Memorable Events in English Royal History
Below are listed some of the most memorable events that have occurred in English Royal History - each event/place is connected to the reigning monarch at the time of that event.
Is there an historical event in London’s royal history, whether it be 200 years or 10 years ago, that you would like to give an opinion about, then please submit here.
1 The Battle of Hastings Battlefield and Abbey (High Street, Sussex) King William I
King William I is best known for his victory at the Battle of Hastings -14th October 1066.
It is England’s most famous battlefield, stunning views, audio guide available and a film regarding the Norman invasion. Normally open from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm (all week).
Trains depart from St Pancras International, Charing’s Cross, Victoria and London Bridge Stations to Hastings, average travel time about 1hr 30 mins.
2 Signing of the Magna Carta - King John
King John is most famous for signing the Magna Carta (The Great Charter) at Runnymede - 15th June 1215, it contained 63 promises. The King was no longer the sole power of the country and no monarch would ever again have complete authority but was restricted and not above the law. The Magna Carta is one of the most important documents in British History.
The Magna Carta is written in Latin. The USA used it as a basis for ‘The Declaration of Independence’.
A copy of the Magna Carta is held at the British Library, 96 Euston Road, King’s Cross, London NW1.
Admission free, but tours are available at a cost of £10.00 – allow one hour for the tour.
The British Library is the world’s largest national library (number of items catalogued) and was established on 1st July 1973, it is a Grade I listed building; built by Sir Colin St John Wilson, born in Cheltenham.
Underground - Nearest tube station is King’s Cross, 5-minute walk via Euston Road. Euston tube station, 8-minute walk via Euston Road.
Mainline Stations - St Pancras International Station, 8-minute walk via Pancras Road. King’s Cross Railway Station, 6-minute walk via Euston Road.
3 The murder of Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York in the Tower of London (1483)
The brothers were the sons of King Edward IV and his queen - Elizabeth Woodville, their murder has probably been the saddest event of the Tower of London’s history.
The Tower of London’s official name is ‘His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, The Tower of London’. It has played a huge role in the country’s history and is London’s most popular tourist attraction (probably the Eiffel Tower of London).
Admission fee: Adult £29.90 Children aged 5-15, £14.90
Children under the age of 5 – no fee.
Nearest tube station is Tower Hill, (Circle or District Lines).
It is a 5-minute walk to the Tower, and may use the pedestrian crossings for busy roads.
Tower Hill tube station address - 38 Trinity Square, London.
4 King Henry VIII - excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church
In 1533 Pope Clement VII excommunicated King Henry VIII, and the Act of Supremacy was passed, this established King Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England but Saint Thomas More, who was the Chancellor, refused to recognise Henry as Supreme Head of the Church. More was executed in 1535 at Tower Hill, London.
More’s famous words “I am the King’s good servant but God’s first.” He was beatified in 1886 and canonized a saint in 1935.
St Thomas More - historical monument
Set within a beautiful backdrop of Chelsea Old Church - (also known as All Saints) 64 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London. (More rebuilt one of the chapels in the Old Church - and regularly worshiped there.) Nearest tube station South Kensington – 15-minute walk to monument.
5 Gunpowder Plot - Plaque (Hoxton Street, London Borough of Hackney) - King James I
Lord Monteagle received a letter unmasking the Gunpowder Plot (blow up Parliament) in a house near this site (on the night of 12th October 1605), he passed it to a servant to read aloud. Lord Monteagle was a Roman Catholic English peer, and due to attend Parliament, it was thought that someone had warned him about the plot so he would not attend Parliament on the day King James I was due to open Parliament.
The letter was passed on to Robert Cecil (Chief Minister). Guy Fawkes was caught, and Lord Monteagle was rewarded by King James I. Monteagle invested in the Virginia Company and East India Company; he died in 1622.
Nearest underground - Old Street Tube Station (Clerkenwell) a 12-minute walk to Hoxton Street.
