Remembering Britain's forgotten kings
Did you know there have been 61 monarchs of England and Britain spread over a period of approximately 1,200 years? Many are familiar, King Henry VIII and King Charles I for example, and, of course, Queen Victoria and the present King Charles III of the United Kingdom. But how many English sovereigns can you recall from the late 8th century to the 15th century? Not many, probably. And yet the reign of some of these monarchs had a profound effect on society, and even helped shape the land we know today as Great Britain. So, who's worthy of closer royal scrutiny?
Click through and crown your day by remembering Britain's forgotten kings.
Aethelred I (837–871)
Aethelred succeeded his elder brother Aethelberht to take the Wessex crown, and ruled the kingdom from 865 until his death in 871. His accession coincided with the arrival of the Viking Great Heathen Army in England. Over the next five years, this coalition of Scandinavian warriors would launch a series of attacks across the country, including a full-scale assault on Wessex. Aethelred joined his brother Alfred in an attempt to repel the invaders.
Edmund I (921–946)
Edmund succeeded his half brother Athelstan to become King of the English from 939 until his death in 946. A veteran of the historic Battle of Brunanburh, Edmund was killed in a brawl, his two sons, Eadwig and Edgar, both considered too young to succeed him.
