George I

George I by Godfrey Kneller, 1714.

George I of Great Britain, or Georg Ludwig of Hanover, was a living symbol of loss of power in the monarchy. Originally the Elector of Hanover before his accession to the very foreign British throne, he much preferred to be in his homeland and the British people, with whom he was not popular, preferred him there as well. Nevertheless, George I became the first Hanoverian monarch and the first Georgian monarch to rule over a country experiencing an influx of wealth, industry and agriculture unlike anything they had ever seen before.

George I, for all intents and purposes, should not have been king. His claim to throne was slim at best. After the glorious revolution and the Catholic James II being deposed, parliament passed the Act of Settlement which barred Roman Catholics from coming to the throne given that the monarch was head of the Protestant Church of England. This meant that after the death of Anne, the last of the Stuart Monarchs who had ruled England for 111 years and Scotland for 343 year, only her Protestant heirs could ascend the British throne. This meant that over fifty potential heirs were passed over, including her brother, James Stuart, and nephew, Charles Stuart or Bonnie Prince Charlie as he is commonly known. The next heir was Anne's second cousin, once removed: Sophia of Hanover. The granddaughter of James I, Sophia was the elderly widowed Electress of the German state of Hanover. Her eldest childwas the current Elector, Georg Ludwig.

Sophia of Hanover (George I's mother) 

Only months before the death of Queen Anne, Sophia died and Georg Ludwig was suddenly the heir to a country he had only seen once. From the beginning, Georg was not popular. His mother, Sophia, had been a great renaissance woman and patron of the arts. Her vivacious personality had made her a popular presence at the British court. People were disappointed to see that her stuffy, fat son who could hardly speak English was now the heir. When Queen Anne died, George I arrived in London with his son, grandchildren and two mistresses. As a result of a scandal that had rocked the German states, the Queen was absent.

George I's wife was Sophia Dorothea, the daughter of the Duke of Luneberg-Celle. She was his first cousin and the two married in 1682. They went on to have two children: George and Sophia. About ten years after their marriage, Sophia Dorothea admitted to a long standing affair with Count Philip Konigsmark, a Swedish soldier. George I was furious with his wife and divorced her immediately. Poor Sophia Dorothea was then imprisoned for the remaining 32 years of her life. Although George I had had mistresses during his marriage, he took two official "companions" after his divorce. They were Melusine von der Schulenburg and Sophia von Kielmansegge, George I's half-sister. Both women were large and they earned harsh nicknames as a result. Von Kielmansegge was known as "the elephant" and von der Schulenberg was known as "the maypole" because she was slightly thinner.

Sophia Dorothea of Celle (George I's ex-wife)

Prince George, Prince of Wales, later George II of Great Britain (George I's son)

Sophia Dorothea, Queen of Prussia (George I's daughter)

By the time George I was king of Great Britain, his daughter was married and had become Queen of Prussia. His son, the Prince of Wales, had also married and was coming to reside in Great Britain with his family. When the Hanoverian royal family arrived, people shouted "Hail mighty George!" and "Thee long we wish'd." The issue was, they were shouting it at the Prince of Wales whom they had mistaken for the King. The crowd went silent when they saw the somber old man who was their actual King. Upon the family's arrival at the palace, George I was so angry about the incident that he spanked his 31 year old son. Great divisions would soon arise between the King and his son, eventually resulting in rival courts. 

Although George I was a strong willed man, he had governed Hanover as an autocracy and now had parliament to contend with. He created a fascinating court full of exotic Turks, dancers from the far east and even a feral child he kept as a pet. Nevertheless, he spent as much time in Hanover as he possible could, resenting his British life. This created backlash and many high ranking politicians sided with George's son and enemy, the Prince of Wales. In the public, George was continually scrutinized for not speaking English and the popularity of his son's court was only strengthened by the backlash.

James Stuart

One of George I's worst enemies was James Stuart, his second cousin and the half brother of Queen Anne. He headed up the Jackobite cause in France and many Catholics and Protestants alike saw him as the rightful ruler. However, James Stuart was never victorious and George I remained the unhappy ruler of Great Britain. In 1727, he died largely unmourned of stroke. His mistresses, the elephant and the maypole, were by his side. He was buried in Hanover.

George I on his coronation

Anne

Queen Anne. Portrait by Michael Dahl. 1705.

