This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands,-- This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England. ~~William Shakespeare, Richard III



Monday, May 24, 2010

"Facts of Life" - British Monarchs

I thought it would be interesting to look up various statistics of the monarchs who sat on the coveted throne of England. We all know Queen Victoria is the longest reigning monarch to date but who had the shortest reign? Where does the present Queen fit into this list? How long did some of our most favorite (or infamous) monarchs reign? Who was the oldest monarch? The youngest? The tallest? You need look no further!

Longest Reigning

Queen Victoria: 63 years, 216 days (June 20, 1837 - January 22, 1901)
King George III: 59 years, 96 days (October 25, 1760 - January 29, 1820)
Elizabeth II: 58 years, 107 days (February 6, 1952 - present)
Henry III: 56 years, 29 or 30 days (October 18 or 19, 1216 - November 16, 1272)
Edward III: 50 years, 147 days (January 25, 1327 - June 21, 1377)
Elizabeth I: 44 years, 127 days (November 17, 1558 - March 24, 1603)
Henry VI: 38 years, 185 days (Aug 31, 1422 - Mar 4, 1461) 162 days (Oct 31, 1470 - Apr 11, 1471)
Henry VIII: 37 years, 281 days (April 22, 1509 - January 28, 1547)
Henry I: 35 years, 120 days (August 3, 1100 - December 1, 1135)
Henry II: 34 years, 254 days (October 25, 1154 - July 6, 1189)
Edward I: 34 years, 229 days (November 20, 1272 - July 7, 1307)

Shortest Reigning

Jane Grey: 9 days (July 10, 1553 - July 19, 1553)
Edgar the Ætheling: 1 month, 25 days (October 15, 1066 - December 10, 1066)
Edward V: 2 months, 16 days (April 9, 1483 - June 25, 1483)
Matilda: 5-9 months (Spring 1141 - Autumn 1141)
Harold II: 9 months, 9 days (January 5, 1066 - October 14, 1066)
Edward VIII: 10 months, 22 days (January 20, 1936 - December 11, 1936)

Longest Serving Prince of Wales: Prince Edward (Edward VII) - 59 years, 2 months, 13 days

Longest Lived British Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II

Youngest British Monarch to Die: Edward V

Oldest King to Begin Reign: William IV - 64 years, 10 months old

Oldest Queen to Begin Reign: Mary I - 37 years, 5 months old

Youngest King to Begin Reign: Henry VI - 8 months, 25 days old

Youngest Queen to Begin Reign: Mary, Queen of Scots - 6 days old

Youngest Queen Consort: Isabella of Valois (2nd wife of Richard II) - 6 years, 11 months, 25 days old

Monarch with the Most Children: Henry I - 29 (5 legitimate)

Monarch with the Most Legitimate Children: James II - 20

Youngest Queen Consort to Give Birth: Mary de Bohun (wife of Henry IV) - 12 years old

Youngest Queen Regnant to Give Birth: Mary II - 16 years old

Oldest Father: Edward I fathered his last child when he was 66 years old

Oldest Mother: Eleanor of Aquitaine gave birth to John when she was 44 years old

Tallest Monarch: Edward IV - 6'4 1/2"

Shortest Monarch: Victoria - 5'

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