom of Cleves in the Holy Roman Empire in the northern Rhineland. Cleves is now on the German/Dutch boarder close to the Dutch town of Arnhem. Not much is known about John. He was married in 1509 to Maria of Julich-Berg and they had 4 children including Anne who would marry Henry and William who became Duke after John’s death and negotiated Anne’s marriage to Henry. John was a follower of Erasmus who was a catholic priest who influenced the development of protestant reformation and he incorporated his work into Cleves. This was one of the main reasons for approaching Cleves for a wife for Henry as most of Europe was still staunchly catholic. John died in around 1538 and thus never knew his daughter became Queen of England, even if it was for only 186 days.
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Catherine Howard’s was Lord Edmund Howard. He was born around 1478 to Thomas Howard the 2nd Duke of Norfolk and his wife Elizabeth Tilney. This made Edmund the brother of Thomas Howard the 3rd Duke of Norfolk and Lady Elizabeth Boleyn nee Howard the mother of Anne Boleyn King Henry VIII 2nd wife. So Edmund was the father and uncle of 2 of King Henry VIII wives. Edmund had 9 full siblings and 6 half siblings. He was a tournament competitor and was at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in the tournament. He was also at the Battle of Flodden where he was master of the horses. He was no much at court as for most of the 1530’s he was the Controller of Calais. Edmund was married 3 times. His first wife and the mother of Catherine was Joyce Leigh nee Culpeper. His second wife was Dorothy Troyes and his third wife was Margaret Mundy. Catherine was only 10 when her mother died hence her upbringing in the house of her step grandmother and the problems that brought her later in life. Edmund died in 1539 thus never knowing his daughter would be the Queen Consort of England.

Thomas Parr was born around 1483 to Sir William Parr and his wife Elizabeth Fitzhugh who was a decedent of King Edward III. Thomas was well educated as would be his children. He was a regular courtier during the reign of King Henry VIII. He held the positions of Master of Wards a position responsible for collecting income and sorting out wardships. He was Master of the Guards and the Comptroller of the King which was the department that looked after the King such as his wardrobe. Thomas was also the Sheriff of both Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire. All this brought him extensive lands and incomes. His popularity at court was bolstered by his wife being one of Queen Catherine of Aragon’s ladies in waiting with the queen being the namesake and godmother of his daughter Catherine. Thomas married Maud Green and they had 3 children. Catherine who would become Queen after her father’s death, William 1st Marquess of Northampton and Anne who became Countess of Pembroke through her marriage. Thomas died in 1517 at his home in Blackfriars and was buried at St Anne’s church in Blackfriars. His daughter Catherine who was around 5 when her father died would become Queen Consort 26 years after his death.
 
Part 1 can be seen at:
​http://www.familyhistoryresearchengland.co.uk/blog/the-fathers-in-law-of-king-henry-viii-part-1

A while ago I looked at the lives of the Mother’s in Law of King Henry VIII. I thought it was about time I considered his Father’s in Law.

​Henry’s first Father in Law was King Ferdinand II of Aragon, the father of Catherine of Aragon. When Henry and Catherine married in 1509 Ferdinand was the King of Aragon, Majorca, Sardinia, Valencia, Sicily, Naples and Navarre. He was also Count of Barcelona. Whilst his wife Queen Isabella of Castile was alive he was King of Castile as well. Ferdinand was born in Aragon on the 10th March 1452. He was the son of King John II of Aragaon and his wife Juana Enriquez. When he married Infanta Isabella of Castile the heir to the throne of Castile Ferdinand was only King of Sicily. Ferdinand is probably best known as being one of the monarchs to introduce the Spanish Inquisition of Spain. It was used to expel the non-Catholic people from Spain or force them to convert to Catholicism. After Isabella’s death in 1504 Ferdinand continued to have a role in Castille when his daughter inherited the throne. Due to her metal state after her husband’s death Ferdinand acted as regent for his grandson the future King Charles I of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor. The King remarried after Isabella died. He married the 18 year old niece of King Louis XII of France in an attempt to a male heir to inherit the throne of Aragon. Ferdinand was 54 and the marriage did produce a son but he died young, thus the throne of Aragon went to his daughter Joanna I. Ferdinand died in 1516 in Spain and was buried in the Royal Chapel of Granada alongside his first wife Isabella of Castile. Through his children he was the father in law of the King of Portugal through his daughters Isabella and Maria who both married King Emanuel I of Portugal and King Henry I of Portugal through his daughter Maria as well as Henry VII.