With Queen Anne the House of Stuart, who had ruled England since 1603 and Scotland since 1371, came to an end. It was during her reign that the two countries officially united as Great Britain. A woman who was content to rule as a constitutional monarch, she had a life of tragedy and triumph. Although she and her older sister were able to get her Roman Catholic father, James II, out of England, Anne failed to produce an heir. She had seventeen pregnancies with only one surviving child who preceded her in death.

"I know my own heart to be entirely English" - Queen Anne, 1702.

Anne was born at St. James Palace on February 5, 1665. Although her parents - James, Duke of York (later James II) and his first wife Anne Hyde - converted to Catholicism, Anne's uncle, Charles II, insisted that she and her elder sister Mary be brought up as Protestants.

James II and Anne Hyde. Queen Anne's parents.

In 1683, Anne married Prince George of Denmark. The son of Frederick III of Denmark, George was a fellow Protestant. Although he met with the approval of Anne's protestant uncle, he failed to please her Catholic parents Although Prince George proved to be a devoted husband to Anne, she increasingly relied on her close confidant, Sarah Churchill, the wife of John Churchill, the future Duke of Marlborough.

Prince George of Denmark

Sarah Churchill

It was Sarah Churchill who convinced Anne to abandon her father, James II, during the glorious revolution. Anne's sister Mary and Mary's husband, William of Orange, were planning to reclaim England for the protestants and James II, the current monarch, was a Catholic. By then, Anne Hyde was dead and James II had remarried and had another child, Anne's half-brother, James Stuart. Unlike Anne and Mary, James was raised a Catholic. Anne, Mary and William of Orange successfully deposed their father and half-brother in what became known as the Glorious Revolution. William of Orange and Mary became William III and Mary II, joint monarchs, in 1689. Later in 1701, the Act of Settlement barred Roman Catholics, like their half-brother, from coming to the throne. 

William III and Mary II

During the reign of her sister and brother-in-law, Anne desperately tried to have children with Prince George of Denmark. Out of her seventeen pregnancies, she had one surviving child. Prince William, Duke of Gloucester was adored by his mother and seemed to be the only foreseeable heir. Prince William's importance increased when Mary II died childless in 1694. After the deaths of William III and Anne, William would be King. Unfortunately the Duke of Gloucester died in 1700 at age 11, leaving Anne heartbroken.

Queen Anne and her son, the Duke of Gloucester

After William III's death in 1702, Anne became Queen of England and Scotland. Anne took being Queen very seriously attended cabinet meetings several times a week, being careful to not show political bias. The generalship of Sarah Churchill's husband, the Duke of Marlborough, gave England and Scotland several victories. Among these victories were the defeat of the French and her half-brother, James Stuart. 

After England and Scotland merged in 1707 to make Anne the first queen of Great Britain, her health began to decline. She was becoming obese and struggled with alcoholism. Anne even earned the nickname Brandy Nan for her fondness of Brandy. Pegging down a protestant heir became extremely important. Over fifty Catholic heirs were skipped over and the aging Sophia of Hanover was to be Great Britain's next queen. She was the former consort of Hanover and a great-granddaughter of King James I. Sophia's son, Georg Ludwig, was the monarch of the tiny German nation. Although Sophia was older than Anne, she became so popular at the British court that Anne sent her back to Hanover until she would return as monarch.

Sophia of Hanover

Queen Anne died on August 1, 1714 and was buried at Westminster Abbey. Sophia of Hanover actually died two months prior to Anne and Sophia's son, Georg Ludwig, assumed the British throne as George I. 

Statue of Queen Anne outside of St. Paul's Cathedral in London

The Monarchs of Great Britain and the United Kingdom

The Kingdom of Great Britain came about on May 1, 1707 with the merger of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland. This came on the back of a 104 year personal union in which the two countries shared a monarch but were not officially merged.

Queen Anne

In 1801, the Kingdom of Ireland was merged with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom. Since the formation of Britain, there have been 12 monarchs. This began with Anne, the last of the Scottish house of Stuart. The house of Start had ruled both England and Scotland since James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne as James I of England in 1603, following his distant cousin Elizabeth I.

