In chronological order (because otherwise what’s the point?):
1. Æthelstan, King of the English
Unlike Alfred the Great, who was arguably King of Wessex and therefore not a King of England, Æthelstan ruled all the Anglo Saxon kingdoms, including York. He was a warrior and legal reformer, making the idea of “England” a reality.
2. William the Conqueror
Won the Battle of Hastings, enough said.
3. Henry II
Controlled not only England, but parts of Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Anjou, Aquitaine, etc. Brought relative stability to England after the Anarchy.
1. Athelstan - First king of England 2. William the Conqueror- other first. 3. Henry II - laws, land, & he's interesting 4. Edward III- warrior. 5. Elizabeth I - obvious.
Henry II, Edward I, Edward III, Henry V (I’m a medievalist so I’m staying in my lane here)
Ruthless, calculating, belligerent, expansionist. Everything a top-tier medieval monarch (and apparently 21st century wannabe dictators…?) were expected to be.
1. Alfred the Great 2. Edward III. 3. Cnut 4. William the Conqueror 5. Edward 1
I’m going hands on rulers not afraid to get their hands dirty - rather than Vic/George/Elizabeth who can only really claim longevity and the achievements of their subjects
The Bottom
1. Richard II 2. John 3. Stephen 4. Henry VI 5. Charles I
Ed 2 although a bit of a disaster - seemed like a nice bloke - so is excused from the list
1. Alfred the Great (I know he wasn’t the king of Britain or even England, but he held onto Wessex; otherwise, there might never have been an England.)
2. Athelstan (for bringing it all together)
3. Henry VII (for bringing peace)
4. George VI (for taking on a role he never hoped for - or perhaps even wanted - and doing an amazing job of it)
At the time of the monument’s creation, those four men might have been seen as almost demigods. We have the benefit of hindsight in knowing that they had many flaws. Nevertheless, I think it is fair to draw on some similarities.
William I: The father of a nation. This seems the most fitting.
Henry II: Thomas Jefferson also got half his realm from the French, and neither man is exactly a moral beacon.
Edward I: A dynamic nation-builder who embodies growth and expansion. Like Roosevelt, his actions weren’t always virtuous—his campaigns against the Scots and expulsion of Jews leave a mixed legacy—but his vision for England’s development was undeniable.
Edward III: Edward III’s victories during the early Hundred Years’ War, particularly at Crécy, bolstered England’s confidence and international standing. While not a unifier in the same way as Lincoln, Edward III ensured England’s survival and pride through strong leadership in challenging times.
Mount Shitmore:
- John - Less said the better
- Edward V - never stood a chance
- Edward VIII - Does he even count? Secret nazifile
- Richard II - Early promise with the peasants revolt undone with general shithousery later on
That was going to be my approach but I think Richard 3 should be up there too. Do I need to say why?!!
1. Henry II, 2. Edward I, 3. Edward III, 4. Henry V ... I'm firmly in Camp Platagenet!
1. AEthelstan - Royal rumble winner of 937
2. Edward III - Fun times with France
3. Richard I - Invented remote working
4. William the Conqueror - Kept the embroidery trade busy
Royal rumble 😂😂
1. Henry II
2. Edward IV
3. Henry VII
4. Queen Elizabeth II
However, if we could chose non-monarchs, it would be Sir William Marshall, Thomas Beckett, Winston Churchill, and John of Gaunt.
Might be the greatest line up!
In chronological order (because otherwise what’s the point?):
1. Æthelstan, King of the English
Unlike Alfred the Great, who was arguably King of Wessex and therefore not a King of England, Æthelstan ruled all the Anglo Saxon kingdoms, including York. He was a warrior and legal reformer, making the idea of “England” a reality.
2. William the Conqueror
Won the Battle of Hastings, enough said.
3. Henry II
Controlled not only England, but parts of Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Anjou, Aquitaine, etc. Brought relative stability to England after the Anarchy.
4. Elizabeth I
Golden Age, enough said.
I’m going for an all-female line up.
Because Women Rock (no pun intended! 🤣) !!
1. Elizabeth I
2. Anne - I think she gets a bad rap - she deserves a place for having endured and survived SEVENTEEN pregnancies alone!
3. Victoria
4. Elizabeth II
1. Athelstan - First king of England 2. William the Conqueror- other first. 3. Henry II - laws, land, & he's interesting 4. Edward III- warrior. 5. Elizabeth I - obvious.
Henry II, Edward I, Edward III, Henry V (I’m a medievalist so I’m staying in my lane here)
Ruthless, calculating, belligerent, expansionist. Everything a top-tier medieval monarch (and apparently 21st century wannabe dictators…?) were expected to be.
Henry I - not a nice man but an effective monarch
Henry V - could he have been the best medieval monarch?
Richard III - shut up, it’s my pick ok?
Anne of Cleves - my favourite of The Six. She really stuck it to old fatty
My picks would be...
1. Richard I Coeur de Lion
2. Edward I Longshanks
3. Edward III
4. Henry V
If I could add a fifth face it'd be Edward IV and if i could veto a face it'd be Henry VIII cos he gets far too much of the history limelight!
1. Henry II - he won Rex Factor which should always be considered, but also the Angevin empire!
2. Henry V - Agincourt, plus a chance to get a signed copy of Dan’s book!
3. Charles II - we wouldn’t still have a monarchy if Cromwell had his way
4. Alfred the Great - I was going to list someone more modern, but he’s the only English monarch with “the Great” as an epithet so he’s gotta be here!
1. Alfred the Great 2. Edward III. 3. Cnut 4. William the Conqueror 5. Edward 1
I’m going hands on rulers not afraid to get their hands dirty - rather than Vic/George/Elizabeth who can only really claim longevity and the achievements of their subjects
The Bottom
1. Richard II 2. John 3. Stephen 4. Henry VI 5. Charles I
Ed 2 although a bit of a disaster - seemed like a nice bloke - so is excused from the list
1. Alfred the Great (I know he wasn’t the king of Britain or even England, but he held onto Wessex; otherwise, there might never have been an England.)
2. Athelstan (for bringing it all together)
3. Henry VII (for bringing peace)
4. George VI (for taking on a role he never hoped for - or perhaps even wanted - and doing an amazing job of it)
1. Henry VIII. Not a fan but he has to be there.
2. Victoria. Not a fan but she has to be there. I see a trend here......
3. Henry V. Dan's book explains why.
4. Elizabeth I. Arguably England's greatest monarch. Best Queen for sure and I'll fight anyone who says different 🤣
At the time of the monument’s creation, those four men might have been seen as almost demigods. We have the benefit of hindsight in knowing that they had many flaws. Nevertheless, I think it is fair to draw on some similarities.
William I: The father of a nation. This seems the most fitting.
Henry II: Thomas Jefferson also got half his realm from the French, and neither man is exactly a moral beacon.
Edward I: A dynamic nation-builder who embodies growth and expansion. Like Roosevelt, his actions weren’t always virtuous—his campaigns against the Scots and expulsion of Jews leave a mixed legacy—but his vision for England’s development was undeniable.
Edward III: Edward III’s victories during the early Hundred Years’ War, particularly at Crécy, bolstered England’s confidence and international standing. While not a unifier in the same way as Lincoln, Edward III ensured England’s survival and pride through strong leadership in challenging times.
Here goes my list:
Edward I - the tallest English king should definitely be there even if you couldn't really see his height
Henry II - for his influence on a legal system that daily and directly affects millions of lives
Henry VII - if it weren't for him, it’s quite possible there would have been chaos in the realm for many years
Richard I - the Lionheart for romance and ladies, sorry legends