​Henry’s second father in law was Thomas Boleyn the father of Anne Boleyn. Thomas was born around 1477 in Norfolk to Sir William Boleyn a wealthy merchant and his wife Lady Margaret Butler. He married Lady Elizabeth Howard around 1499. She was the daughter of Thomas Howard the 2nd Duke of Norfolk. The couple had 3 surviving children in Mary, Anne and George. As Anne’s favour grew at court so did Thomas. He was an envoy and ambassador for the King in Europe. He was made Viscount Rochford by the King and later Henry interceded on his behalf in a dispute over the titles of the Earldoms of Ormond and Wiltshire which both were granted to Thomas. Thomas was made a Knight of the Garter and was Lord Privy Seal (he was responsible for looking after the Kings personal seal). As Anne and George fell from favour so too did Thomas. After the execution of his children which Thomas accepted without fighting Thomas lost his positions and titles. He died at his home Hever Castle in Kent in 1539. He was survived by his wife and daughter Mary Stafford.

Father in Law number 3 for the King was Sir John Seymour, the father of Jane Seymour. He was a prominent member of court and society before his daughter’s marriage to the King. He was knighted by King Henry VII for his role in helping end the Cornish uprising in 1497. Other positions he held included Sheriff of several counties in the West Country, a Knight and Groom of the Bedchamber. This made him close to the King. John married Margery Wentworth in 1494 and they had 10 children. His son Edward became the 1st Earl of Hertford and then Duke of Somerset and the Lord Protector during the early reign of his nephew King Edward VI. Thomas Seymour married the widow of King Henry VIII, Catherine Parr and was an influence, not necessarily for the good, in the young life of Princess Elizabeth Tudor. John and Margery’s daughter Lady Elizabeth Seymour married the son of Sir Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII right hand man. The couple survived Sir Thomas Cromwell’s fall from grace and had a comfortable life and of course Jane became Queen Consort. Sir John Seymour lived long enough to see his daughter become Queen in May 1536 but he died in December of the same year.
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So there is a brief overview of Henry’s first 3 father’s in law. Coming soon will be father’s in law 4-6.

So in part 1 we looked at the first 3 Mother’s in Law of King Henry VIII, Queen Isabella of Castile & Leon, Lady Elizabeth Boleyn and Lady Margery Seymour. Now onto Mother’s in Law 4-6.

​Mother in Law 4 was Maria of Jülich-Berg, the mother of Anne of Cleves. She was born in 1491 in what is now Germany to William IV, Duke of Julich-Berg and his wife Sibylle of Brandenburg. Maria was her father’s heir and inherited his titles in 1511 when he died. Maria married John III, Duke of Cleves in 1509 and the couple had 3 children, William 1516-1592 who became Duke of Julich-Cleves-Berg, Amalia 1517-1586 and Anne 1515-1557 who married King Henry VIII of England. After her husband’s death in 1511 Maria did not re marry. She raised her children with Catholic ideals even though they became Protestants, hence King Henry wanting to marry one of her daughters. There is some suggestion that Maria was against the marriage of Anne to Henry. Some say it was due to what had happened to his previous wives and others say she didn’t want her daughter to leave. Maria died in 1543. In her life time her son became a Duke and her daughter became Queen Consort of England, briefly.
 
Henry’s next wife was the ill-fated Catherine Howard. Her mother was Jocasta or Joyce Culpeper. She was born around 1480 to Sir Richard Culpeper and Isabel Worsley. Joyce married twice. The first was to Ralph Leigh who was her step father’s brother. They had 5 children, Sir John Leigh, Ralph Leigh, Isabel Leigh, Joyce Leigh and Margaret Leigh. After her husband’s death Joyce went on to marry Lord Edmund Howard who was the 3rd son of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. Together they had 6 children, Henry Howard, Sir Charles Howard, Sir George Howard, Margaret Howard, Catherine Howard c1523-1542 and Mary Howard. Little more is known about Joyce as she is believed to have died in 1528 and no definitive portrait of her is known. If she had survived I wonder how the life of her daughter may have differed. It must be said that it is very likely King Henry knew his future mother in law or at least had met her as her husband Edmund Howard was a member of the court and one of the Kings attendants.

