Greatest British Monarch

[Rufus]

Sorry if this has been done before but thought it would be interesting for my first attempt at a poll.

We Americans tend to be obsessed with superlative lists - the best of, the greatest of, top 10 this, top 100 that. Historians have issued lists ranking the Presidents from best to worst from time to time; usually the best are Lincoln, Washington and FDR.

I know such an approach is overly simplistic and even more so for British history, spanning more than five times the length of U.S. history. And comparison gets very hard the further apart in time they are. But I thought it might make for interesting discussion anyway.

My vote is for Alfred - his was arguably the first time the contours of an English nation-state started to emerge, due to his military victories, legal code and the political stability of his reign.

[ah_dut]

Victoria's empire stretched a quarter of the way across the world so what do you expect me to say?

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Edward the third first, then Edward the 1st. Good monarchs for the most part of the reigns and made England into a respected power, especially the Edward the third

[The Wizard]

Cnut of Denmark. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

One of the last histories to interest me is British history... so, being an uninterested lout, gimme one o' them Henry Vs.... ^^



~Wiz

[Mouzafphaerre]

-
Bess for me. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
_

[Red Peasant]

Hard to decide between Alfred and Elizabeth, but go with Al, 'England's Darling'.

He was a doughty warrior, a strategist, and a pragmatic peacemaker, as well as being a saviour of his people when all seemed certainly lost, and a humane and literate person. He was a man of learning in his own way, in a milieu when it was a quick way to an early grave for a leader of a people. He doesn't get the full recognition he deserves, but he is still remembered by many appreciative people. A great soul. Upon his legacy was built the country ruled by the likes of William, et alii. His undimmed fame, on these shores at least, still survives the revisionist histories of mere warlords such as these and their successors. Never forgotten. The Great.

[Mount Suribachi]

Good Queen Bess. After decades of turmoil she provided a long, stable reign which was exactly what the country needed. And she was a proddy http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Ellesthyan]

ARGH

[Kaiser of Arabia]

George III.
Napoleonic Wars baby, yeah
-Capo

[71-hour Ahmed]

Robert the Bruce (Counts as scotland is part of britain).

Made country independent. had flaws but still a good leader in most respects, the man we needed at the time we needed him.

Mind you, its a close run thing between him and Edward 1st of England, who deserves a fair bit respect himself. The one thing that makes me decide against him is the "hammer of the scots" title he claimed - not that I mind it, but it was egotistical to call himself that when he hadn't finished the job yet...

[Divine Wind]

Bess for me http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

[tombom]

Aethelred, Alfred's grandson He united Britain but is always forgotten. He also beat the Vikings much more than Alf did. And I don't know why George III should be up there (MADDNESS and BAD REGENT *cough**cough*) http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[Accounting Troll]

Alfred. He hammered the Danes, set up a network of fortified towns that meant the next invading Danish army went home empty handed, and he still found time to start a renaissance and the concept of a united England, although it was left to his grandson to finish off the conquest of the Danelaw.

Not many other kings gained any kind of victory after starting from a situation as difficult as the one Alfred faced in 870.

[zelda12]

None of them, they should all of been beheaded like charles.

Monarchy hater and proud of it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif

[Crimson Castle]

Quote[/b] (71-hour Ahmed @ June 03 2004,11:17)]Robert the Bruce (Counts as scotland is part of britain).
Yeah, but didn't The Bruce fight for Scotland to be a free independent sovereign nation apart from England?

Besides, The Bruce's victory over the English - in the long run - did not keep them out for long.

[The Illustrated Man]

Simon de Montfort... oh wait. Edward I polished him off.

Well... erm, he was definitely the best king we never had then http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

Peace and tolerance


J

[Auxilia]

For me it would have to be Henry VII;

- He brought to an end the Wars of the Roses, a conflict that would eventually have destroyed the country and left it wide open to invasion.

- He dealt the final deathblow to Bastard Feudalism, a system which allowed England's over-mighty nobility to rule their territories as virtual petty-kings with their own private armies

- He successfully defended his throne against several rebellions and plots, pursuing would-be conspirators half way across Europe.

- Won respect and friendship across Europe with clever diplomacy and virtually without having to strike a blow in anger

- Was one of very few English Kings to die solvent http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-toff.gif

[Highlander X]

arthur - kicking some saxon ass http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[thrashaholic]

Victoria- under her Britain was the greatest nation on the planet, she also had the longest reign so far (although I think HRH Elizabeth II will challenge her to it, then when she passes on Charles can abdicate and Prince William can take over...)

