Kingdom of England

This article treats Kingdom of England, historical entity which existed from 927 to 1707. For the principal article concerning its contemporary equivalent, to see England .

The Royaume of England (in English Kingdom off England ) was located in Western Europe, in the southernmost part of the island of Great Britain, and its territory covered the current areas of England and the Wales. The principal royal residence was at the origin with Winchester (county of Hampshire) but London and Gloucester received an almost equivalent statute - in particular London, which became the capital de facto at the beginning of the 12th century. London remained the capital of the Kingdom of England until this one amalgamates with the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 by the Acte of Union, and remains the Métropole of England. The city was then the capital at the same time Royaume of Great Britain (1707 - 1801) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (generally shortened in the United Kingdom).

The Monarque of the United Kingdom is currently the queen Elisabeth II, which is the contemporary heiress of the kings and the queens of Scotland and England. Its family tree goes up indeed to the kings of Wessex who reignaient during the first millenium. The title of queen (and king) of England is actually obsolete and juridically forgery since 1707, although it is always used in the current language.

History of the kingdom

See also: History of England

The Kingdom of England does not have an exact date of creation. It finds its origin in the Heptarchie, the domination of what it would become later England by seven minor kingdoms : the East-Anglie, the Essex, the Kent, the Mercie, the Northumbrie, the Sussex and the Wessex.

The kings de Wessex gradually dominate the other kingdoms of England during the 9th century. Alfred Large the (871 - 899) is first king de Wessex to take the title of King d' Angleterre . His/her son Edouard Old the (899 - 924) exceeds military successes of his father by establishing his reign on the Danelaw. In 918, with died of his sister Ethelfleda, who was the Dame of Merciens since the death of her husband the King de Mercie in 911, it usurps the capacity of his Aelfwynn niece. In 927, it is the Northumbrie which fall under the capacity from Athelstan, a son of Edouard the Old one. Athelstan is the first to reign on unified England. It is not the first King d' Angleterre of swears , but certainly the first de facto .

England remained plain politically since. However, the kingdom is invaded on several occasions by Viking S of the Denmark at the end of the 10th century. In reaction, Ethelred II of England orders the massacre of all the Danes present in the kingdom since 1002. This action does nothing but draw the attention and the hostility of Sven I {{er}} of Denmark and Norway. Sven organizes four invasions during the remainder of its life (1003-1005, 1006-1007, 1009-1012 and 1013). In 1013, it takes part in person in the invasion, and takes the control of the kingdom quickly. He is proclaimed king d' Angleterre whereas Ethelred II has flees in Normandy. He dies the February 2nd 1014, after only 5 weeks of reign. The Witenagemot (council of wise English) then restores Ethelred II on its throne.

The following year, Knut II of Denmark, the son of Sven invades in his turn the kingdom. Ethelred II dies the April 23rd 1016. His/her son and successor Edmond II Coast-of-Iron is quickly beaten by Knut II. This last agrees to share the capacity, but the death of Edmond the November 30th 1016 leaves it only Master of the kingdom. The Danish reign continues until the death of Knut III of Denmark, the June 8th 1042. He was the son of Knut II and Emma of Normandy, the widow of Ethelred II. Knut III does not leave any heir, and is succeeded by his/her half-brother Edouard the Confessor, wire of Ethelred II. The kingdom is again independent.

This period of peace finishes only when Edouard dies without heir the January 5th 1066. His/her brother-in-law is crowned under the name of Harold II. His/her cousin Guillaume Bastard the, Duc of Normandy, claims the asserting throne at once that Edouard and Harold had promised this throne to him. The kingdom is then invades by Harald III of Norway, which is overcome with the Bataille of Stamford Bridge, the September 25th 1066. Then, the September 28th, Guillaume unloads in Sussex. Harold II which is then with York, continuation the battle of September 25th, crosses all England to meet the new invaders. The two armies clash with the Bataille of Hastings, the October 14th. Harold falls and Guillaume is victorious. He meets only little opposition in the continuation of his conquest. He did not intend to absorb the kingdom in his Duché of Normandy. As a duke, it owed allegiance with the king Philippe I {{er}} of France. The independent kingdom of England was going to enable him to reign without interference. It is crowned King d' Angleterre the December 25th 1066.