6 Execution of King Charles I - Banqueting House
Charles I was beheaded on a specifically built scaffold outside of Banqueting House (30th January 1649) and there is a special service there every year on his anniversary.
It is open daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm (usually unavailable on Thursdays as events normally take place). Entrance fee (adult) £12.50.
Banqueting House is a 5-minute walk from Westminster tube station and a 5-minute walk from Charing Cross railway station.
7 The Great Fire of London - King Charles II
(Monument to The Great Fire of London provides a fantastic view of London)
In 1665 the Great Plague struck London killing over 60,000 people and in 1666, The Great Fire of London destroyed 70,000 homes but wiped out the plague.
The Monument was designed by Sir Christopher Wren (Doric stone column) which is located at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill. The Great Fire of London is probably one of the most famous events in the city’s history, it started at Thomas Fariner’s bakery, (Pudding Lane) on a Sunday night - it is a small lane close to the Monument.
The Monument is 202 feet in height and the nearest underground station is ‘Monument’ (Circle and District Lines.) It is just a 5-minute walk from London Bridge.
Open 7 days a week (9.30 am to 5.00 pm) - entrance fee currently £5.80. There are 311 steps to climb but worth it for the spectacular view of London.
King Charles II and his brother James, Duke of York, helped to put out the flames - look out for detailed carvings around the bottom of the Monument.
‘The Golden Boy of Pye Corner’
In Farringdon there is a small statue of ‘The Golden Boy of Pye Corner’ (made of wood and covered with gold) this is where the fire was eventually put out.
Address: Giltspur Street, Smithfield. Nearest underground station is Farringdon, a 7-minute walk via W Smithfield and Cowcross Street.
8 First Queen to rule in her own right - Queen Mary
Queen Mary died at St James’s Palace and her heart is buried under the choir stalls (palace chapel). The palace was built in 1531-1536 and was commissioned by King Henry VIII; it is the most senior Royal Palace in the United Kingdom.
Tickets must be pre-booked, exclusive guided tour £80.00 per person.
Closest underground station is Green Park (Jubilee, Victoria and Piccadilly lines) it is a 7 minute walk via Stratton Street and Piccadilly.
9 The Spanish Armada - Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth’s reign was regarded as ‘The Golden Age’ or ‘The Elizabethan Era’ (1558-1603). The arts and discoveries flourished during her reign in particular such talents as: Sir William Shakespeare, Sir Francis Bacon, Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh - all contributed to making the nation wealthy, but the defining moment of her reign was the defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588), which secured the continuation of Protestantism in England.
There is a memorial to Sir Francis Drake, who was the first Englishman to sail around the world and played his part in the Spanish Armada, in the south cloister of Westminster Abbey.
10 ‘The Somerset House Peace Conference’ King James I
Somerset House is a spectacular neo-classical building in the heart of London.
King James I, made peace with Spain in 1604, which concluded a 19 year Anglo-Spanish war, ‘The Somerset House Peace Conference’ terms included: English Channel opened to Spanish shipping and Spain renounced intentions to restore the Roman Catholic religion in England.
It was Edward Seymour, who became the Duke of Somerset (when his nephew King Edward VI came to the throne) and began the building of Somerset House - but before it was completed, he was executed, and ownership of Somerset House passed to the Crown.
Somerset House is situated between the Strand and the River Thames (not far from Waterloo Bridge a 5-minute walk); it is a Grade I listed building, has an impressive courtyard and an artistic fountain with beautiful surroundings.
Nearest tube station is ‘Temple’ (Circle and District Lines), a 5-minute walk.
Open to the public most days - admission normally free apart from exhibitions and events.
