Who Are All These Kings?
I sometimes get asked, during a Guided Walk, or a Coach Trip, or a talk, “Who Are All These Kings?”
It’s not an unreasonable question. You can’t give any sort of commentary on the historical aspects of, say, Leicester, or Colchester, or Canterbury, or York, or London, or any other significant city for that matter, without bringing some kings into the story.
In Leicester, for example, Richard III has a prominent position, but lots of other kings (and queens), such as Charles I, Elizabeth I, Henry II, Henry IV, Henry VI, Henry VII and Jane come into the story.
Richard III himself turns up at Fotheringhay, London, Market Bosworth, Scarborough and York.
Even my home town, Rochford, involves Henry IV and Henry VIII.
It’s sometimes difficult to grasp which particular Edward or Henry, say, is involved, and how he relates to another one.
I’ve been asked several times over the years if I can write a book dealing with all this.
So what I’m going to start doing is a series of entries on this website about kings and queens, initially of England.
The early ones can be a bit controversial (who to leave in? who to leave out?), but I’m starting with Egbert.
You could make a case for starting with Alfred, or Edward the Elder, or Athelstan, or Edgar, or William I. But my own choice is Egbert.
Hope you enjoy it. Watch out for Egbert.
Posted by colin on Saturday 24th December, 2005 at 8:04am