Henry’s final wife Catherine Parr was the daughter of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife Maud Green. Maud was born in Northamptonshire in 1492 to Sir Thomas Green and his wife Jane Fogge. Maud was at the Royal court from around 1509 as she was a lady in waiting to Queen Consort Catherine of Aragon and was one of the Queens closest ladies entrusting the organisation of the education of the Royal children to her since Maud was intelligent and well educated for the time. Before she arrived at court she married Sir Thomas Parr who was the Sheriff of Northamptonshire. Together the couple had 3 children who survived. They were Catherine Parr 1512-1548 who became Queen Consort number 6 to King Henry VIII and was the god daughter of Queen Consort Catherine of Aragon and probably named after her, William Parr 1st Marquess of Northamptonshire and 1st Earl of Essex 1513-1571 and Anne Parr 1515-1552 who became Countess of Pembroke. Maud died before she would ever know that her daughter had become Queen Consort. She died in 1531 and was buried in St Ann’s, Blackfriars alongside her husband Thomas who had died in 1517.
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What Henry’s relationship with his mother’s in law that he knew was like we may never know, but none of them got into trouble with him for anything so maybe he liked them. He would have definitely known Lady Elizabeth Boleyn nee Howard, Lady Margery Seymour nee Wentworth and Lady Maud Parr nee Green as they would have been at court during his time as King. Did he know Joyce Culpeper? Possibly through her husband. He wouldn’t have known Queen Isabella of Castile & Leon as she died before he married her daughter and Maria of Jülich-Berg is not known to have visited Anne of Cleves. Also what they thought of him is not known but whatever the relationship their daughters went on to become Queens of England for better or worse, mainly worse.

So as those who read my blog know I’m a big fan of the history of the monarch and especially the Tudors. As you know Henry VIII was a big fan of wedding cake, well he must have been since he married 6 times! We all know about his wives, but who were his mother’s in law?

Infanta Catalina of Aragon’s mother was Queen Isabella of Castile and Leon, Queen consort of Aragon, Majorca, Sardinia, Sicily and Naples as well as Countess of Barcelona. She was born in 1451 in Madrigal de les Torres in Castile to King John II of Castile and Isabella of Portugal. Isabella became the second in line to throne of Castile after her father died when she was 4. After her younger brother’s death she became the heir. When she was 18 she married Ferdinand of Aragon the son of King John II of Aragon who later became King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Isabella succeeded her brother Henry in 1474 as Queen of Castile and Leon. The couple had 7 children, 1 was a miscarriage and another was still born. Their surviving children were Isabella 1470-1498 who became Queen consort of Portugal, John 1478-1497, Joanna 1479-1555 who was Queen of Castile in her own right, Maria 1482-1517 who was Queen consort of Portugal (she married her sister Isabella’s husband after she died) and Catherine (Catalina) 1485-1536 who married Prince Arthur of England and then his brother King Henry VIII.

Isabella and Ferdinand and known as the Catholic Monarchs and it was during their reign that the infamous Spanish Inquisition started. If you weren’t a good Catholic you were a heretic and could be burned at the stake. They also funded Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the Indies, he ended up in the America’s but hey we all make mistakes with directions. This lead to the great Spanish influence throughout the America’s and the Caribbean.

Isabella died at the Medina del Campo Royal Palace in Castile-Leon in 1504 after a steady decline in her health following the deaths of her family members. Her tomb is in the Capilla Real in Granada.
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Lady Anne Boleyn was the daughter of Lady Elizabeth Boleyn nee Howard. Elizabeth Howard was born around 1480 and was the daughter of Thomas Howard the 2nd Duke of Norfolk and his wife Elizabeth Tilney. Lady Elizabeth was a lady in Waiting to Queen Consort Elizabeth of York and later Queen Consort Catherine of Aragon. Around 1500 Elizabeth married Thomas Boleyn who later became the Earl of Ormond and Wiltshire making her the Countess of Ormond and Wiltshire. The couple had 3 children. Mary c1499 -1543, Anne c1500-1536 and George c1503 to 1536. Elizabeth became the Queens mother in 1533 following Anne’s marriage to Henry VIII. Her tenure was short though, as was Anne’s. Following Anne and George’s fall from grace Elizabeth fought hard to save them but not even her father the Duke of Norfolk could save them from death. After the executions had taken place Elizabeth left London and died in 1538. She is buried in St Mary’s Church in Lambeth.

