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Monarchs of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom is the name given to the union of the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Great Britain is the name given to just England and Scotland. This union was the result of bitter warfare and did not materialize until the seventeenth century. Of the three regions, England was always the most populous and wealthiest portion. But even today, the other regions retain their sense of separateness. Except for Northern Ireland, most of Ireland has formed an independent republic. Originally settled by Celtic peoples, the Romans conquered Britain in the first century and ruled it until the fifth. Angles, Saxons, and Jutes conquered the island and established Germanic kingdoms. In the ninth century, the Danes raided and invaded the country. Modern English history may be said to have begun with the Norman Conquest in 1066. Since then England has had a continuous history and no foreign invader has conquered the island since then. Feudal monarchy gave way to absolute monarchy during the Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII broke with the Pope and initiated a kind of state run Catholicism. This break initiated the Reformation in England. It should be noted that the break with Rome came from the top down. It was, however, popular in England and had the support of most Englishmen. A strong Anglican Church developed under Queen Elizabeth. Under the Stuart dynasty, religious civil war broke out. HOUSE OF TUDOR HENRY VII, 1485-1509 HOUSE OF STUART JAMES I, 1603-1625 REVOLUTION English Civil War (1642 - 1649) begins August 22, 1642 and ends
when Republic Declared on February 6, 1649 Commonwealth Declared in 1649 led by Oliver Cromwell (b.1599 - d.1658) Protectorate declared December 16, 1653 Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector to 1658 Richard Cromwell, his son, as Lord Protector to 1660 Charles II restored May 29, 1660 in London RESTORED HOUSE OF STUART CHARLES II, 1660-1685 GLORIOUS REVOLUTION WILLIAM III AND MARY II, 1689-1694 HOUSE OF HANOVER GEORGE I, 1714-1727 HOUSE OF SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA EDWARD VII, 1901-1910 RENAMED HOUSE OF WINDSOR GEORGE V CONTINUES, 1917-1936 ___________________________________________________________________ |