11 The First Battle of the Wars of the Roses - St Albans, Herefordshire
King Henry VI
The first battle of the Wars of the Roses took place in St Albans - close to the city centre - St Peter’s Street. Battle between King Henry VI with the Duke of Somerset (Lancastrians) and 2000 men against Richard, Duke of York and the Earl of Warwick (Yorkists) with 3000 to 6000 men - the Yorkists won the battle. There was also a famous battle dated 17th February 1461, at Bernards Heath, St Albans - won by the Lancastrians.
St Albans Cathedral
St Albans is a city rich in history and takes its name from the first British saint - St Alban. St Albans is a magnificent and impressive cathedral (built 1077) it is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in Britain and is a fascinating building to explore - both exterior and interior stunning.
(Awarded Tripadvisor's Travellers Choice Award in 2020.)
Entrance is free.
Trains depart from London’s St Pancras International Station to St Albans and take approximately 20 minutes.
St Albans grew from a church into a magnificent cathedral, and it was during the ‘Wars of the Roses’ that King Henry VI took refuge in St Albans Church.
12 First Prime Minister of Great Britain - Sir Robert Walpole (Memorial) - occurred during the reign of King George I
Robert Walpole and his son Horace Walpole (Novelist) memorial states that they both lived at this site - 5 Arlington Street, St James’s, London, SW1. Robert Walpole died at Arlington Street - 18th March 1745; he was in office from 1721 to 1742, the longest-serving Prime Minister in British history (Whig Party).
Many roads and towns have been named after him and the house of number 10 Downing Street, London was given to him as a gift by King George II - but he refused to accept it and insisted that it should be the official residence of Britain’s Prime Minister, which it continues to be to this present day.
13 Battle of Trafalgar - Nelson’s Column, Trafalgar Square - King George III
Nelson’s Column is in Trafalgar Square, named and dedicated to Admiral Horatio Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805. The battle was named by King George III and is one of the most famous naval victories in British history. The battle was fought by Britain against Spain and France and took place off Cape Trafalgar (Spain). Nelson won many battles, made sacrifices, and is one of the nation’s most historic leaders; he is buried in St Paul’s Cathedral.
The nearest tube station to Trafalgar Square is Charing Cross.
14 Murder of the Russian Royal Family, cousins of King George V
Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 67 Ennismore Gardens, Knightsbridge, London
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was when Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, which brought the collapse of the Russian Royal family; and on 17th July 1918, King George’s two cousins the Czar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra, together with their children, were all shot in Yekaterinburg.
The Russian Orthodox Cathedral is of Lombard Architecture, has beautiful religious paintings and is well worth a visit, built in 1849 by Lewis Vulliamy; the parish itself dates to 1716 as part of the Russian Embassy in London and items were rescued from the Russian embassy (presently in the cathedral) after the 1917 Revolution.
There are tours on a Tuesday, the cathedral is open 9.00 am to 8.00 pm (closed on Mondays) - best to check if it is open prior to a visit.
It is a 7-minute walk from Knightsbridge tube station.
15 Abdication of King Edward VIII (11th December 1936) in order to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson
The Guards Museum
King Edward VIII was a colonel in the Welsh Guards. The Guards Museum is in Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk and is the home of five regiments including the Welsh Guards and Grenadier Guards - both associated with King Edward VIII. The museum is well laid out, full of history with magnificent displays and an impressive selection of items.
Entrance fee: Adult £8.00, Students £5.00, Children under the age 16 - free.
Nearest station is St James’s Park Station (District and Circle Lines) a short walk, about 8 minutes via Broadway and Birdcage Walk.
Home of Mrs Simpson
Bryanston Court - Marylebone, London - was the home of Mrs Wallis Simpson (1933) - the closest underground station is Marble Arch.
16 The Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer - St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral was designed by Sir Christopher Wren, it is a Grade I listed building, the dome of the Cathedral is the second largest in the world; Sir Christopher Wren was the first person to be buried in the Cathedral. The Cathedral contains over 200 monuments.
Nearest underground St Paul’s - Central Line, a 2-minute walk via Cheapside.