Medieval kings and queens

From William the Conqueror, the first Norman king of England, who defeated Harold II at the battle of Hastings in 1066; to Henry Tudor, who took the English throne after defeating and killing Richard III at the battle of Bosworth in 1485, the medieval period is full of fascinating kings and queens. Here, we explore the best, worst and most forgotten medieval monarchs…

Medieval manuscript illustration of a crowned ruler seated on a throne while attendants and courtiers stand on either side.

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In 1066, King Harold was meant to save England. How did it all go wrong?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Three Tudor-era children sit at a table within an ornate architectural frame, dressed in elaborate period clothing, with small round objects laid out before them.

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Royal rivalries10 of the most famous sibling relationships. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A group of medieval knights on horseback rides together, all wearing chainmail and carrying shields. At the centre is a crowned king holding a raised sword, identified in the manuscript text as King Offa of Mercia. One rider blows a horn, while two others lift their arms toward the sky. Beneath the horses lies the crowned head of a fallen king, labelled as the slain King Cynewulf.

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Saint killer, warmonger, tyrant: was the Anglo-Saxon king Offa as bad as history makes out?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Retracing Eleanor of Castile's final journey. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A collage combines several portraits and illustrations of rulers and notable figures, including people in regal robes, armour, and elaborate crowns, alongside a muscular figure drawn in a black‑and‑white engraving style.

Medieval

16 of the worst monarchs in history

An illustration depicting a man in black trousers and a black and white striped jumper and an orange cap, holding a bunch of balloons. On some balloons are the faces of famous people, including a Viking and Winston Churchill

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Who is the most overrated person in history? 9 experts reveal their choices. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A scene from the Bayeux Tapestry showing soldiers crossing the Channel in a large sailing ship, with shields lining the sides of the vessel. Other ships are visible nearby, while animals and decorative motifs appear in the border below.

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Conquest? What conquest? The other dramatic events that really mattered in 1066. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration showing a king dressed in green and orange, sitting on a blue throne made out of books. He is reading from a long scroll

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Love learning like Æthelstan. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A colourful illustration inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, showing women embroidering scenes of medieval warriors, archers and a mounted knight onto a large piece of fabric. The tapestry is draped over a tree-stump table, with balls of coloured wool scattered around it.

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Michael Wood on women’s contributions to the Bayeux Tapestry. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of a king dressed in a green and orange robe. He is wearing a crown and holding a sceptre

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King Æthelstan: England's colossus. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black and white photograph shows two men standing with their faces very close together. They both have serious expressions on their faces and are staring down the lens of the camera. Across the bottom are the words KING & CONQUEROR

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The wrong moustache in the Battle of Hastings. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A drawing of a king holding a crown on his head, against a black and white image of a church

Anglo-Saxon

Far away from England, the mystery of Harold Godwinson's lost crown might have just been solved

A dramatic black-and-white close-up of a horse’s face, focusing tightly on one eye. Light catches the eye and surrounding hairs while much of the animal’s face and the background remain in deep shadow.

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Medieval warhorses: 5 moments horsepower changed the course of history. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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England’s forgotten medieval hero: how John, Duke of Bedford carried on Henry V's fight. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A 20th-century painting shows John applying his seal to the 1215 charter

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Henry III and the Magna Carta that mattered. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Æthelred the Unready: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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The bloody rise of Henry V: how his brutal upbringing propelled him to greatness. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An English fleet defeats the French at the battle of Sluys in 1340. By now, Edward III’s war machine was reaping the benefits of a system of national taxation, approved by parliament (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images via Getty Images)

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How King John helped bring about a political miracle in medieval England. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The England football team badge, showing three lions on a field of ten Tudor roses

Medieval

Why are there three lions on the shirts of the English football team?

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How the Plantagenets forged the English state. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

General History

British kings and queens podcast episodes

Medieval

Medieval podcast episodes

Roger Mortimer and Isabella of France shown with their army in a 15th-century illustration. In the background, the body of Edward II’s favourite, Hugh le Despenser, is being quartered (Photo by Bridgeman Images)

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Roger Mortimer: the rebel baron who escaped the Tower to challenge Edward II. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Queen Margaret of Anjou, seated besides King Henry VI of England, is presented a book in a contemporary illumination (Photo by Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty)

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Margaret of Anjou: the 'she-wolf' queen who wouldn’t go quietly. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

(l-r) Blanche, Marguerite and Jeanne of Burgundy, three sisters at the heart of a royal scandal and succession crisis in medieval France (Photos by The Picture Art Collection and ACTIVE MUSEUM / ACTIVE ART / Alamy Stock Photo)

Medieval

Scandalous sisters: how three French princesses brought down the Capetian dynasty

Philip Augustus of France (left) and Richard I of England

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Medieval masculinityWhat Richard I can tell us about male friendship in the Middle Ages. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An effigy of Henry III

Plantagenet

The Plantagenet royal dynasty: England's ultimate family drama

The skeleton exhumed from beneath a Leicester car park in 2012. The remains contained features matching Tudor descriptions of Richard III, and injuries to the skull and body inflicted at the battle of Bosworth in 1485

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Rediscovering Richard IIIThe story of how a lost king was found. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The effigy of King John on his tomb in Worcester Cathedral

Medieval

Your guide to King John, the monarch who issued Magna Carta

A portrait of Elizabeth of York

Tudor

Elizabeth of York: a Tudor of rare talent

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