​Jane Seymour was the daughter of Margery Wentworth and Sir John Seymour. Jane's mother Margery was born around 1478 and spent time in the household of her Aunt the Countess of Surrey. She married Sir John Seymour a courtier and solider of King Henry VII in 1494. Together the couple had 10 children. John c 1500-1510. Edward c1500-1522 who became the Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector during the reign of King Edward VI. Henry 1503-1578. Thomas c1508-1549 who was an admiral and became 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley and married Henry VIII widow Catherine Parr. John and Anthony who died young. Jane c1509-1537 who became Queen Consort of King Henry VIII. Margery who died around 1528. Elizabeth c1518-1568 and Dorothy. After Sir John died in 1536 Margery did not remarry. She died in 1550 having seen her daughter provide the much longed for male heir for King Henry VIII, her eldest son become Lord Protector of England and Wales for her Grandson King Edward VI and another son executed for treason.

​So as you can see the mothers of the Queens consorts can be just as interesting as the daughters. The next 3 Mother’s in Law will be looked at in the future in Henry VIII’s Mother’s in Law part 2.

This week I thought I’d give you a list of all the births, marriages, deaths, burials and coronations that have occurred for the Monarchs and Consorts of England, Scotland and the United Kingdom.
1st:
Birth month, or it could be April, of future Queen Margaret of Scotland, 1283, Tonsberg, Norway.

Birth of future Queen Consort Caroline of Ansbach, 1683, Ansbach, Holy Roman Empire. Consort of King George II.

2nd:
Death of Queen Consort Anne of Denmark, 1619, Hampton Court Palace. Consort of King James VI.
Death of Queen Consort Anne of Denmark, 1619, Hampton Court Palace. Consort of King James VI.
Birth of future King Robert II of Scotland, 1316, Paisley Abbey.

3rd:
Death of Queen Consort Matilda of Bolougne, 1152, Hedingham Castle, Essex. Consort of King Stephen.

4th:
Death of Queen Consort Joan of England, 1238, Havering-Atte-Bower, England. Consort of King Alexander II of Scotland.
Coronation of Queen Consort Phillipa of Hainault, 1330, Westminster Abbey. Consort of King Edward III.
Reign 1 ends of King Henry VI after being deposed, 1461.
Reign 1 ends of Queen Consort Margaret of Anjou, 1461. Consort of King Henry VI.
Reign 1 begins of King Edward IV, 1461.

5th:
Birth of future King Henry II, 1133, Le Mans, France.
Burial of Queen Mary II, 1695, Westminster Abbey.

6th:
Burial 1 of King Richard II, 1400, Kings Langley. Moved to Westminster Abbey in 1413.

8th:
Death of King William III, 1702, Kensington Palace.
Reign begins of Queen Anne, 1702.
Reign begins of Consort Prince George of Denmark, 1702.

10th:
Marriage of King Edward VII to Princess Alexandra of Denmark, 1863, St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

16th:
Death of Queen Consort Anne Neville, 1485, Westminster. Consort of King Richard III.

17th:
Death of King Lulach of Scotland, 1058, Essie.
Birth of future King James IV, 1473, Stirling Castle.

19th:
Death of King Alexander II of Scotland, 1286, Kinghorn Ness, Fife.
End of reign of Queen Yolande of Dreux, 1236, consort of King Alexander II of Scotland.
Reign begins of Queen Margaret of Scotland, 1236.

20th:
Divorce of King David II of Scotland from Margaret Drummond, 1370
Reign ends of Scottish Queen Consort Margaret Drummond, 1370.
Death of King Henry IV, 1413, Westminster.
Reign ends of Queen Consort Joan of Navarre, 1413. Consort of King Henry IV.
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21st:
Reign begins of King Henry V, 1413.
Death of former King Henry VI, 1471, Tower of London.