Arguably there hasn't been an English king since before William the Conquerer.

[Duke Malcolm]

Quote[/b] ]Besides, The Bruce's victory over the English - in the long run - did not keep them out for long.
The English didn't take over Scotland, it was the 1603 Union of the Crowns (James VI took the English throne), then 1707 (Treaty of) The Act of Union (The Parliament of Scotland abolished, Parliament of Great Britain created).
If the terms of the Act of Union are broken, then the United Kingdom ceases to exist, and all nations become independent, except Wales.

[Duke Malcolm]

Also, best king, King Fergus of the Scots (of Dalriada). First king of the new kingdom, first king to be considered a Scots king instead of Irish.

Or King Kenneth Mac Alpin of Scots and Picts. United Scots and Picts, ending centuries of war, replaced the Kingdom of Picts and the Kingdom of Dalriada with the Kingdom of Alba (Scotland)

Or King Malcolm III Canmore. Last Celtic King of Scots, selected by Celtic laws of Tanistry. Canmore = Big Head, i.e. Great Leader. Enlarged Scotland into the south. Began spread of other European languages in Scotland, 'Europeanized' Scotland (slightly) by marrying Queen Margaret, later Saint Margaret

[BDC]

Elizabeth I. Her navy fought off the Spanish Armada and she started Britain on the way to Empire. Victoria didn't rule much, during her reign parliament gained real power and Britain became a Consititutional Monarchy really as she was always in mourning...

[king steven]

<
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"Someone else (specify)" quess who i picked (lol) http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wacko.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wacko.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smokin.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-blush.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-clown.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-smile.gif

[monkian]

Elizabeth- Kept the dirty Spanish off our shores http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/tongue.gif

[TheSilverKnight]

George II- Cuz he oversaw the conquest of Canada (Quebec) and British conquests in India. He also helped in winning the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War. He was the last British monarch to fight in a Battle (Dettingen), and he outlived his son http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif In my mind, a good man overall...even if he couldn&#39;t speak proper England-English http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Steppe Merc]

I went with the Black Prince, Edward the third.

[Rufus]

Not to be pedantic, but the Black Prince was Edward III&#39;s son, who never became king.

[Efrem Da King]

WTF??????



EDWARD THE 3RD BUT NO EDWARD THE 4TH WHAT ARE YOU ON


Obviously Edward the 4th.

[lonewolf371]

Ermmm, Edward II began the Hundred Years&#39; War, so logically Edward III would be his son...

HENRY V BABY AGINCOURT ROCKS

EDIT: As to all the people who voted for Victoria, by the time of her reign almost all royal power had been passed to the House of Commons and so she was not all that influential in her reign... Probably the only things notable about her are the fact that pretty much all the British people looked up to her, almost all of the monarchs in WWI were her grand-children, and that the era after the Napoleonic Wars (the Victorian Age) is named after her.

&#39;NUTHER EDIT: Edward I was Longshanks, his son Edward II was a complete wimp, which was probably the reason he did not lead the English armies during the beginning of the Hundred Years&#39; war and his son, the Black Prince, thusly became famous.

[Rufus]

This website for the royal family (http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page66.asp) says that Edward III was the father of Edward the Black Prince, who predeceased his father and never became king. It also says the Hundred Years War started in 1337, ten years into the reign of Edward III.

As this page (http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page67.asp) goes on to explain, when Edward III died, his son the Black Prince was already dead, so the grandson of Edward III (the Black Prince&#39;s son) became King Richard II. Later he was deposed by his cousin Bolingbroke, who became Henry IV, the first of the Lancaster dynasty. Then we get to Edward IV during the War of the Roses when York (Edward IV&#39;s faction) deposes Henry IV&#39;s grandson Henry VI.

This page (http://www.royal.gov.uk/files/pdf/plantage.pdf) shows the whole family tree during this timeframe.

Clear as mud?

[lonewolf371]

Yea my bad, clear as mud...

[Auxilia]

Quote[/b] (TheSilverKnight @ June 27 2004,17:09)]even if he couldn&#39;t speak proper England-English http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
That reminds me of a great line Stephen Fry came up with when he was fed the suggestion &#39;the worst thing to say if you meet the Queen&#39;:

"...you&#39;re just a middle-class German family aren&#39;t you?" http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-2thumbsup.gif