Best British Monarch?

Best English/British Monarch?

  • William I

    Votes: 1 1.3%
  • Victoria

    Votes: 16 20.8%
  • Edward I

    Votes: 4 5.2%
  • Henry V

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Henry VII

    Votes: 10 13.0%
  • Elizabeth I

    Votes: 14 18.2%
  • Henry VIII

    Votes: 2 2.6%
  • Edward III

    Votes: 4 5.2%
  • Other? Specify.

    Votes: 13 16.9%
  • Henry II

    Votes: 5 6.5%
  • George III

    Votes: 2 2.6%
  • William III

    Votes: 4 5.2%
  • Edward IV

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • James I

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Henry I

    Votes: 2 2.6%

  • Total voters
    77
  • Poll closed .
To define British-

William I to Victoria (seeing as this is the before 1900 section). I have left out the Anglo-Saxon monarchs because of the fundamental differences in structure, language, and other factors between them and their Norman successors.

This does not include Scottish monarchs that were not also monarchs of England. I apologize for naming it British, but I felt that to be more appropriate than English, considering the state of affairs after the Union.

Cromwells are not included. They do not fit my personal definition of a monarch.

I'll probably have to add more to the list: I am happy to do so, just specify. The responses I've laid out to start with are some that just came to mind for me as great monarchs/popularly considered great by many. I could very well be forgetting someone obvious.
 
It's kinda hard to compare the likes of George III and Victoria to earlier medieval/renaissance rulers, given the vastly different roles monarchs were expected to play in different time periods.

A scattering of mildly incoherent thoughts follow...

Definitely not Henry VIII. He plunged his realm into religious turmoil in pursuit of Anne Boleyn, had some paranoid and/or wrathful tendencies that eventually cut a swathe through England's nobility/ruling classes (with the execution of his 60-something cousin Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, being particularly egregious), engaged in rather fruitless warring on the continent and was terrible on a personal level.

Did Henry V have any non-military achievements? I'm not sure his success in France is enough to make him England's best monarch, especially given everything there fell apart relatively quickly in the reign of his son.

Henry II's reign is tainted by the Becket affair and his clashes with his sons.

Edward III kinda lived too long- long enough to see the military failures and domestic strife of his later years, as well as the Black Prince's death. You have to weigh up to what extent this detracts from his earlier successes.

Edward I similarly had some troubles during his later years.

George III is an interesting option. I know he remained relatively popular in life, but surely you can't call someone who spent a significant portion of his reign insane Britain's best monarch? There's also the ARW, though I'm not sure to what extent you can hold that against him.

My Ricardian and Yorkist sympathies leave me with something of a personal distaste for Henry VII. Though I suppose you have to give him some credit- he was a long-exiled Welsh nobody with a very slim claim to the throne who nevertheless managed to become king, face down numerous challenges to his authority (Simnel and Lincoln, Perkin), and successfully establish a dynasty.

Elizabeth had a pretty volatile personality, and her caginess regarding the succession could have turned out badly.

William obviously also clashed with Curthose and left a somewhat messy succession, but managing to impose a new regime on England is a major achievement.

Henry I arguably deserves at least a place on the poll, though the succession kerfuffle after his death could count against him.

My incredibly non-committal conclusion is either William, Henry II, Edward I, or Edward III. Though that seemingly gives me a medieval-looking bias.
 
I think the polls need to be split pre and post Glorious Revolution as James II was the last King to rule rather than reign. As to the poll I think Edward I, he was the last English King to make a successful, permanent conquest.
 
James VI for setting the theme of it and British rather than English I suppose. Otherwise it might have easily been English monarchs all the way forward. If it was called the United Kingdom of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland after all.
 
Alfred the great- the creator of England, the saviour of England, founder of the Royal Navy. No other monarch of the British isles comes close.
I'm surprised he wasn't on the list; typically, the list is restricted to English monarchs post Norman conquest.
I thought Boudicca might get a Guernsey too.
 
Boudicca wasn't an English or British monarch she was a tribal leader. But Alfred is absolutely the outstanding English King.
 
Most Important English Monarchs--Alfred, William I, and Henry the VIII. Note only one of those would qualify as good rulers.

Best Monarchs

Edward the IV not being included on your short list is a travesty. If his brother not screwed up the succession, (and that can't be put at his feet), we would think of the Wars of the Roses as ending in 1471. I'm not sure I'd put him first, but him and Elizabeth and Eddy no 3, and maybe Henry the 7th are the ones vying.

Seriously--You put two friggin crazy people (George the 3rd, Henry the 8th) on the list but not him.
 
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And of course, the man who reconquered York and became the first King of the whole of England, Aethestan the Forgotten hasn't been mentioned.
 
Adding William III, Edward IV, and James I.

I have clarified in my previous post already why there are no Anglo-Saxon monarchs of England on here. If someone wishes to do one with them, you are free to. I don't have this poll copyrighted.
 
>can’t vote for Canute the Great

Why even vote

On a serious note, probably Vicky for modern monarchs and mayyybe Elizabeth for earlier on? I need to study up on medieval Britain more.
 

Skallagrim

Banned
Discounting earlier local kings I can understand, but pretty much every list ever made counts Alfred the Great as the first King of England. Not starting with him is just... wrong.

And I want to vote for him, because he's awesome. Got things done. :cool:
 
Henry Beauclerc?
Removed his incompetent brother, regained Normandy, created peace with all his neighbour kingdoms, and got his nobles to accept Matilda as his heir (didn't stick after his death but that's not his fault).
 
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