English History: Kings, Queens, Castles & Churchill

English history is full of fine deeds, great leaders, bloody battles and massive personalities.It’s also a major drawcard for visits to England. So we thought we’d highlight some of the posts for those interested in this aspect to English life.

So what do we cover?

Kings And Queens Of England

The first group of articles focuses on the monarchs who did so much to shape the country during their rule.

From the long successful reigns of the Elizabeths and Victoria (women have been much more successful at the job on the whole), the turmoil of Charles I’s beheading or the tyranny of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries the story of the Kings and Queens of England is, in many ways, the story of England itself.

So who were these monarchs? Well, our first featured article is a guide to them all – from William The Conquerer in 1066 to the present day. We’ve also done some posts on specific monarchs:

English Historical Sites

England is packed with reminders of its history –all those castle ruins, battle sites and the like.

We’ve featured quite a few such places on the site. Here are some of the most popular:

Recent History

English history isn’t just battles, kings and castles.

We’ve featured several people and event from more recent years (ie the past 100 years or so).


Our guide to the key Houses of Windsor, the Royal Family's residences across the United Kingdom, from ancient palaces and castles to relatively modest country cottages.

The Houses Of Windsor | The Palaces, Castles & Country Homes Of The Royal Family

Share Tweet Pin The British Royal Family has dozens of residences across the United Kingdom – the ‘Houses of Windsor’ – from ancient palaces and castles to relatively modest country cottages, as well as smaller houses within palace grounds that are home to less well-known members of the House of…

shakespeare's england

Shakespeare’s England

Here are a couple of the most important English places closely associated with Shakespeare and his works.

english monarchs in order: kings and queens of england

The Kings And Queens of England: From William the Conqueror To Charles III

The Kings and Queens of England have had a huge impact on the direction of the country throughout its long history. From William the Conqueror to Henry VIII’s establishment of the Church of England and our own Queen Elizabeth II’s unequalled years of service, we take a look at the…

Henry V

Henry V | Agincourt, Shakespeare & More

Henry of Monmouth, best known as Henry V, ruled England from 1413 until he died in August of 1422. While he only reigned for a short period, Henry V is best remembered for his outstanding success guiding the military through the Hundred Years’ Ware against France. In fact, Henry V…

victorians quiz

Quiz: How Well Do You Know The Victorians?

How well do you know England’s Victorian Period? Here are 20 questions to find out… How Well Do You Know The Victorians? Take our quiz to find out…. Click ‘Start’ >>> Well Done! Remember To Check Out Our Most Popular Posts: The Cotswolds: The 20 Best Places To Visit English…

uk historical april events

UK Historical Events In April

Here are some of the many UK historical events that happened in April…. The Joint Coronation of William of Orange and Mary (11 April 1689) The date 11 April 1689 denotes a significant event in Britain. When William III, Prince of Orange, and his wife, Mary, succeeded James II, they…

Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar 1805: The Royal Navy’s Finest Hour

The Battle Of Trafalgar fought off the coast of southwest Spain on 21 October 1805 between Britain’s Royal Navy and the combined fleets of Napoleonic France and Spain ranks high in the annals of naval glory and British history. Britain was outnumbered and outgunned but triumphant. The triumph of Britain’s…

churchill

Winston Churchill – The Greatest Briton of All Time?

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill is revered as one of the most famous and celebrated Britons in the long history of the United Kingdom. His leadership as prime minister during World War II and the many stories surrounding his turbulent political career are well known from frequent repetition in books, films…

Canterbury Cathedral: Piety, Murder & Beauty

Canterbury Cathedral: Piety, Murder & Beauty

Canterbury Cathedral has a menacing beauty. The seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Church of England and global Anglican Communion – there are few more holy places in England than Canterbury Cathedral. Canterbury isn’t just one of the oldest or best-known of England’s fine fleet…

Mary Queen of Scots: The Extraordinary Life Of Mary Stuart

Mary Queen of Scots: The Extraordinary Life Of Mary Stuart

Mary, Queen of Scots reigned over Scotland 1542 to 1567. However it is as the tragic claimant of the English throne that she is mainly remembered. But there was more to Mary than that…

blenheim

Blenheim Palace: Birthplace Of Churchill

Blenheim Palace is not, and never has been, a home to the British royal family – and yet it is a palace. Not only that, it is considered by many to be the most magnificent residence in Britain, a rival to Queen Elizabeth II’s many not-so-humble abodes.