22nd:
Coronation of Queen Consort Matilda of Bolougne, 1136, Consort of King Stephen.

23rd:
Birth of future Queen Consort Margaret of Anjou, 1430, Pont-A-Mousson, Lorraine, France. Consort of King Henry VI.

24th:
Death of Queen Elizabeth, 1603, Richmond Palace, Surrey.
Reign begins of King James VI, 1603.
Reign begins of Queen Consort Anne of Denmark, 1603, Consort of King James VI.
Death of Dowager Queen Consort Mary of Teck, 1953, Marlborough House, London. Consort of King George V.

25th:
Approximate start of the reign of King Malcolm II of Scotland 1005
Reign begins of King Robert the Bruce of Scotland, 1306.
Reign begins of Queen Consort Elizabeth de Burgh, 1306, Consort of King Robert I.
Coronation of King Robert I, 1306.
Coronation of Queen Consort Elizabeth de Burgh, 1306, Consort of King Robert 1.
Coronation of King James II of Scotland, 1437, Holyrood Abbey.
Burial of Queen Consort Anne Neville, 1485, Westminster Abbey. Consort of King Richard III.

26th:
Possible birth date of the future King Malcolm III, 1031, Scotland.
Coronation of King Robert II of Scotland, 1371.
Coronation of Queen Consort Eupemia de Ross, 1371. Consort of King Robert II.
Burial of King Richard III, 2015, Leicester Cathedral.

27th:
Death of King James VI, 1625, Theobalds House.
Death of King James VI, 1625, Theobalds House.
Reign begins of King Charles I, 1625.
Reign begins of King Charles I, 1625.

29th:
Burial of King Alexander III, 1286, Dunfermline Abbey.

30th:
Death of Dowager of Queen Consort Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons, 2002, Royal Lodge, Windsor.

31st:
Burial of Dowager Queen Consort Mary of Teck, 1953, St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
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So that’s March covered for you.

February may be the shortest month of the year but for the history of the Monarchy it was quite busy.
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1st February 1327 was the coronation of King Edward III. He came to the throne following the death of his father Edward II. He came to the throne aged 14 on the 25th January 1327 and was crowned at Westminster Abbey.

2nd February 1626 was the date of the coronation of King Charles I. His reign began on the 27th March 1625 when his father James VI (under the new convention) died. He was crowned at Westminster Abbey but his wife Henrietta Maria of France was not crowned alongside him as she was of the Catholic faith and as such could not be crowned in a Church of England ceremony.

6th February 1685 saw the death of King Charles II at Whitehall Palace several days after he suffered a seizure. Charles and his wife Catherine of Braganza didn’t have any children, although Charles was rumoured to have had as many as 14 illegitimate children, so he was succeeded by his brother James as King James VII (under the new convention) whose reign began on this day. It was also the date of the birth of the future Queen Anne in 1665. She was born at St James Palace to the future King James VII and his first wife Anne Hyde.

7th February 1102 was the date of birth of Matilda, the daughter of King Henry 1. She would later become the Empress Consort of the Holy Roman Empire and then Lady of the English during the Medieval Anarchy. She was also the mother of the Plantagenet dynasty in England through her marriage to Geoffrey Plantagenet and their descendants. The 7th of February also saw the marriage of King Henry IV to Joanna of Navarre, the daughter of the King of Navarre, at Winchester Cathedral. It was the Kings second marriage and produced no issues.

9th February 1649 was the burial date of King Charles I following his execution for treason on the 30th January 1649. Charles was not allowed to be buried at Westminster Abbey so he was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

12th February 1554 was a black day. It was the date that Queen Jane was executed at the Tower of London and then buried within the Tower at St Peter ad Vincular. She was executed on the orders of her cousin Queen Mary as she feared Jane would be a focal point for a Protestant uprising. Jane’s husband Guildford Dudley was also executed on the same day.

14th February 1400 is the date when it was believed that King Richard II died at Pontefract Castle. He may have starved to death, although no one is really sure. Richard had been force to abdicate the year before in favour of his cousin King Henry IV. This date was also the date of the burial of King Charles II in 1685 at Westminster Abbey.

15th February 1516 saw the future Queen Mary enter the world at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, London. She was the only surviving child of King Henry VIII and his first wife Queen Catherine of Aragon and would become Queen after the death of her half-brother King Edward VI in 1553.

