Coronation Craziness

This weekend the good people of the UK have endured what I’ve termed “Coronation Craziness”. For weeks, well, since the death of Elizabeth II, they’ve built it up until we couldn’t go anywhere without seeing something coronation related.

But today, I will not talk about whether I like King Charles III or whether the monarchy is still relevant to the UK. I’m going to talk about my favourite and least favourite British monarchs, and there are plenty to choose from.

Let’s face it, our new king comes from a long line of dysfunctional individuals. The modern royal family has nothing on some of their ancestors. I was thinking about how I could choose between them. Some did great things for the country at the time they ruled, and others tore it apart. Some are worth choosing simply for comedy value.

I won’t pretend that my judgements are not grounded in my modern sensibilities. This is just my opinion.

The award for least favourite goes to…

Let’s start with my least favourite. Unsurprisingly, there are several candidates. I’m not a fan of Henry VIII, and yes, it’s mainly because he mistreated all his wives. I’ll admit, the UK would be very different today if he had not broken from the Catholic Church, but the religious strife that followed lasted centuries and led to so much death.

It was still going on when Charles I came to power in 1625 and his pro-Catholic sentiment was a factor in the cause of the civil war. That and the fact he was an arrogant, unbending individual who refused to make any concessions, believing his power was his divine right and he could do whatever he liked.

As well as losing his power, he lost his head. The years of the Commonwealth were supposedly miserable for most of the population, and they soon brought back the monarchy, but with much-reduced powers.

And the winner is…

Now, you may think I’m going to choose a Georgian monarch, seeing as that’s the period I write about. I thought about choosing Prinny (AKA the Prince Regent, AKA George IV), purely for comedy value, because he was an absolute idiot (no, I’m not influenced by his portrayal in Blackadder, even if it is hilarious). If you want to know more about the Georgian monarchs, check out my post, Four Georges and a William.

I think he’s an idiot because he could have been great, but he wasted his talents. Some have argued that he could have been one of the greatest British monarchs because he was intelligent, charming and cultured. Instead, his selfish, lazy and gluttonous nature diminished the prestige of the monarchy, and his dissolute lifestyle earned him the contempt of the populace.

My favourite monarch is someone who was the opposite of Prinny. Now, they weren’t perfect, but I admire them for what they achieved at the time they reigned. Yes, my favourite English (I’m saying English because the United Kingdom did not exist until 1707) monarch is Elizabeth I.

What makes me smile most about Queen Bess is that while her father seemed to think only a male heir could succeed him, his daughter brought about what many argue was a “Golden Age” in English history. While arts and literature flourished and trade expanded (helping the rich get richer), life for the lower classes didn’t improve and religious strife continued, so I’m not sure how golden the age really was.

I think what I admire the most is how she endured and survived it all. She faced several direct threats, the most famous ones from Spain and her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. I also admire that she sacrificed marriage and having a family to ensure the security of her position. I like that she didn’t succumb to marriage, despite the pressure, and I don’t blame her—history has shown that husbands of queens are more trouble than they’re worth at times.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on enough. Who is your favourite or least favourite British monarch? Do you agree or disagree with my choices? Let me know in the comments.