Questions about British Monarchy: The Beginning! (ep 39)

Part 1, the Romans
Before there were Kings of England, there was Roman occupation.
In fact, you might think of the first monarch of England as being
the Roman Emperor. Britain was officially discovered when Julius
Caesar made to expeditions in 55 and 54 BC. He did not
successfully invade England; that job was left to his successor
Plautius in 43 AD. From that time, Britain was part of the Roman
Empire.

Part 2, King Arthur
It’s at the Battle of Badon Hill where reports of a famous
warrior or leader (or perhaps king?) emerges. He united and
rallied the people around him and defeated the Saxons. He is
named Ambrosius Aurelianus by contemporary historians Gildas and
Bede and called “Arthur” by Nennius—the first historian to
mention Arthur by name. King Arthur is among the most famous
literary characters of all time. And Arthur's legend shapes the
British Monarchy for years to come.

Part 3, Heptarchy
By the seventh century, the boundaries of the Heptarchy were
established, separating the land into seven tribal kingdoms:
Northumbria, Wessex, Mercia, East-Anglia, Essex, Kent, and
Sussex. One of the best-known and most powerful kings of this era
is Alfred the Great, a strong military leader and wise ruler, who
became King of Wessex in 871. He defeated the Danes at Rochester,
imposed rule on South Wales, and took London from the Danes. He’s
also credited with starting a permanent army and navy. Alfred
eventually ruled most of the area. 

Part 4, Becoming England
King Aethelstan became King of Wessex in 899 and succeeded to the
kingdom of the Northumbrians when Sihtric died in 927. In 937, he
and his brother Edmund defeated a combined force of the Kings of
Dublin, Scots, Strathclyde, and others. During this period, he
was recognized as the first person to rule over all the land that
would eventually become known as England. He claimed the title
“King of all Britain.” 

Part 5, Emma of Normandy
Emma of Normandy was sent to England in 1002 to marry Aethelred
the Unready. Viking attacks and invasions meant Emma and her
children went into exile before Cnut, King of Denmark, conquered
England in 1016.  Emma displayed political skills as she
maintained a good relationship with Cnut and his new regime. She
married Cnut in 1017. For the majority of her life, Emma had
wielded political power in ways that were unheard of for
women. 

Part 6, The Confessor and The Conqueror
There’s a legend that Edward had promised God he would make a
pilgrimage to St. Peter’s in Rome if he were ever able to return
safely to his kingdom. But once he took the throne, Edward felt
he could not safely leave his people. He built a large stone
church in honor of St. Peter. The church became known as “West”
minster to distinguish it from the “east” minster, which was St.
Paul’s Cathedral. 

William Duke of Normandy claimed to be rightful King after
Edward's death. He defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings
and ended Anglo-Saxon rule. William I is often recognized as the
first King of England, and “English history” often starts with
the Battle of Hastings. But the monarchy had its beginning long
before 1066.


History shows us what's possible.