KINGS & 
QUEENS

London grew around the River Thames, so its bridges have always been vital to the city. Today there are dozens of crossings, but three tell a particularly good story: the magnificent Victorian Tower Bridge, the much older story of London Bridge, and the modern Millennium Bridge connecting Shakespeare’s Globe with St Paul’s Cathedral. Tower Bridge – The One Everyone Thinks Is London Bridge Let's clear up the most common mistake first. This is Tower Bridge. It is NOT London Bri

What Is Shakespeare’s Globe? Shakespeare’s Globe is the open-air theatre on London’s South Bank, built to recreate the type of theatre where William Shakespeare’s plays were performed more than 400 years ago. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, South Bank The first thing to know is that this is not Shakespeare’s original Globe. The original opened nearby in 1599 during the reign of Elizabeth I. The Globe you see today opened in 1997, reconstructed using historical evidence, archaeol

What Is Buckingham Palace? Buckingham Palace is probably the most famous royal palace in the world and the building most visitors immediately associate with the British monarchy. Buckingham Palace But here's the first surprise: It wasn't built as a royal palace at all. The story begins with a large private house called Buckingham House, built for the Duke of Buckingham in the early 1700s. King George III bought it in 1761 as a private home for his wife, Queen Charlotte, and t

What Is St Paul’s Cathedral? St Paul’s Cathedral is one of London's most recognisable landmarks, with its enormous dome dominating the City skyline for more than 300 years. St Paul's Cathedral But the cathedral you see today isn't the first St Paul's to stand here. There has been a church dedicated to St Paul the Apostle on or around this site since AD 604, and several different cathedrals have been built, damaged or destroyed over the centuries. The great turning point came

What Is the Tower of London? The Tower of London is one of those places where almost the entire story of the British monarchy seems to collide in one building. It has been a fortress, royal palace, prison, armoury, treasury, mint, zoo and execution site—and today it is home to the spectacular Crown Jewels. The Tower of London The story begins with William the Conqueror. After conquering England in 1066, William needed to control London and remind its inhabitants exactly who w

Who Is Charles III? Charles III waited longer to become king than any heir apparent in British history. Born in 1948, he was just three when his mother became Queen Elizabeth II and spent most of the next 70 years preparing for a job that might not come until he was an old man. When Elizabeth II died at Balmoral on 8 September 2022, Charles immediately became king at the age of 73. King Charles III For most Britons, this was an extraordinary change. They had never known anoth

Who Was Elizabeth II? Elizabeth II was never originally expected to become queen. When she was born in 1926, her uncle Edward was heir to the throne and everyone assumed he would eventually marry and have children of his own. Young Queen Elizabeth II Then came Edward VIII's abdication. Her father unexpectedly became George VI, and ten-year-old Elizabeth suddenly found herself next in line. In February 1952, the 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya with her husband Prin

Who Was George VI? George VI never expected to be king. Born Prince Albert and known as “Bertie,” he was the shy second son of George V. His confident older brother Edward was destined for the throne, leaving Bertie to enjoy a relatively private life with his wife Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and their two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. Then Edward VIII gave up the Crown to marry Wallis Simpson. Suddenly, in December 1936, Bertie was king. He chose the name George VI, partly to e

Who Was Edward VIII? Edward VIII was the eldest son of George V and the handsome, fashionable Prince of Wales who seemed destined to become a glamorous modern king. Known to his family as David, he was enormously popular, travelled widely and had a very different personality from his serious, traditional father. When George V died in January 1936, Edward became king. Edward VIII But there was a problem. Edward was in love with Wallis Simpson, a sophisticated American woman fr

Who Was George V? George V was the son of the fashionable Edward VII and grandson of Queen Victoria, but he was very different from his sociable, extravagant father. George was quiet, serious, loved routine and had originally trained for a career in the Royal Navy because nobody expected him to become king. George V That changed when his older brother Albert Victor unexpectedly died in 1892. George became second in line to the throne and even married Princess Mary of Teck, th