King George I

In 1714, Georg Ludwig of Hanover ascended the British throne as George I of Great Britain after the death of his distant cousin, Queen Anne. This came about because a Roman Catholic was not allowed to ascend the throne, making George the next king. Over fifty potential heirs were passed over. He spoke mostly German and this started a personal union between Great Britain and the Duchy of Hanover that lasted until Queen Victoria, George's great-great-great granddaughter, ascended the throne. In Hanover, women were not allowed to ascend the throne so one of Victoria's uncles succeeded his brother.

Queen Victoria

When Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the rulinge Hanoverian family became the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. This name was changed by Victoria's grandson, George V, to the much more British sounding Windsor. 

House of Stuart

1) Anne (1707-1714) 

House of Hanover

2) George I (1714-1727)

3) George II (1727-1760)

4) George III (1760-1820)

5) George IV (1820-1830)

6) William IV (1830-1837)

7) Victoria (1837-1901)

House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha/Windsor

8) Edward VII (1901-1910)

9) George V (1910-1936)

10) Edward VIII (1936-1936)

11) George VI (1936-1952)

12) Elizabeth II (1952-present)

The monarch of the United Kingdom still carries over the numbers designated to them from previous monarchs who ruled England and Scotland. That is why Elizabeth II is given the title of "II" even though Elizabeth I never ruled over Great Britain. In the event that a monarch assumes the throne with different numerical designations given separate English and Scottish dynasties, they would carry both. For example, if another James assumed the throne, he would be titled James III and VIII. However, he would be mainly addressed as James III. 

Throwback Thursday

Today is the 33rd Anniversary of The Duke returning from The Falklands War - 17th September, 1982. His Royal Highness was met by The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Princess Royal on-board HMS Invincible upon its return to Portsmouth!

The Woman Who Will Be Queen, A Portrait

Her Royal Highness Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge by Paul Emsley, 2012. 

This is the first official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge, which debuted on January 11, 2013 at the National Gallery. The first ever official painting of the woman that will one day be Queen of the United Kingdom and Paul Emsley, the painter, often commented on the pressure he felt while painting the Duchess. When the painting was revealed to the public, there was mixed reception. Many believed he prematurely aged her and others thought that the eyes looked rather alarming. The Duchess of Cambridge loved the painting and referred to it as "brilliant."

Personally, I thought this was a great portrait of the Duchess. Although it was clearly modern, it has echoes of older royal portraits. The commanding stance and half-smile speak to her demeanor as a future Queen Consort.  The use of blue is ingenious and a clear echo of her famous engagement ring. The hair is the most striking portion of this painting and seems almost other worldly, like the way women were painted during the Georgian era. I like the lightness in her roots. I look at this as a sign of maturity as well as a sign of fertility. She's here to be a strong guiding force in Britain as well as being able to produce many heirs. 

Fit to Rule

I recently discovered an amazing documentary that recounts the humanity of the British royals. They tend to be viewed through a lens of leadership or as a good drama but this documentary dives in and looks at them as people with same physical and mental ailments that plague everyone.

The documentary is a three part series entitled Fit to Rule. It  recounts all the monarchs from the Tudors to Elizabeth II and addresses physical and mental issues that sometimes dominated their lives. It is also a great overviews of the monarchs who have ruled England.

The presenter is Lucy Worsley, the curator of Historic Royal Palaces. She's the best I've seen at making these documentaries about English history. When looking for a good documentary, I usually try to look for one where she is the presenter. I linked all the videos in this post. Enjoy!

Fit to Rule: Tudors to Stuarts, from Gods to Men

Fit to Rule: Tudors to Hanoverians, Bad Blood

Fit to Rule: Hanoverians to Windsors

Queen Olga?

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia

Prior to the hectic and pro-isolationist attitudes that followed World War I, the empires of Europe lived in a healthy, communicative state. This was mostly because the main powers were all related. King-Emperor George V of the United Kingdom, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Imperial Germany and Empress Alexandra of Imperial Russia were all grandchildren of the great Queen Victoria, Out of the three factions of this family, the closest, diplomatic relationship rose between George V and Alexandra's husband, Tsar Nicholas II. Both men commanded the greatest Empires in Europe and grew to be good friends. George V headed up the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Nicholas II headed up the infamous House of Romanov. Although George's power was limited, both men had tremendous sway on the international stage.