16th February 1547 was the burial day of King Henry VIII. Henry had died on the 28th January at Whitehall Palace in London. His body was transferred to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle where he was buried alongside his third wife Queen Jane Seymour.

20th February 1547 was the day King Edward VI was crowned King at Westminster Abbey. He ascended the throne aged 9 after the death of his father King Henry VIII. He would reign until his death in 1553.

25th February 1308 saw another coronation in Westminster Abbey. It was on this day that King Edward II was crowned. He became King after the death of his father King Edward I on the 8th July 1307. Edward was crowned alongside his new bride Isabella of France.
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So lots happen in the monarchy in February. Why not try coming up with a similar list for your own family.

November is a busy month for anniversaries of the Royal Family of England/Great Britain. So what happened this month?
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The year is 1035 and Canute is King after leading a Viking force in 1015 against the English and defeating King Edmund Ironsides forces. Edmund had died soon after and so Canute was King. He reigned until the 12th November 1035 when he died and the crown passed to Harold Harefoot, Canute’s second son. He acted as regent for his younger half-brother Harthacnut but decided to keep the throne for himself.

1321 saw the birth of a little baby boy named Edward occurred at Windsor Castle on the 13th November. He was born to King Edward III and Isabella of France. His grandparents were King Edward I of England, King Philip IV of France and Queen Joan I of Navarre.  Young Edward would become King Edward III of England in 1327. He married Philippa of Hainault in 1328 and had 14 children by her, including Edward the Black Prince and John of Gaunt (who attempted to populate the world single handily with 14 children by 4 women). 2 of his grandsons would become King, Richard II and Henry IV.

In 1429 King Henry VI was crowned King of England on 6th November aged 8 months and 27 days. Henry was the son of King Henry V of England and Catherine of Valois and the grandson of King Henry VI of England and King Charles VI of France. Henry inherited the throne of France on the 21st October 1422 when he was 11 months and 16 days old through his mother. He was just 8 years old when he was crowned in England and 10 years old when he was crowned in France. Henry was King of England for around 39 years over 2 periods during the Wars of the Roses until his murder in 1471 and around 31 years in France although many did not acknowledge his rule in France and favoured his maternal uncle Charles VII. Henry was half-brother to Edmund and Jasper Tudor and their siblings and the uncle of Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII.
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On the 17th November 1558 aged 42 of probably cancer Queen Mary died. She was childless and so the crown passed to her half-sister Elizabeth. Mary was the daughter of King Henry VIII of England and Katherine of Aragon, this made her the granddaughter of King Henry VII, King Ferdinand III of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile. Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn and the granddaughter of King Henry VII.

It’s the 19th November 1600 and in Dunfermline Palace in Fife, Scotland a little boy named Charles took his first breaths. He was born to King James VI of Scotland and his wife Anne of Denmark and was the grandson of Mary Queen of Scots and King Frederick II of Denmark. In 1625 Charles became King Charles I of England and Scotland and would rule until his execution for treason in 1649.

In the Hague on the 4th November William Prince of Orange was born to William II, Prince of Orange and Mary, Princess Royal of England and Scotland. This made young William the grandson of King Charles I. William married his maternal cousin Mary, the daughter of his mother’s brother’s King James VII. William ruled jointly with his wife as King William III and Queen Mary II of England and Scotland.

Now November was fairly quiet until 1841 when another boy was born, this time to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Albert Edward was born on the 9th November in Buckingham Palace. He was go on to become King Edward VII of Great Britain from 1901 until his death in 1910.

On the 20th November 1947 King Edward VII great granddaughter Princess Elizabeth married her distant cousin Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. They were second cousins once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark and third cousins through Queen Victoria. They were married at Westminster Abbey. The following November on the 14th Elizabeth and Philip’s first child was born, a son named Charles who would later become Charles, Prince of Wales after his mother’s accession to the throne in 1952.
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So as you can see November has been an extremely busy month for the Royal Family with lots of events to remember.

