I’ve always been crap with history but!

[Snap8TheCat]

How could I not have realised we had another king between Edward VII and Edward VIII?

So it goes Edward, George, Edward, George?

I blame the fact that none of them use their bloody real names! How confusing.

Genuinely thought Edward VII was Edward VIII and George VI father. I know nothing!

Thanks elephants I’ve ordered it!

George V's older brother was the Duke of Clarence. He was rather a disreputable character, who at one time was suspected of being Jack the Ripper. When he died (of flu?) he was engaged to Mary of Teck, so instead of going home she was transferred to his younger brother and eventually became Queen Mary.

I hope Prince Charles doesn't become George VII, it will be bloody boring, whereas we haven't had a King Charles since 1600 and something! Plus it will be confusing.

in reality, I think once Queenie goes, it's really time to call it a day

Henry viii's older brother was Arthur who died in his teens. He was married to Catherine of Aragon who was betrothed to Henry on Arthur's death.

Gosh so there’s a lot of wife sharing within the kings too.

When Henry wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, he decided the marriage to Catherine was invalid, because she had been previously married to his brother. The Pope disagreed.

Well technically Snap there was no sharing as such between Arthur and Henry VIII as Catherine of Aragon was always adamant that she never had sex with Arthur.

I’m inclined to believe that she was telling the truth (Arthur was 15, she was 16 and he died after just 5 months of marriage) on the basis that she was a devout Catholic. As a product of her time she would have been utterly convinced that she would go to Hell for lying about such a thing.

Edward VIII was David and George VI was Albert

Edward was Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, but called David in the family.

George VI was Albert Frederick Arthur George.

Edward VII was Albert Edward. Victoria and Albert planned for him to rule under both names, but he chose to go with Edward.

Victoria was Alexandrina Victoria.

So all of them didn't just grab a name out of thin air, but used a name they already had.

Ok now tell me about James I - where did he come from?

Scotland. Was James VI of Scotland.

Well Elizabeth I never married or had children, as we know, and her father Henry VIII didn't have any other living descendants. So the next person in line was Mary Queen of Scots, who was the granddaughter of Henry VIII's eldest sister Margaret, who had married the King of Scotland. The Scots didn't like Mary though (partly because of her Catholicism and chucked her out, so her son James became King of Scotland. Her was brought up Protestant.

So when Elizabeth died he was the next in line to the throne, and Protestant, there weren't any other options really. He was James VI of Scotland, but became James I of England too.

Oh yes, I also get very confused by all the monarchs with the same names. There's those Jameses and Charlses, which I think goes James 1, Charles 1, Charles 2, James 2, with James 1 being also James thingy of Scotland.

Then there's the RF's family names; I still can't quite get to grips with how they ended up with Sachs-Coburg-Gotha or whatever. Nor quite what their connection is to the Battenburgs who became Mountbattens.

It's no good anyone trying to explain it to me, nor how much I read about it, it just never goes in.

I like that book you linked, Elephants. I've added it to my Amazon wish list for Christmas.

Mary Queen of Scots was executed.

He was brought up Protestant!

But Elizabeth couldn't say much about announcing him as her heir before her death, as she was worried he might try to take over already.

She also had bad history with his mother Mary Queen of Scots, who had fled to England after being chucked off the Scottish throne, but ending up being imprisoned and ultimately executed by Elizabeth, as she was the focus of Catholic plots sponsored by Spain etc to take the throne and invade England and force a return to Catholicism.

Was she the one who became queen when she was a baby?

James 1 being also James thingy of Scotland.

James II was also James thingy of Scotland. He was James II and VII.

Both Charleses were also King of Scots, but had the same regnal number for both countries.

I do think a lot of posters in here would benefit from watching the Horrible Histories song I linked to upthread

I’ll listen to it in the morning, dh is watching a film right now.

Yes Snap8 I have just looked it up, her father died when she was just six days old. Blimey I knew she'd been a child, but I didn't realise that, poor baby!

Yes Mary QoS became Queen at 5(?) days old as her father was killed at the Battle of Solway Moss (again?)

Six days old (not that it makes much difference!)

She was also (briefly) Queen of France, and so even more unpopular

Incidentally (on a roll now!) her father James V, became King as a toddler when his father James IV was killed at the Battle of Flodden, the last monarch to actually be killed on the battlefield.

Which therefore means J5 wasn't killed at the battle, but must have died following the battle... (sorry for taking over the thread...)

She was crowned Queen of Scots when she was 10 months old. The present Queen is her direct descendant.