(Left) Nicholas II of Russia (Right) George V of the United Kingdom

Given that they were both powerful, pre-modern monarchs, what was the best step to a permanent diplomatic Union between Russia and the United Kingdom? Marriage, of course. Almost from the beginning, the two men had their children in contact. The Saxe-Coburg-Gotha children learned Russian while the Romanov children learned English. The most natural Anglo-Russian union was between George V's oldest: Edward, the Princes of Wales and Nicholas II's oldest: the Grand Duchess Olga. Both were around the same age and having the Queen of the United Kingdom be Russian would solidify a diplomatic tie.

Grand Duchess Olga of Russia

Prince Edward, Prince of Wales

Fortunately or unfortunately, the concept of Queen Olga quickly faded. Although Russia and the United Kingdom were allies in World War I, their diplomatic relationship ended. Anti-monarchism ran high in the U.K. and George V knew it was not the time to bring in foreigners to the throne. The British Royal family needed to be re-branded as home grown and British. This resulted in the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha being renamed the House of Windsor. The Prince of Wales was now expected to marry into the British aristocracy rather than his Russian second cousin, Olga Romanov.

After the families went their separate ways, the lives of Edward and Olga played out very differently and rather tragically. The Grand Duchess Olga and the rest of the Romanov family fell victim to the bloody Russian Revolution. In 1917, the family was imprisoned in Siberia by Bolshevik revolutionaries and eventually executed in 1918. Olga died with her family via firing squad at the age of 22.

The Prince of Wales on the other hand lived the playboy lifestyle and refused to marry. In 1936, he ascended the British throne as King Edward VIII. His reign was short lived and he abdicated to marry his American mistress, Wallis Simpson, only months after his accession. Edward and Wallis became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, living out their lives in exile in the South of France. Edward died in 1972 at the age of 77.

If the union had gone through as planned, the course of the United Kingdom and Russia may have played out differently. Edward and Olga would have most likely reigned as King and Queen for the rest of their lives, producing heirs. By doing this, we would not have the current Elizabeth II, Edward's niece. The Romanovs may have also overcame revolution with British support. Although, the British anti-monarchism may have overrun the country with a foreign Queen on the throne. What if?

The Romanov family. The Grand Duchess Olga is right, center behind her father, Tsar Nicholas II.

The four Romanov sisters during their imprisonment after the revolution. Olga is seated on the far left.

The room where the Romanovs were executed by firing squad. 

The Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (later Windsor) family. Prince Edward, Prince of Wales is second from the right.

The wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (formerly Edward VIII) and Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (formerly Wallis Simpson), 1937. 

The Royal Line of Succession

I've been incredibly busy lately but I do want to keep updating this blog on a semi-regular basis. I'm shooting for once a day! Instead of a long, drawn out article, I'm going to post the first 99 people in line for the British throne after the death of the current queen Elizabeth II.

The succession is a pretty complicated matter and one could write all whole textbook on just that subject. The monarchy never excluded women, but it would usually skip them in favor of male relatives. This changed when Mary I became the first undisputed female monarch to rule in her own right in 1553. Even though women weren't excluded, their brothers always had precedence over them. This is no longer the case. In 2015, the Succession of the Crown Act (2013) allowed women to have precedence over any younger brothers they may have, This law  only applies to children born into the royal family after October 20, 2011.

In addition to the gender issue, the monarchy still prohibits anyone from ascending the throne if they are a Roman Catholic. This is due to the fact that the Reigning monarch of the U.K. is also the head of the protestant Church of England. However, because of the same parliamentary act that allowed girls precedence over their younger brothers, the monarch can now be married to a Roman Catholic.

The succession is limited to Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hannover, so that leaves about 2000 people eligible for the English throne. An interesting fact that can't be included on this list is that HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Elizabeth II's consort, is 483rd in line to the British throne. He has a claim through his great grandmother, HRH Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. Princess Alice was the second daughter of HM Queen Victoria and the younger sister of Elizabeth II's great grandfather, HM King Edward VII.

1. HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales (b. 1948)

2. HRH Prince William of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge (b. 1982)
3. HRH Prince George of Cambridge (b. 2013)
4. HRH Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (b. 2015)
5 .HRH Prince Henry of Wales (Harry) (b. 1984)
6. HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of York (b. 1960)
7. HRH Princess Beatrice of York (b. 1988)
8. HRH Princess Eugenie of York (b. 1990)
9. HRH Prince Edward (b. 1964)
10. James, Viscount Severn (b. 2007)
11. Lady Louise Windsor (b. 2003)
12. HRH Princess Anne, Princess Royal (b. 1950)
13. Peter Phillips (b. 1977)
14. Savannah Phillips (b. 2010)
15. Isla Phillips (b. 2012)
16. Zara Tindall (Phillips) (b. 1981)
17. Mia Grace Tindall (b. 2014)
18. David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (b. 1961)
19. Hon. Charles Armstrong Jones (b. 1999)
20 . Margarita Armstrong-Jones (b. 2002)
21. Lady Sarah Chatto (b. 1964)
22 . Samuel Chatto (b. 1996)
23. Arthur Chatto (b. 1999)
24. HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1944)
25. Alexander Windsor, Earl of Ulster (b. 1974)
26. Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden (b. 2007)
27. Lady Cosima Windsor (b. 2010)
28. Lady Davina Lewis (b. 1977)
29. Senna Lewis (b. 2010)
30. Tane Mahuta Lewis (b. 2012)
31. Lady Rose Gilman (b. 1980)
32. Lyla Gilman (b. 2010)
33. Rufus Gilman (b. 2012)
34. HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (b. 1935)
35. George Windsor, Earl of St. Andrews (b. 1962)
Edward Windsor, Baron Downpatrick (excluded by becoming a Roman Catholic)
Lady Marina Charlotte Windsor (excluded by becoming a Roman Catholic)
36. Lady Amelia Windsor (b. 1995)
Lord Nicholas Windsor (excluded by becoming a Roman Catholic)
Albert Windsor (excluded by being Roman Catholic)
Leopold Windsor (excluded by being Roman Catholic)
Louis Windsor (excluded by being Roman Catholic)
37. Lady Helen Taylor (b. 1964)
38. Columbus Taylor (b. 1994)
39. Cassius Taylor (b. 1996)
40. Eloise Taylor (b. 2003)
41. Estella Taylor (b 2004)
42. Prince Michael of Kent (b. 1942)
43. Lord Frederick Windsor (b 1979)
44. Maud Windsor (b. 2013)
45. Lady Gabriella Windsor (b. 1981)
46. HRH Princess Alexandra the Hon. Lady Ogilvy (b. 1936)
47. James Ogilvy (b. 1964)
48. Alexander Ogilvy (b. 1996)
49. Flora Ogilvy (b. 1994)
50. Marina Ogilvy, Mrs Paul Mowatt (b. 1966)
51. Christian Mowatt (b. 1993)
52. Miss Zenouska Mowatt (b. 1990)
53. David Lascelles, 8th Earl of Harewood (b. 1950)
54. Hon. Alexander Lascelles (b. 1980)
55. Hon. Edward Lascelles (b. 1982)
56. Hon. James Lascelles (b. 1953)
57. Rowan Lascelles (b. 1977)
58. Tewa Lascelles (b. 1985)
59. Sophie Lascelles (b. 1973)
60. Hon. Jeremy Lascelles (b. 1955)
61. Thomas Lascelles (b. 1982)
62. Ellen Lascelles (b. 1984)
63. Amy Lascelles (b. 1986)
64. Tallulah Lascelles (b. 2005)
65. Henry Lascelles (b. 1953)
66. Maximilian Lascelles (b. 1991)
67. David Carnegie, 4th Duke of Fife (b. 1961)
68. Lord Charles Duff Carnegie (b. 1989)
69. Hon. George William Carnegie (b. 1991)
70. Hon. Hugh Alexander Carnegie (b. 1993)
71. Lady Alexandra Etherington (b. 1959)
72. Amelia Mary Carnegie Etherington (b. 2001)
73. HM King Harald V of Norway (b. 1937)
74. HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (b. 1973)
75. HH Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway (b. 2005)
76. HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (b. 2004)
77. Princess Martha Louise of Norway (b.. 1971)
78. Maud Angelica Behn (b. 2003)
79. Leah Isadora Behn (b. 2005)
80. Emma Talullah Behn (b. 2008)
81. Haakon Lorentzen (b. 1954))
82. Olav Lorentzen (b. 1985)
83. Christian Lorentzen (1988)
84. Sophia Lorentzen (b. 1994)
85. Ingeborg Ribeiro (b. 1957)
86. Victoria Ribeiro (b. 1988)
87. Ragnhild Lorentzen Long (b. 1968))
88. Alexandra Lorentzen Long (b. 2007)
89. Elizabeth Lorentzen Long (b. 2011)
90. HH Princess Astrid of Norway (b. 1932)
91. Alexander Ferner (b. 1965)
92. Stella Ferner (b. 1998)
93. Carl-Christian Ferner (b. 1972)
94. Cathrine Johansen (b. 1962)
95. Sebastian Johansen (b. 1990)
96. Madeleine Johansen (b. 1993)
97. Benedikte Ferner (b. 1963)
98. Elisabeth Ferner Beckman(b. 1969)
99. Benjamin Ferner Beckman (b. 1999)

