Medieval Monarchs in Our Family Tree

Three years ago when my grand-daughter was studying medieval England at school I was asked about the medieval queens that she had heard were in our family tree. I added a number of posts about the queens and helped her make her costume for the medieval history day at school.

This year my grandson was doing the medieval history unit so I have now added information about the medieval kings in the family. He was especially interested in kings who fought battles which covered all of them.  Eventually he decided to call himself Edward I as he was known as the warrior king. Fortunately his mother's father helped him make a suit of armour for the event.

It is not unusual for families to be able to trace their family trees back to medieval monarchs, however having such connections is a good way to interest the younger generation in history. 

Medieval monarchs who ruled England from the arrival of William the Conqueror in 1066 until the death of Richard III in 1485 belonged to Norman or Plantagenet (also known as Angevin) dynasties. 

William the Conqueror and Henry I were Normans. From Henry II to Edward III the kings were known as Plantagenets. 

Rulers from the House of Lancaster and the House of York then ruled England until the death of Richard III before the arrival of the Tudors.

Medieval kings in our family tree include:

William the Conqueror (ruled from 1066 to 1087)
m. Matilda of Flanders
my 28th great grandparents

Henry I (ruled 1100 to 1135 after the death of his brother, Rufus)
m.Matilda of Scotland
my 27th great grandparents

Matilda (daughter of Henry I should have been Queen but was usurped by her cousin, Stephen)
m. Geoffrey of Anjou
my 26th great grandparents

Henry II (son of Maltilda ruled after the death of his uncle from 1154 to 1189)
m. Eleanor of Aquitaine
my 25th great grandparents

John (ruled from 1100 to 1216 after the death of his brother, Richard)
m. Isabella of Angoulême
my 24th great grandparents

Henry III (ruled from 1216 to 1272)
m. Eleanor of Provence
my 23rd great grandparents

Edward I (ruled from 1272 to 1307)
m. Eleanor of Castille
my 22nd great grandparents

Edward II (ruled from 1307 to 1327)
m. Isabella of France
my 21st great grandparents

Edward III (ruled from 1327 to 1377)
m. Philippa of Hainault
my 20th great grandparents

 Two posts in this blog provide information about discovering this aspect of our family story - Family legend  and Royalty in the family