98 British Royals Contents 12 The birth of the British Monarchy 54 Henry IV How the union of England and Scotland shaped the monarchy 58 Henry V William I The famous conqueror, and the story of his momentous reign 16 William II Discover the story of this hardhearted soldier-king 18 Henry I A king who was keen to rule 20 King Stephen The unfortunate king’s history of usurpation and civil war 22 Henry II Kicking off the Plantagenet dynasty with style 24 Richard I The tale of Lionheart’s reign 34 King John The controversial king with a strong legacy – the Magna Carta 40 Henry III A boy-king who grew into one of the longest-reigning monarchs 42 Edward I A tale of conquest that led to the consolidation of democracy 44 Edward II One of history’s most unpopular kings, and his murderous end 46 Edward III A mightily successful ruler and military leader 48 Richard II Immortalised by Shakespeare, but consumed by revenge How the Battle of Shrewsbury finally cemented Henry’s reign Why the Battle of Agincourt was a defining moment for this king 62 Henry VI A shy, charitable king, who was never destined for greatness XX 18 34 66 Edward IV Stylish and promiscuous, the king who began the War of the Roses 68 Edward V A ‘Prince in the Tower’ whose fate has never been discovered 70 Richard III A notoriously ruthless king, and the last of the Plantagenets 76 Henry VII 146 70 Bosworth’s victor, Henry laid the foundations of the Tudor dynasty 82 Henry VIII The tale of a warrior king with a bone to pick with the church 90 Edward VI Henry VIII’s precious only son, who died all too early 92 Lady Jane Grey The tragic tale of the young queen of just nine days 94 Mary I How the first Tudor queen gained her ‘Bloody Mary’ moniker 98 Elizabeth I A turbulent reign from one of history’s great women 110 James I The King of England and Scotland, subject to a failed murder attempt vk.com/englishlibrary vk.com/bastau