Who Was Edward VII? Edward VII was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Known to his family as “Bertie,” he spent an extraordinary 59 years waiting to become king. Victoria became increasingly frustrated by her son's love of parties, gambling, racing, food and women and kept him away from serious royal business for much of her reign. When Victoria finally died in 1901, Bertie became Edward VII at the age of 59. After decades of Victorian seriousness and mournin

Who Was Queen Victoria? Victoria was just 18 years old when she became queen in 1837. Her uncle William IV had died without a legitimate surviving child, so messengers arrived at Kensington Palace early in the morning to tell the teenage princess that she was now Queen of the United Kingdom. Queen Victoria She had grown up at Kensington under the extremely controlling “Kensington System,” devised by her mother and adviser Sir John Conroy. Victoria was rarely allowed to be alo

Who Was William IV? William IV was the younger brother of the extravagant George IV and the third son of George III. Nobody expected him to become king when he was young, so unlike most future monarchs, William actually had something resembling a career: he joined the Royal Navy at just 13 years old. William IV He served at sea during the American War of Independence, spent time in New York and became known as the “Sailor King.” He remained much more informal than his flamboy

Who Was George IV? George IV was the eldest son of George III and almost his complete opposite. While his father was nicknamed “Farmer George” and enjoyed a relatively simple family life, George IV loved luxury, fashion, architecture, enormous banquets and spending spectacular amounts of money. George IV He actually began running the country before becoming king. When George III became permanently ill in 1811, his son took over as Prince Regent, giving us the Regency period.

Who Was George III? George III became king aged just 22 when his grandfather George II died. His father, Frederick, Prince of Wales, had died nine years earlier, so the crown skipped a generation. George III Unlike George I and George II, George III was born in Britain and spoke English as his first language. Soon after becoming king, he proudly declared that he was “born and educated in this country” and gloried in the name of Briton. Unfortunately, ask most Americans what t

Who Was George II? George II inherited the throne from his father George I in 1727. Like his father, he had been born in Hanover in Germany and remained deeply attached to it, but unlike George I he had lived in Britain for many years before becoming king and spoke English. George II George loved soldiers, uniforms, military history and routine. He could also be bad-tempered and incredibly fussy—Historic Royal Palaces records stories of him becoming so angry that he would pul

Who Was George I? When Queen Anne died without a surviving child, Britain had a problem. Her closest Catholic relatives were deliberately excluded from the throne, so Parliament searched the royal family tree for the nearest suitable Protestant heir. George I They found George, Elector of Hanover, a 54-year-old German prince who was descended from James I through his mother, Sophia. In 1714, George arrived from Hanover and became George I of Great Britain, beginning the Georg

Who Was Queen Anne? Queen Anne was the younger sister of Mary II and the second daughter of James II. When William III died without children in 1702, Anne inherited the throne. Queen Anne Anne doesn't have the instant name recognition of Elizabeth I or Victoria, but something enormously important happened during her reign: England and Scotland officially became one country. James I had brought the English and Scottish crowns together more than a century earlier, but the two c

Who Were William and Mary? William and Mary were one of the most unusual royal couples in British history: husband and wife who ruled together as king and queen. William III and Mary II Mary was the Protestant daughter of James II. William of Orange was her Dutch husband—and also, slightly confusingly, her first cousin and James's nephew. When the Catholic James II lost support and fled England during the Glorious Revolution, Parliament offered the crown to William and Mary j

Who Was James II? When Charles II died without a legitimate heir, the crown passed to his younger brother James II. James was openly Catholic, which made many people nervous in overwhelmingly Protestant England, but initially they accepted him because his two adult daughters, Mary and Anne, were Protestant. James II James was also an experienced naval commander. Before becoming king he was Duke of York, and here's a great fact for American visitors: when the English took New