Special Sub-Topic: The Years Gone By Click Here To Play: The Years Gone By

England (1413-1422)

Henry V. Henry V was the second ruler from the House of Lancaster. This house was descended from Edward III through his third son, John of Gaunt. Henry IV, Henry V's father, obtained the crown by usurpation. Richard II, their cousin, was arrested and imprisoned at Pontefract Castle, where he mysteriously died.

Byzantine Empire (1347-1354)

John VI Cantacuzenus. Oh, the tangled webs we weave! John VI was the top advisor of Andronicus III. When Andronicus died, he was supposed to become a kind of regent for John V, but, alas, due to the machinations of the young emperor's mother and grandmother, John VI was forced to assume the throne himself. He married one of his daughters to his protegé and another of Orkhan I, Ottoman Sultan in exchange for his help in the ensuing strife. Therefore, his descendants would rule the Empire even when it was Turkish instead of Greek.

Denmark (1387-1412)

Margarethe I. Margarethe was the eldest daughter of Valdemar IV. Through marriage, she would become the Queen of Norway, first as consort, then as regent and Queen Mother, then as Queen Regnant. In 1389, she was elected Queen of Sweden. From then, until her death, she was Queen of the North, forming the Kalmar Union.

France (1226-1270)

St. Louis (IX). St. Louis is one of France's most famous monarchs. However, here's a little bit of interesting information about his consort, Margaret of Provence. All of her sisters were queens, as well. Eleanor was married to Henry III of England, Sancha to Henry's brother Richard of Cornwall, King of the Romans, and Beatrice to Louis's brother Charles of Anjou, King of Naples and Sicily. And before, they had been merely the daughters of a poor Count.

Spain (1504-1506)

Juana la Loca. And she really was La Loca, the Mad. When her husband, Philip of Austria died, Juana would not allow him to be buried. He always had to remain in her sight. While alive, he was frequently unfaithful, and Juana was madly in love with him. And I mean that quite literally. She would have his coffin carried around with her when she traveled through Spain. Finally, her father, Ferdinand of Aragon, took over and she was confined to Tordesillas.

Scotland (1040-1057)

Macbeth. Yes, he did exist. Both he and Duncan were the grandsons of Malcolm III, but Macbeth's wife was a granddaughter of Kenneth III. You see, in those days, Scotland had a covoluted succession. They would alternated between branches of the royal house. So, when Malcolm II died, then a descendent of Kenneth III was supposed to take over. However, each branch always tried to keep the crown, so that murder, assassination, and civil war were quite common.

England (April-June 1483)

Edward V. Edward V was one of the mysterious Little Princes. When his father, Edward IV, died, his uncle Richard III became the regent. Then, believing, or a least professing to believe, that Edward IV's marriage with Elizabeth Woodville was invalid because of a past marriage with Eleanor Talbot, Richard seized the throne, and the little king. What exactly happened young Edward and his brother, Richard, are not known. But murder is suspected.

Ireland (1002-1014)

Brian Boru. Brian of Boruma is, perhaps, the most famous of all Irish kings. What is truly amazing about him is that he was the youngest of twelve sons, but still became High King. His father, Cennedi, was the king (or prince) of Thommond, and their clan (Dalcais) was relatively minor. But Brian, being charismatic and inventive, managed to take over the whole of Ireland.

Navarre (1000-1035)

Sancho III, the Great. Through marriage and conquest, Sancho the Great began the process of Spanish unification. Or at least planted the seeds. Upon his death, his kingdom was divided between his three sons. Navarre, a kingdom, was left to Garcia, Castile, a county, was left to Ferdnando (who wed the heiress of Leon), and Aragon, also a county, was left to his illegitimate son, Ramiro.

England (1509-1547)

Henry VIII. That one's been bugging you, hasn't it? Well, now you know!