GEORGE I 1714-1727 First King of Great Britain, House of Hanover.

Robert Walpole
establishes office of Prime Minister, who governs country. 1715 Jacobite uprising
under Bonnie Prince Charlie, half-brother to late Queen Anne. 1719 War of the
Quadruple Alliance (UK, HRE, Dutch, France VS Spain) Jacobite uprising supported by
Spain comes to naught. 1720 South Seas Bubble Crisis skillfully managed by Robert
Walpole, who assumes even greater powers. Absolute Monarch in Hanover, but leaves
almost everything to Robert Walpole except English forigen policy.

GEORGE II 1727-1760 Very popular as Prince of Wales, crowds of over a million

gathered to see him arrive in London. Popularity led to a rift with his father, and
an alliance with Walpole. When he became king, Wapole leveraged this, delegating
George to an honorific role. Mostly a buffoon at court: interested chiefly in
forigen polcy. 1743 Led British army as General at Dettingen. 1745 Bonnie Prince
Charlie defeated at Culloden, last Jacobite Uprising. Fond of hunting, warfare,
cards, bluntly honest and parsimonious. Handel is court composer.

GEORGE III 1760-1820 reigned sixty years. Spoke English rather than German. Never
visisted Hanover. 1756 Won Seven Years War. 1772 Royal Marriages Act means no
royals can marry without King's consent. 1776 American colonies revolt. 1778 France
and Spain join war against Britain, while Dutch Republic aids both sides. British
generals free American slaves to recruit them. 1779 Sixty-six French and Spanish
warships enter English Channel but turn back due to weather 1781 Defeat at
Yorktown, American colonies lost. 1783 William Pitt the Younger appointed Prime
Minister with the King's support until Pitt's death. 1807 Slavery banned in British
Empire (Wilberforce). After 1788, becomes mentally ill, 1811 Regency. Collector of
art and books, unlike father, and practical man in tune with his people's desires,
unlike son.

GEORGE IV 1820-1830 Prince Regent. Essentially a playboy, then a corpulent wastrel,

George IV has little impact on policy, but a great impact on fashion. 1811 official
Regency. New precedent: Prime Minister appointed based on House of Commons
majority, rather than King's personal favor. Pompous and ostentatious regin with
many mistrisses turns public opinoin against monarchy.

WILLIAM IV 1830-1837. brother of George IV, who has no legitimate children. He has
no legitmate children, passing the throne to his niece. 1780 Served as midshipman
in American War of Independence 1790 Rear Admiral 1827 Lord High Admiral of the
Navy. 1830 Becomes oldest at 64 to take the throne. Detests pomp and circumstance,
almost cancelling coronation. 1832 Reform Bill, which reforms electoral system,
passes in Parliament after threats to pack House of Lords with his supporters. He
never visits Hanover as King, having his brother Duke of Cambridge rule it instead.
Under Salic law, women could not inherit, so upon his death, Hanover passed to his
brother, Duke of Cumberland.

QUEEN VICTORIA 1837-1901 House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Queen of the United Kingdom of

Great Britain and Ireland, 1876 Empress of India. 1845 Great Irish Potato Famine.
English mismanagment of Irish land causes blight, millions die, millions flee, and
Ireland's population never recovers. 1851 Great World's Fair Exhibition constructed
by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, sponsored by Schweppes, visited by all significant
figures of the time. 1861 Prince Consort Albert dies, prompting her to go into
mourning for the rest of her life. 1868 William Evart Gladstone- High Church Tory
Liberal Prime Minister supports Irish Home Rule and irrevocably splits his Liberal
Party. 1874 Benjamin Disraeli Conservative Prime Minister passes massive Worker's
Reforms giving rights to picket, sue employers, and take out larger loans. She is
proclaimed Empress of India. "The sun never sets on the British Empire". Gladstone
begins political comeback based on solidarity with April Uprising in Bulgaria. 1878
Congress of Berlin wins Cyprus for Britain, establishes fractured Bulgarian state,
and gives leftovers to Russia, Disraeli's greatest enemy. Otto von Bismark
proclaims Disraeli to be "Der alte Jude, das ist der Mann" Victoria survives eight
assassination attempts throughout her reign, mostly from inmates at Bethlehem
Hospital (Bedlam) before succumbling to rheumatism 1901.

EDWARD VII 1901-1910 House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Prince of Wales for most of his
life, he enjoyed the gambling and hunting of idle rich. His last words were of joy
that his horse had won a race. Makes tweed, Homburg hats, and Norfolk jackets
respectable. Makes informal black ties and dinner jackets fashionable, rather than
white tie. Unbuttoning the last vest button starts with him, and trouser legs began
to be pressed front and back, rather than side to side. He also introduced the
modern standup turn-down shirt collar. A massive man fond of roast beef and
potatoes on Sundays.

GEORGE V 1910-1936, House of Windsor, which is renamed due to Anti-German sentiment

during WWI. 1911 Parliament Act means House of Lords can no longer veto laws,
establishing elected House of Commons as superior 1921 British empire rules quarter
of world's landmass. 1922 Ireland partitioned and Irish Free-State created 1931
British Commonwealth created, with each state as seperate and independent nation.
1932 First Christmas Boradcast.

EDWARD VIII abdicated the throne almost immediatly. Profligate Nazi sympathizer.

GEORGE VI 1936-1952 Graduates at the bottom of his Naval class, then marries a non-
royal (future Queen Mother Elizabeth) and breaks down in tears when he hears of
Edward VIII's abdication. Visits speech therapist his entire life. Fearing war,
visits North America and France, bolstering alliances there. 1940 WWII British
royal family shares in the bombs, rationing, and steadfast defiance of the rest of
Britain in the face of the Blitz. 1945 VE Day, Prime Minister Churchill joins royal
family on balcony. 1947 Partition of India means the end of Empire

ELIZABETH II 1952-2022 Longest verified reign of any female monarch in history.

1940 Addresses other children evacuated from cities. 1944 Trained as driver during
war. 1945 Joins arms with crowd on VE Day. 1947 Marriage to Prince Philip. Edward
VIII and Philip's German relations not invited. 1953 First televised coronation and
worldwide tour of every Commonwealth country. 1978 Queen's Surveyor unmasked as
communist spy, Uncle Montbatten assassinated by IRA. 1992 Annus Horribilis:
divorces amoung royals, protesters throw eggs at her in Dresden, fire in Windsor
Castle, forced to pay taxes. 2012 Platinum Jubilee shows 90 per cent approval
ratings. Wore solid suits and elaborate hats to stand out in the crowds she was
constantly visiting.

CHARLES III 2022-Present 1981 Marries Diana Spencer and present at birth of their
sons William, Henry. 1992 Infidelity on both sides causes seperation. 1995 First
royal to visit Ireland. 1996 Divorces Diana. 1997 Diana is killed in a car crash
following high speed paparazzi chase down into tunnel. 2001 Silver Medal at Chelsea
Flower Show 2005. Marriage to Camilla Bowles in a civil wedding at Windsor
Guildhall. 2008 Rainforest Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award. 2015 Prix Francois
Rabelais award for Organic Farming. 2015 Shakes hands with Gerry Adams, IRA leader.
2023 Coronation marks him as the oldest serving Prince of Wales. Son William V is
heir apparent.