British History

English History: Kings, Queens, Castles & Churchill

English History: Kings, Queens, Castles & Churchill

A Suffragette March

The Suffragette Movement: Its Deeds, Campaigners and Legacy

It is less than a hundred years since the suffragette movement and the right to vote being extended to English women on the same terms as men. The suffragettes had a prominent profile in the struggle – but who were they, and what was their real legacy?

England During The War: How The Home Front Did Its Bit

England During The War: How The Home Front Did Its Bit

Most people have heard of the Blitz – where the English (especially Londoners) stoically endured nightly bombing raids by the Luftwaffe – but what was it like to be there. We take a look…

Turner’s England: Every Picture Tells a Story

Turner’s England: Every Picture Tells a Story

Voted Britain’s favourite artist in 2015, Joseph Mallord William Turner is renowned for his sweeping brushstrokes and incredible use of light.

Great English Hoaxes: Fairies, Aliens and African Royalty

Great English Hoaxes: Fairies, Aliens and African Royalty

English hoaxes have ranged far and wide in the subject of their pranks – from pretending to be foreign royalty to offering evidence of mystical creatures and alien life. It seems there’s nothing some people like more than pulling the wool over each other’s eyes. We take a look at…

Inklings of Greatness: The Story of an Oxford Institution

Inklings of Greatness: The Story of an Oxford Institution

If you’d been so fortunate as to step inside the college rooms of C. S. Lewis on a Thursday evening in the 1930s and ’40s, you’d have found yourself in august company. It was there that a group known as the Inklings assembled to discuss some of the best loved…

Chatsworth

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

Chatsworth House is one of the finest country houses in Europe. Situated in Derbyshire near the Peak District it’s a wonderful way to see how the other half live.

Norton_Conyers_House_-_geograph.org_.uk_-_393458.jpg

English Literature Locations: Places To Be A Hero Or Heroine

Love English literature? Dream of seeing the world through the eyes of Elizabeth Bennett or Jane Eyre, Heathcliff or Mr Darcy? Step this way and enjoy our tour of ten wonderful places made famous by the great classics of English literature.

Queen-Elizabeth-I.jpg

Queen Elizabeth I Of England, Last Tudor Monarch

(Updated February 2022) Queen Elizabeth I of England, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, reigned during the Elizabethan era, which was named for her. She was also known as The Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess. (Part of our series on the Kings & Queens of England) Early…

1024px-Roses-York_victory_svg.png

The Wars of the Roses – The Lowdown on England’s Other Civil War

Everyone’s heard of the Wars of the Roses but most people have only a hazy notion of when they took place, what they were about and who took part in them.

Princess_Victoria_aged_Four.jpg

Queen Victoria – The Monarch Who Was Not Amused

Queen Victoria, Queen of England and Empress of India, tends to be remembered today as a rather dour, jowled old lady with a stately and rather humourless personality. Yet that’s only part of her story, here’s our guide to this most complex of English monarchs.

Strange Folk Remedies From English History

Strange Folk Remedies From English History

Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease… For centuries before the development of modern medicine the inhabitants of the British Isles relied upon all manner of folk remedies to tackle the various diseases and ailments that afflicted them. In pre-Roman Britain, the Druids prescribed concoctions of mistletoe and other plants…

canterbury cathedral

Henry VIII: Ten Facts About This (In)Famous Tudor King

Henry VIII was one of the most important, and infamous, British monarchs. Most people know about his 6 wives, but how many of these things do you now about him? 1. Henry founded the Church of England Source Well, sort of… After his argument with Rome over his marriage to Catherine…

ABA-wyrdlight-815935.jpg

English Historic Sites: 10 Lesser Known Historical Places To Explore

We’ve featured many English historic sites such as, castles, Stonehenge and the Tower of London on EnglandExplore before. However here we feature some of the lesser known places that in their own way are just as important… 1. Runnymede By WyrdLight.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link Runnymede on the banks of…

my kingdom for a horse

Richard III: My Kingdom For A Horse

KING RICHARD III : A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse! Richard III, Scene IV. (William Shakespeare) Richard III (1452-1485), of the House Of York, was the last Plantagenet king of England. He died at the Battle Of Bosworth Field, ending the War(s) Of The Roses, and was…

roman architecture

The Best 10 Roman Ruins & Buildings in England

There is rich Roman history embedded in the countryside of Great Britain. It is amazing to see how the people lived their daily lives. You can get a glimpse into the past by visiting these beautiful ancient Roman ruins. There are so many locations to consider when trying to find…

battle sites in england

Great English Battle Sites

Here are the top 10 English battle sites, including the Battles of Hasting, Flodden and Shrewsbury, all of which you can visit.

Click Here For More English History > English History