In the off chance that HM King Harald V of Norway should ever secede to the throne, he would rule Norway and the United Kingdom as separate countries. This has been done a few times before in the instance of Normandy, Scotland and Hannover.



George VI, The Leader

King George VI, 1939. Painted by Frank Ernest Beresford.

When the concept of great leader in Britain, one's mind usually goes to Elizabeth I or Winston Churchill. Although both of them and many other monarchs and PM's were great leaders, I would vote for King George VI as one of Britain's greatest leaders. What? That guy that ruled before Elizabeth? What did he do? He actually did a lot and held the country together. Although monarchs hold no power (a fact quickly pointed out by anti-monarchists), they are essentially the spiritual leader of Britain. They've been guides of the British people since Alfred the Great, 

George VI was actually born with severe social anxiety and had a difficult stammer. Throughout his childhood he would here comments like "stupid" and "retarded." Not just by other children, but by his own parents. A fear that completely trumped his social anxiety was his fear of the public. As a member of the Royal family, you can see how that would be quite a conflict. Aside from a few public humiliations, he grew up to live a fairly quiet life with his aristocratic wife and their two daughters (one of whom being the current Elizabeth II). The future George VI was able to do this because his elder brother, the future Edward VIII was the heir to the throne.

The family of George VI. (From Left to Right) HRH Prince Albert, Duke of York (future HM King George VI), HRH Princess Elizabeth of York (future HM Queen Elizabeth II), HRH Elizabeth, Duchess of York (future HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother), HRH Princess Margaret of York (future HRH Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon)

In 1936, the father of Edward and George died and Edward VIII was a King of the United Kingdom, as well as Emperor of India. In a quick turn of events over the next six months, Edward VIII continued a passionate love affair with the American socialite, Wallis Simpson. By the end of the year, Edward VIII abdicated in order to marry Wallis. She was an American divorcee and the church would not allow him to remain king and marry her. This was a scary moment for Britain because no sitting monarch had abdicated in such a fashion. Britain was basically in a state of panic. Enter George VI. 

Wallis Simpson and HM King Edward VIII (later Wallis, Duchess of Windsor and HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor)

George VI never wanted to be king and was suddenly proclaimed King upon his brother's abdication. He was given the task of having to reinstate the validity of the monarchy, the lifeblood of the country. It was up to him to assume his brother's role and keep the prestige, all while battling anxiety and a speech impediment. Fortunately, he did so flawlessly and was soon a beloved monarch. 

George VI in his coronation robes.

Unfortunately, his joy didn't last long when The United Kingdom went to war with Nazi Germany and George VI had to be a wartime leader. He chose to remain in his country that was being bombed daily and even sustained damage to his own home, Buckingham Palace. He was an active participant in the war effort and even put his own family on rations, like the rest of the public. He also encouraged his wife and daughters to participate in the war effort and both Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret were common fixtures in wartime Britain.

Not long after the war ended, George VI developed lung cancer from years of smoking and stress. Although he was rapidly becoming more ill, George VI continued to carry out his duties as King, only surrendering more power to his daughter as he neared the end of his life. He eventually succumbed to Lung Cancer in 1952 at age 56.

As time went on, George VI's leadership was usurped by his daughter, Elizabeth II's legacy. Although Elizabeth II was a great leader, it's important to remember George VI's contributions. Without his strong leadership after the abdication of his brother, the monarchy may have well ceased to exist. Without his strong leadership during the war, Britain may have not maintained such a tough objection to Nazi Germany. 

