Naming/Numbering of English/British Monarchs

[kellineil]

Pre 1066 it was the usual practice in England to distinguish between different monarchs with the same name by means of a nickname relating to their rule instead of a number eg: Edward the Martyr and Edward the Confessor. After 1066 England slowly took up the continental practice of numbering their monarchs, although for a time they also kept giving them nicknames eg William I the Conqueror and William II Rufus and William III

Suppose the English retained the practice of using nicknames instead of numbering their monarchs. What would the nicknames of monarchs have been? Assume that no other changes take place other than this one minor change

We already have:

William the Conqueror
William Rufus
Henry Curtmantle (II)
Richard the Lionheart
John Lackland (I)
Edward Longshanks/Hammer of the Scots

You could have

Elizabeth the Virgin (I)
Henry the Great (V)

After the Union of the Crowns
Charles the Tyrant (I)
James the Catholic (II)

After the Act of Union
George the German (I)
George the Mad (III)

any thoughts?

[Grey Wolf]

Elizabeth the Glorious ?

She was known as Gloriana IIRC

- - -

James the Steadfast ?

for James I

- - -

William the Orange ?

I know he WASN'T but maybe it would still work ?


Best Regards
Grey Wolf

[Thande]

It doesn't seem that likely because the Normans thought the numbering was Continental fashion and all the rage. But let's think about it anyway.

Bear in mind that, aside from John Lackland, the English have never really gone in for insulting nicknames for kings after their deaths (in contrast to the French), and George III was quite popular with the people (at least after the the 1760s).

[larpsidekick]

Not sure Henry V gets the Great - it was Edward III who was the man until the C18th Whig Historians got a downer on him. How about

William the Conquerer
William Rufus
Henry Beauclerc
Stephen the Kindly
Henry Curthose (and Henry the Young King)
Richard Lionheart
John Lackland
Henry the Pious
Edward Longshanks
Edward the Abdicator
Edward the Great
Richard the Unjust
Henry Far-travelled
Henry the Victor
Henry the Learned
Edward the twice King
Edward the Boy King
Richard the Murderer
Henry the Redeemer

[Susano]

*coughbutterflycough*
Ah, sorry, sore throat

[Tyr]

Hopefully it works this time:

Will the next one be Charles (I will never call him George) the adulterer? the hippy? the murderer? the cup?

[Susano]

Originally Posted by Leej

Hopefully it works this time:

Will the next one be Charles (I will never call him George) the adulterer? the hippy? the murderer? the cup?

WTF? Seriously...

[Lord Grattan]

I do like calling Elizabeth I "The Glorious". Both Victoria and Elizabeth II could appropriatly be called "The Majestic".

Since not all monarchs are remembered fondly, here are a few negative royal appendages:

James II/VII, "The Arrogant"
George IV, "The Fat" or "The Rotund"
Edward VIII, "The Vain"

[ImperialVienna]

Originally Posted by Lord Grattan

I do like calling Elizabeth I "The Glorious". Both Victoria and Elizabeth II could appropriatly be called "The Majestic".

Since not all monarchs are remembered fondly, here are a few negative royal appendages:

James II/VII, "The Arrogant"
George IV, "The Fat" or "The Rrotund"
Edward VIII, "The Vain"

I think Elizabeth II should be Elizabeth the Majestic, and Victoria should be perhaps Victoria the Empress or her RL nickname, Victoria, the Grandmother of Europe.

[Archdevil]

Charles (I) 'the headless'?

[False Dmitri]

Bloody Mary, naturally.

Henry the Reformer for Henry 8, even though he really wasn't. But some sort of religion-based nickname.

[Tyr]

Seriously I don't think negative names would really work in many circumstances except for the obvious like Richard III.
The suceeding monarch in most cases is afterall the last one's son/daughter or something similar, they aren't going to like their relative being spoken of so ill.

[MrP]

Originally Posted by Susano

WTF? Seriously...

Beats me. Maybe Leej is trying to get across the "popular" view of Charles as involved in Diana's death - but since that view is pretty much held only by Fayed and (part of?) the readership of The Daily Express, it'll take a lot for it to gain prominence. To address each in turn, though -

the adulterer? Maybe; it is accurate.
the hippy? While he has an estimable interest in selling organic produce, and is worried by "grey goo", much to the chagrin of Thande and others, he is not going to get the label hippy while he hunts, and is happy for his kids to be blooded at their first kill. Not unless people go mad! Then again, if Barack Obama can be called a communist in America . . . I withdraw my objection.
the murderer? - Bah! See above.
the cup? Eh? Empty vessel reference?

Personally, if we're going to name the (prospective) future George VII something else, it'd be George the Weak, I expect. Almost nobody has a high opinion of the man. Or maybe some reference to his having waited years to inherit the throne.

[Tyr]

Originally Posted by MrP

the cup? Eh? Empty vessel reference?
.

Just look at the man. He resembes the FA Cup

[Chris S]

Originally Posted by MrP

Personally, if we're going to name the (prospective) future George VII something else, it'd be George the Weak, I expect. Almost nobody has a high opinion of the man. Or maybe some reference to his having waited years to inherit the throne.

....George the Late?

[MrP]

Originally Posted by Leej

Just look at the man. He resembes the FA Cup

Ah, I see!

Originally Posted by Chris S

....George the Late?

Aye, that could work.