Study topic
British kings and queens to know
You don’t need every monarch, but a handful shape the story of Britain and appear repeatedly in the test.
Key facts to remember
- ◆ William the Conqueror — won the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
- ◆ Henry VIII — broke with Rome and founded the Church of England; had six wives.
- ◆ Elizabeth I — Protestant queen; defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
- ◆ Queen Victoria — reigned 1837–1901, the height of the British Empire.
- ◆ The monarch today is head of state but does not run the government.