George III was often called ‘Mad George’ as he did have mental health problems a few times (and he did once spend a lot of time talking to a tree!), he had another nickname too though, he was very interested in farming and had model farms testing out different ideas. People called him ‘Farmer George’ this is quite funny because George means farmer in Greek so really he was already called farmer. A bit like calling him ‘Farmer…

Ever hear of the letter ‘thorne’? No? That’s in part due to Edward IV. When the printing press was introduced from Bruge in Brussels by William Caxton there was one letter it couldn’t produce. It made a sound similar to TH. The closest letter that looked like it was Y so this was used instead.

Bloody Mary. It was no wonder really that Mary I was bitter. Her father had turned his back on her and her mother and worst of all the Catholic Church. Mary was very religious and wanted to do everything she could to bring back the Catholic church. If this mean killing the people who were against it she would do it. There is evidence she ordered people to be burnt at the stake for their…

Queen Elizabeth II   Thousands of people bought their first tv sets for the coronation on June 2 in 1953 when Elizabeth was only 27. It is thought over half the population watched the coronation (27 million of a population of 36 million). It was the first major international event to be televised. George VI’s was televised but most people didn’t own a tv at that time. A new way of serving chicken was invented…

This was a ‘Great Charter’ that was signed (actually it was sealed as most Kings couldn’t write) by King John. He was forced to agree to it by the Barons to stop him abusing his power as King and take unfair taxes. It included lots of rules to give people rights to be treated fairly and the right to a fair trial. It was written on velum. There are four surviving copies of the Magna…

 Henry VIII had six wives and he didn’t let them leave him easily. Two were beheaded!, two divorces and one died. Only one outlived him as his wife and she did not live a long and happy life (perhaps a short and happy one). You have probably learnt the song at school. Divorced beheaded died, divorced, beheaded and survived. Three of his children ruled after him and only one of those had a long and…

   William I loved hunting so when he came to England he decided to make 22 new ‘Royal Forests’ which only he (and his friends) could hunt in. This was pretty unfair to the people who lived there as some were forced to move and even if they didn’t move they were unable to have fences for their wildstock or hunt for food. There are still forests left like the ‘New Forest’ in Hampshire or…

William II inherited the Crown of England on his father’s death. It is thought he was his father’s favourite (but he wasn’t the eldest, he was the third). His big brother Robert inherited the Dukedom of Normandy. His other big brother died in the New Forest. His little brother Henry just got 5,000 silver coins! It could be that Henry I stole the crown from him though as William II was ‘accidentally’ killed while hunting…