Prominent People

Many famous names have contributed to the illustrious history of Britain. From kings and Queens, to writers and warriors, here are some of the heroes and heroines that have made Britain great.

British Monarchs:
	Alfred the Great Alfred the Great was the King of Wessex in the south of England, he is famed for his defence of the kingdom against the Danes and is regarded as the first King of England.	Harold II Harold was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, his short reign was brought to an end with his death at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.	Richard I The Lionheart Richard the Lionheart was the great crusader king of England of the 12th Century who, during the third crusade, defeated the Turks at the Battle of Acre and gained access to the Holy City.

	William the Conqueror William the Conqueror became King of England after defeating his rival Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Norman Conquest of England completely altered British History.	Edward I Known as Edward Longshanks due to his height and Edward Hammer of Scots, because of brutal campaigns in Scotland	Henry V Henry V’s place in history is defined by his victory in the Battle of Agincourt, which unified the Kingdoms of England and France, and his legend was further established by Shakespeare’s pen.

	Richard III Richard III is the definitive villain of the British Monarchy and was depicted as such in William Shakespeare’s play; Richard III.	Henry VIII Henry VIII was the second Tudor monarch, who famously had six wives, broke off from the Roman Catholic Church.	Mary I As the first ruling Queen of England, Mary I earned the name Bloody Mary after her brutal to suppression of Protestants in a vain attempt to bring Catholicism back.

	Elizabeth I Elizabeth I proved to be one of England’s most popular and successful monarchs. Her reign saw England expand its influence in Europe and the Americas.	James I James I of England is also James VI of Scotland,his regency united the crowns of Scotland and England.	Charles I The reign of Charles I is most remembered for the Civil War bringing conflict between Cavaliers and the Roundheads of Oliver Cromwell.

	Charles II The son of the executed King Charles I, Charles II was restored to the monarchy in 1660, giving rise to the Restoration period in British history.	James II The younger son of Charles I and brother of Charles II, James II was the last Roman Catholic King of Britain.	William of Orange (& Mary) A Protestant Dutch aristocrat, William came to rule Britain along with his wife Mary after his father in law King James II was deposed in the Glorious Revolution.

	George IV Regarded as something of a playboy while he was Prince Regent, George IV reigned over victory in the Napoleonic Wars and a golden age of the Georgian and Regency architecture.	Victoria One of the most prominent women in British history, Queen Victoria was reigning for 63 years.	Elizabeth II The Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Elizabeth II is the incumbent monarch and Head of State of the UK and the Commonwealth.

Scottish Monarchs:
	Robert the Bruce Robert the Bruce famously defeated the English armies at the Battle of Bannockburn, gained independence for Scotland and was crowned King Robert I of Scotland.	William Wallace William Wallace was the famous Scottish hero of the 13th century, who led the Scotland against England.	Mary Queen of Scots Mary Queen of Scots is one of Scotland’s most well known monarchs, famed for her tragic life and falling foul of the Machiavellian politics.


	Bonnie Prince Charlie Scotland’s last great heroic figure, Bonnie Prince Charlie or Charles Edward Stuart, led his Jacobite army of Scottish Highlanders and almost took the British throne.

Others:
	Shakespeare William Shakespeare is England’s foremost playwright and the his plays, which include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Othello, are still popular today.	King Arthur King Arthur is a pivotal figure in British mythology and innates the folklore of Merlin, Camelot and the Round Table.	Winston Churchill Britain’s Prime Minister and inspirational leader during World War II, Sir Winston Churchill is regarded as one of the country’s greatest ever statesmen.

	Princess Diana The first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales and mother of the Princes William and Harry. She worked avidly for Aids charities and landmine victims until she died tragically in a car crash in Paris in 1997.	Prince Charles First son of Queen Elizabeth, Charles, HRH The Prince of Wales and Duke of Rothesay, is next in line to the British throne.

Prominent People

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