You hear this saying quite a lot these days from little kids playing dress up to brides choosing a dress. But would you really have wanted to be a princess?
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Well I would think no unless it’s in modern times. Let’s face it the life in castle would have stunk. The whole place would have smelt of wood smoke in the winter, which isn’t bad but factor in the food smells, the smelly of musty fabrics and furnishing it would be a bit bad. No add into the smell of the people and it would be gross. No deodorant, body wash and shampoo! If you stunk you had to change your clothes and send them off to be washed. Except in reality only your under linen shift would be washed. The top dress would probably never be cleaned. Now add in the smell of chamber pots and toilets if you’re lucky. Versailles in France the people of court used to got to the toilet in the corner of the room and just leave their doings on the floor. I don’t want to be a princess.

But it isn’t just the smells that would stop you from wanting to be a princess. Your life would be completely controlled. What you could learn, who your friends were and even what your interests were. So learning to sew, run a household and be a proper lady was high on the list of your day. Some princesses had more freedom than this, but not many.
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If you’re Dad’s King (or brother etc), no choosing your own hubby, Daddy would do it for you and you would probably wouldn’t be too impressed. Lets consider the Tudor princess Mary Tudor the daughter of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Her big brother chose her first husband for her. He chose King Louis XII of France a 52 year old double widower for her. Mary was 18 years old. It was even worse for Isabella of Valois the daughter of King Charles VI of France. He married her off to the 29 year old widower King Richard II when she was 6 years old! So her you are packed off to another country (probably) to live with someone you’ve never met. Luckily you probably get to take your ladies with you, but they may also have been chosen for you. Mary Tudor had Anne Boleyn as a lady in waiting in France and she really didn’t like her.

Then there’s the little matter of woman’s duties. As wife of a monarch, heir to a throne or wife of a high ranking noble you had one job. Have children, in particular sons to carry on the line. Also you would probably have to put up with your spouse carrying on with his mistresses. Once you popped out your child if it was a boy – great celebration and if it was a girl your downfall may be plotted, think Anne Boleyn. If you were kept on as a wife then you would be expected to get pregnant again very quickly. Then was the fact you may well not survive childbirth. Also you may have been a child yourself when you gave birth. Queen Mary II was only 16 when she married her husband and possibly still 16 when she suffered a miscarriage. Now I know it was a different time but at 16 I was very much still a kid.

During your life as a princess you would be controlled by your father or other family member until you married and then controlled by your husband. Everything was controlled. Who you spent time with, what you wore (must look fashionable for your husband), what you did and even what happened to you. Think about Infanta Catalina of Aragon, later Queen Catherine of Aragon. She was sent away to marry, put aside by her husband and removed from court to a cold damp castle with no ladies and very little money and not allowed to see her daughter.
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So still want to be a Princess? Maybe the expression should be changed to I want to be a Disney Princess.

Well we’ve had the monarch awards of England/Great Britain and Scotland/Great Britain. We’ve also had the consort awards for England/Great Britain. Now it’s the turn of the Scottish consorts.
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Consorts whose children didn’t become monarch:
12 consorts of Scotland had no children become monarch. The first was Ethelreda of Northumbria the consort of the 6 month King, Duncan II. The last female consort to not have a child become monarch was Madeleine of Valois the consort of James V who died within 6 months of her marriage. There were no monarch heirs for 2 of the 3 male consorts, Francis II of France and the Earl of Bothwell, both consorts to Mary Queen of Scots.

Consorts who had more than on monarch/consort as children:
Two consorts have this accolade. Suthen the wife of Duncan I gave birth to King Malcolm III and King Donald III. Saint Margaret the second wife of King Malcolm III went one better than her mother in law and had 3 children become monarchs of Scotland in King Edgar, King Alexander I and King David I.

Consorts who had no children:
In the period 1000 to 1603 Scotland had 30 consorts. Of these 8 had no children or no surviving children with the monarch. Gruoch the wife of Macbeth didn’t have any children by him but her son did become King briefly. David II (1329-1371) was married twice to Joan of the Tower and Margaret Drummond. He had children by neither of them. The last consort not to have children by the monarch was King Francis II of France the husband of Mary Queen of Scots. You could say it was Mary’s third husband the Earl of Bothwell but she did have twins by him but she suffered a miscarriage.