Charlotte, The Queen We Never Had

Princess Charlotte of Wales

These days, it seems impossible to imagine anyone but the great Queen-Empress Victoria ruling over the economic, political and industrial peak of the British Empire. Shockingly enough, the strict, motherly Victoria with her nine children and long widow's veil almost did not become Queen. She was not likely to ascend the throne at all and many thought she would live a quiet life as the only child of the fourth son of a King. The distinction of the beloved heir to the throne belongs to none other than Princess Charlotte of Wales.

Who? Well, Princess Charlotte of Wales was the woman that many thought and hoped would be their strong, popular monarch. She seemed to be hope for the future. In the early part of the 19th century, King George III (the monarch who lost the colonies) had gone insane, leaving his oldest son, George, to rule in his place as Prince Regent. Although George III was a strong monarch who famously "gloried in the name of Briton," his children were a different story. There were fifteen of them, and all of them seemed obese, socially stunted and obscenely self indulgent. Of the embarrassing children of George III, the Prince Regent was the worst. He spent millions, far over his allotted allowance, on great parties or opulent mansions. Everyone from the upper class to the working class looked at him with contempt. The Prince Regent was also famous for being overweight, a symbol of indulgence in Georgian Britain. On one occasion, he traveled to Scotland and his sizable gut hung below the hemline of the kilt (gross, right?).

King George III

Prince George, the Prince Regent

The public perception of the Prince Regent

Fortunately, behind the gloom of the Prince Regent was his only child, Princess Charlotte of Wales.The daughter of the heir and the only legitimate grandchild of King George III at the time, Princess Charlotte was destined to become Queen of the expanding British Empire. A breath of fresh air, Charlotte was beautiful, fun loving and witty. Her trade mark became the flowers she would wear in her hair. Charlotte was by far and away the most popular royal. Her mother had been Caroline of Brunswick and had long since separated from the Prince Regent and lived abroad. It seemed the hopes of a nation were riding on the shoulders of the teenage Princess. 

Princess Charlotte with her iconic flowers.

In 1816, after refusing the proposals of the Prince of Orange, Charlotte married Leopold of the German Duchy, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield (the future king of the Belgians). With a Prince in hand, the future of the monarchy seemed bright. In 1817, 21 year old Princess Charlotte revealed her pregnancy of a future heir. This kicked off a sense of celebration within Britain.Unfortunately, after a problematic birth, the baby died. Charlotte seemed fine at first but eventually became delirious and died shortly afterwards. 

The outcry after Princess Charlotte's death in 1917 was akin to that of Diana's in 1997. The nation went into statewide mourning. Everything from hastily written biographies to miniature effigies to commemorative tea pots were sold all over the country. The future of the monarchy seemed bleak and all of the Prince Regent's brothers rushed to sire heirs. The Duke of Kent, the fourth son of George IV, married a German princess named Viktoria and shortly afterwards, Princess Victoria of Kent was born. When the Duke of Kent's older brothers failed to produce heirs, Princess Victoria became next in line for the throne. She would later reign as Queen Victoria.

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's Longest Reigning Monarch

As of September 9, 2015, HM Elizabeth II will become the longest reigning monarch that Britain has ever seen. She came of age during World War II, was coordinated at a time of simple post-war prosperity and continues to reign as successfully as ever during the technological age,

After taking the throne at the young age of 25, Elizabeth has finally passed her great great grandmother, Queen Victoria. That's 63 years on the British throne! That's 12 UK Prime Ministers, 12 US Presidents and 9 tonight show hosts!

Although she seems a rather uneventful figure head, it's quite the contrary. Throughout her 63 year reign, Elizabeth has given a comforting leadership to the British people and has overcome National and Public scandal. On a larger scale, she had a government that battled the Irish troubles as well as current tensions in the Middle East. In the 1980's, she was even so bold as to privately oppose Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's South African apartheid policies. Personally, the Queen has battled the scandal of her family's disastrous marriages and has managed to come out on top with a monarchy more popular than it has ever been.

What I find most fascinating about this second Elizabethan age is that it wasn't even supposed to happen. Born a daughter of the Duke of York, it was meant to be her uncle, Edward VIII, and his descendants taking the throne. To the shock of the nation, her uncle abdicated after a half-year on the throne and her father, George VI, became king, making Elizabeth heir presumptive. When George became King, many of his advisers urged him and his wife to have a son that would have a stronger claim to the the throne than his two daughters, the oldest of whom being Elizabeth. To the great fortune of the British people, George VI had faith in his daughter's abilities to rule and all these years later, he would regret that decision.