In 1863, he married Princess Alexandra of Denmark. This meant Victoria and Albert’s firstborn son should inherit the throne, which he did upon Victoria’s death in 1901.īorn Albert Edward, and nicknamed ‘Bertie’, he chose to reign as King Edward VII. Read more about Popular Culture The German kings and queens of England BritainĪlthough Victoria and Albert's firstborn was a girl, constitutional law at the time dictated the line of succession followed male-preference primogeniture. When she died the British Empire was almost at its peak, covering a quarter of the world and nearly half a billion people. Her reign was synonymous with Britain’s industrial development, economic progression, and imperial expansion. She sat atop the throne for nearly 64 years, making her Britain's second longest-reigning monarch. However, her three uncles had no legitimate children who survived and so Victoria was crowned in 1837. She was never meant to ascend the throne being so down in the order of succession. It’s no wonder she earned the nickname ‘the grandmother of Europe’ for she connects most of the continent via bloodlines.īorn in London on 24th May 1819, Victoria was the only daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of George III. If only there were a version about Queen Victoria, whose nine children married into royal families throughout Europe. The catchy tune lyricises about how ‘the hip bone’s connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone’s connected to the knee bone’ and so on.
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Simpson died more than a decade later and was buried next to her husband at Frogmore in Windsor.As a child learning about human anatomy, you may have come across the song ‘Dem Bones’. When it was clear he could not marry her without triggering a constitutional crisis, Edward VIII abdicated.Įdward VIII and Simpson married months later and held the titles of Duke and Duchess of Windsor.ĭuring World War II, the pair sustained significant criticism for their apparent sympathy towards appeasing Nazi Germany as it advanced across Europe. The proposed marriage went against the wishes of the government and against the teachings of the Church of England, which the monarch heads.Īt the time, social mores and religious teachings were against divorcees remarrying and it was thought the public would not accept Simpson as their queen. It was his wish to marry Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who had been divorced twice. ( AFP: Ann Ronan Picture Library)Įdward VIII acceded to the throne at age 41 after the death of his father King George V. 9 years: Edward VII (1901-1910)Ī black and white portrait of Edward VIII while he was Prince of Wales. She was the second-longest reigning British monarch. When he died in 1861, she wore black for the remainder of her life, and she withdrew from public duties for a time.ĭespite her strong influence and status as one of Britain's most recognisable rulers, her reign coincided with a dwindling in the monarch's powers.
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She was also known for her strong bond with her husband, Prince Albert, even though she outlived him by 40 years. Her reign oversaw an explosion of industry as the British Empire's reach grew through colonisation and the East India Company.
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Victoria was one of the most influential British monarchs in history. Her father died shortly after she was born, and none of her uncles had children who were eligible to take the throne, making her first in line. Victoria was the only child of Prince Edward, the fourth son of King George III. She came of age just a month before the death of her uncle, William IV.
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His only legitimate daughter, Princess Charlotte, died before him and had no children, so the crown passed to his brother William IV on his death. The saga culminated with Caroline - who was technically the queen - not being invited to his coronation, turning up anyway and being barred entry to Westminster Abbey.Ĭaroline remained popular with the public up until her death in 1821 after a short illness. He accused Caroline of adultery, with the allegations examined in detail in the House of Lords. He later officially married Princess Caroline of Brunswick but tried to divorce her when he became king. In 1784, he had secretly and illegally married Maria Fitzherbert, a Catholic. George IV became king at the age of 57, however he had been acting as prince regent for the previous nine years.ĭespite his experience in the role, the public never warmed to George IV due to his excessive spending and well-known philandering. A portrait of King George IV (1762-1830).