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Symbols of the British Monarchy: the Imperial State Crown (part of the Crown Jewels) and the Royal Coat of Arms

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Landmarks in the History of the British Monarchy

• 1485: End of the War of the Roses. Henry VII becomes king: House of Tudor.
• 1509: Henry VIII becomes king.
• 1534: Act of Supremacy. Reformation. The monarch becomes Head of the Church of England.
• 1558: Elizabeth I becomes queen.
• 1588: The Spanish Armada and the threat of invasion. Elizabeth gives the Tilbury Speech.
• 1603: The Scottish king James VI inherits the English throne as James I of England : House of Stuart.
• 1642: Struggles for power between King and Parliament lead to the English Civil War.
• 1649: Charles I is tried and executed. A republic, the Commonwealth of England, is established.
• 1660: Restoration. Charles II becomes king.
• 1688: "Glorious Revolution". James II leaves the country. Parliament declares his abdication, offers the Crown to William III and Mary II.
• 1689: Parliament passes the Bill of Rights.
• 1701: Parliament passes the Act of Settlement.
• 1714: George I becomes king: House of Hanover.
• 1743: Battle of Dettingen. George II is the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle.
• 1837: Victoria becomes queen. Her reign lasts until 1901, longer than that of any other British monarch.
• 1901: Edward VII becomes king: House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
• 1917: George V changes the name of the royal house to "Windsor", reacting to anti-German sentiment during WWI.
• 1936: Edward VIII becomes king. Abdication Crisis. Elizabeth II's father, George VI, becomes king.
• 1952: Elizabeth II becomes queen. Coronation in 1953.
• 12 June 2010: Trooping the Colour. The official celebration of the Queen's birthday, held annually, reflects the modern role of the monarch as a focus of national identity and a moral example (The Role of the Monarchy) as well as her emotional appeal.

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