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…

Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in mounted combat

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Richard the Lionheart: king of war. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Chaucer reading his work to the court of Richard II

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Colourful illustration of 12 historical figures's heads (Winston Churchill, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Thomas Cromwell, Richard III, Elizabeth I, William Shakespeare, Anne Boleyn, William Marshal, Jane Austen, Hatshepsut, Gandhi and Catherine the Great) shown in a grid pattern.

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The Bal des Ardents (the 'Ball of the Burning Men'), from 'The Chronicler of European Chivalry' by GG Coulton (London, 1930). The 1393 tragedy claimed the lives of four people. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

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A portrait of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York

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The surprisingly modern Middle Ages. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England, by Michiel Sittow. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

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Anne Neville was queen consort of Richard III, the last Yorkist king of England

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Richard I on a Chertsey tile

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Does Richard I deserve his reputation as a martial genius?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Edward I. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Reassessing Edward I: battle-hungry aggressor or dutiful conqueror?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Coronation of King Edward III. (Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)

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The battle of Towton during the War of the Roses, 1461. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Miniature depicting scenes from the Battle of Tewkesbury, where Edward IV defeated the Lancastrian forces of Margaret of Anjou

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How Edward IV reclaimed his throne at the battle of Tewkesbury

King John hunting on horseback, 14th century. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

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Was King John murdered?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Newark Castle flanked by the river Trent. To say that King John's death here in 1216 was little-lamented is something of an understatement. "With John's foul deeds all England is stinking, as does hell, to which he is now sinking," wrote the chronicler Matthew Paris. (Getty Images)

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King John and the French invasion. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Battle of Barnet: This lively, if inaccurate, 15th- century illustration of the shows a coronet- wearing Edward skewering Warwick with his lance

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The battle of Barnet, 1471: the Wars of the Roses clash that killed the Kingmaker. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Richard III: your guide to the last Yorkist king of England

Josephine Baker with her adopted children. She called them the ‘Rainbow Tribe’. (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

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Memorable mothers: history’s most remarkable mums. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Henry the Young King is crowned in 1170. (Wikimedia Commons)

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The real King Arthur and his Lancelot? Henry the Young King's remarkable friendship with William Marshal. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A painting of Henry IV, housed in the National Portrait Gallery, London. English earls, Scottish kings, French dukes and a Welsh prince all tried to unseat Henry, yet this most resilient of medieval monarchs prevailed over them all. (Photo by Getty Images)

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Henry IV: the usurper king

A c1520–40 portrait of Henry VI

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The miraculous afterlife of Henry VI. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Richard III, Queen Victoria and Henry VIII. (Photos by Getty Images)

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Monarchy history quiz: test your knowledge of these kings and queens

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor playing Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII in the 1963 film, Cleopatra. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

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Empress Matilda

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Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I: a queen in a king’s world. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Richard III. (Photo by Getty Images)

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Have we completely misinterpreted Shakespeare’s Richard III?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Elizabeth I, c1565

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The 10 best English queens in history

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BlogMedieval(ish) matters #15: What's lurking in the background of medieval maps? And what did medieval people really know about the wider world?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A royal banquet in the 13th century. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

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BlogMedieval(ish) matters #14: What did an aristocratic household eat in the Middle Ages? And who was Eleanor de Montfort?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Statue of King Richard I outside the Palace of Westminster in London

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BlogMedieval(ish) matters #13: Why aren’t monuments to medieval figures included in the statues debate, and was there racism in the Middle Ages?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Newgrange Passage Tombs, Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland. (Photo by Hoberman Collection/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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BlogMedieval(ish) matters #9: Do early medieval Irish texts shed light on prehistoric incest?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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