The Kingdom of England and the duchy of Normandy were going to remain dependant until in 1204, not by a common government, but thanks to the Anglo-Norman barons. Henri I {{er}} managed to join together the two territories under its government. With its death in 1135, his/her daughter Mathilde Emperesse is indicated to succeed to him. But it is his/her cousin Etienne of Blois which usurps its throne. Valorous combatant, but poor controlling, his reign plunges the kingdom in a '' anarchy '' which will last until in 1154. It is Henri II, the grandson of the first Henri, who succeeds to him. He gives the kingdom in state, improves the administration of the kingdom. He controls a continental territory which goes from the Duché of Aquitaine to the Duché of Normandy. Capacity of the Kingdom of England east to its apogee.

His/her son, the king Jean of England, a descendant of the 4th generation of the Conqueror, loses the continental part of the duchy to the profit of Philippe II of France this year. The Channel Islands are the only parts of the old duchy which remain attached to the Kingdom of England.

King Jean of England however preserves the titles and the territory of the Duc of Aquitaine. Its grandson, Edouard I {{er}} of England gains the victory against Llywelyn the Last and conquers of this fact the Wales in 1282. He creates the title of Prince de Galles for his oldest son Edouard II in 1301.

The son of Edouard II, Edouard III of England, claims the throne of France what causes the Guerre One hundred Year old (1337 - 1453). England leaves overcome this conflict, and preserves only one town of France: Calais.

The Kingdom of England has only little time to recover from balance before entering the Guerre of the Two-Pinks (1455 - 1487). This " guerre" is actually a Civil war opposing the Maison of Lancaster and that of York for the possession of the throne. These two houses descend actually both from Edouard III and are close relatives. Finally, it is a member of the female line of the house of Lancaster, married with the oldest daughter of the house of York which occupies the throne at the end of the Wars of the Pinks: the king Henri VII of England and the queen Consort Elisabeth of York thus found the dynasty of the Tudor which reigns on the kingdom of 1485 with 1603.

During this time, Wales preserves the legal and administrative system distinct which had been set up by Edouard Ier at the end of the 13th century. The second monarch of the House Tudor, Henri VIII of England, amalgamates Wales and England by promulgating the Actes of Union of 1536 and 1543. Wales then ceases being a personal Fief of king d' Angleterre, and the territory is annexed in England and from now on is represented with the English Parliament.

In same time, in 1541, the Irish Parliament proclaims Henri VIII king d' Irlande, thus joining together the Royaume of Ireland to the Kingdom of England under the mode of the personal Union.

During the reign of Marie I {{Re}}, the oldest daughter of Henri VIII, Calais is captured by the duke François de Guise the January 7th 1558. The Maison Tudor dies out with the death of its last monarch, Elisabeth I {{Re}}, the March 24th 1603. Its heir is Jacques VI of Scotland which reaches the throne under the name of Jacques Ier of England. The two British kingdoms (Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland) remain however independent states but in personal union until in 1707.

This year, the Acte of Union indeed founds the Royaume of Great Britain (1707 - 1801) by the meeting of the two kingdoms. The queen Anne is the last Queen of England and the first monarch of the new kingdom. The Parliaments of England and Scotland are as for them molten in the Parlement of Great Britain which sits at Westminster (London). It is at this time that England ceases existing as a distinct political entity, and that the government of England disappears. At the legal level, however, the territory preserves structures and laws specific to the England and Wales ( England and Wales ) just like Scotland preserves its own laws and courts. Moreover, this situation perdure even after the Act of Union of 1800 which gives rise to the the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (which will last of 1801 with 1922).

The Commonwealth and protectorate

England is a monarchy during the near total of its political existence, since its creation (towards 927) until the Acte of Union (1707), excluded the eleven years of the interregnum (1649-1660) which followed the first revolution.

A republic known under the name of the Commonwealth of England (1649-1653) replaces the government of the king decapitated Charles I {{er}} of England. The most important general of this republic, Oliver Cromwell manages to extend his reign to the Ireland and the Scotland.

This victorious general is turned over finally against the republic, and establishes the new shape of government called the Protectorate. He takes the title of Lord Protecteur and controls until his death, the September 3rd 1658. His/her son Richard succeeds to him, but it is unable to control, and finally anarchy develops. It gives up its title, and is withdrawn in the shade. The Commonwealth east restores a time, but shows an unstable form of government. The king of swears Charles II, in exile, is restored on the throne in 1660.

See too

List of the English sovereigns
England
History of England
Geography of England

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Simple: Kingdom off England

Random links:

Kingdom of England

History of the kingdom

The Commonwealth and protectorate

Related articles per centuries

See too