Consorts to have the most children:
Well the winner is Elizabeth Mure the first wife of King Robert II. She gave him 10 children but she was never consort as she died before Robert became King. In second place was St Margaret who gave her husband King Malcolm III 8 children. If you include all the children a consort had by all her husbands than Joan Beaufort the consort of King James I wins. She had 8 children with James and 3 with her second husband the Black Knight of Lorne.

Reign length:
The consort who reigned the longest was Joan of the Tower. She was the consort of King David II and reigned for 33 years, 3 months and 1 day. The shortest reign was James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell who was consort to Mary Queen of Scots for 2 months and 20 days before Mary abdicated.
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Age at accession:
The oldest lady to become consort was Arabella Drummond the wife of King Robert III. She was approximately 40 years old when her husband ascended the throne. The youngest was Joan of the Tower. She was 7 years and 11 months when she married the 4 year old King David II.

Number of Marriages:
Well not surprisingly the winner was a Tudor. Margaret Tudor was the older sister of King Henry VIII. She married King James IV in 1503 when she was 14 years old. After his death (1513) she married Archibald Douglas the 6th Earl of Angus in 1514 and divorced him in 1527. The following year she married Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven who she remained married to until her death in 1541, although she did want to divorce him but her son wouldn’t let her. So yet again a Tudor with multiple marriages.

Some other facts:
Of all the consorts 3 had siblings who were also consorts of European monarchs. Joan of England’s (Alexander II) sister Isabella was the consort of Emperor Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire. Margaret Tudor’s sister Mary was the consort of King Louis XII of France for 3 months before his death. Finally King Francis II of France consort of Mary Queen of Scots  has 2 sisters who became consorts. Elizabeth of Valois married King Phillip II of Spain after the death of his 2nd wife Queen Mary of England and Margaret of Valois married the future King Henry IV of France.

The house of Valois was the family name of one branch of the French royal family. They provided 2 consorts to the Scottish monarchy. Madeleine was the consort of King James V and her nephew King Francis II who was consort to Mary Queen of Scots. They were related to the 2 Valois consorts of England in Isabella wife of King Richard II and Catherine wife of King Henry V and Owen Tudor. There common ancestor was King Charles V of France. Catherine and Isabella where his granddaughters, Madeleine was his 3 times great granddaughter and Francis was his 4 times great grandson.

In the same vein Joan of England was the paternal aunt of Margaret of England and the twice great aunt of Joan of the Tower. Margaret of England was the great Aunt of Joan of the Tower.

There were 3 male consorts to Scottish monarchs and all were the husbands of Mary Queen of Scots.

10 consorts were the children of European monarchs. 6 were the daughters of the English monarch, 2 of the Danish monarch and 2 were the children of the French monarch.

The pointless questions and their answers
The names of the British monarch’s consorts since 1707 are:
George, Caroline, Charlotte, Adelaide, Albert, Alexandria, Mary, Elizabeth and Philip.
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The decade in which a monarch died from 1000 to 2000 were:
1060’s, 1090’s, 1120’s, 1130’s, 1230’s, 1280’s, 1270’s, 1320’s, 1360’s, 1370’s, 1380’s, 1400’s, 1440’s, 1460’s, 1540’s, 1530’s, 1560’s, 1570’s, 1610’s, 1660’s, 1700’s, 1720’s, 1730’s, 1810’s, 1820’s, 1840’s, 1860’s, 1920’s, 1950’s, 2000’s.

The consorts whose children (if they had any some of these listed didn’t) were never Monarch since 1154 are: Joan of England, Margaret of England, Yolande of Dreux, Joan of the Tower, Margaret Drummond, Euphemia de Ross, Madeleine of Valois, King France II of France and James Hepburn Earl of Bothwell, Catherine of Braganza the wife of Charles II. Mary of Modena the wife of James VII (II). Prince George of Denmark the husband of Queen Anne. Caroline of Brunswick the wife of George II. Caroline of Brandenburg the wife of George IV and finally Adelaide Saxe-Meiningen the wife of William IV.

If you want to read the other blogs in the monarchy awards you can find them at:
http://www.familyhistoryresearchengland.co.uk/blog/monarchy-awards
http://www.familyhistoryresearchengland.co.uk/blog/monarch-award-consort-category
http://www.familyhistoryresearchengland.co.uk/blog/monarchy-awards-scotland