British Culture - User contributions [en]

Richard I

2010-05-29T13:03:18Z

Vonmam9q:

1157 - 1199. King of England: 1189 - 1199. Nicknamed "Richard the Lionheart".

Richard I

Richard I was born at Oxford on 8 September 1157 and belonged to the House of Plantagenets.
He had famous parents namely, Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Richard had several brothers, of whom John( later he was called John Lackland) was well-known.
His father, Henry II, gave the order to kill Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170.

When his father Henry II died in 1189 he was disappointed and broken by his sons Richard and John. They had fought against him supporting their feudal overlord, the French king.
After his father’s death Richard I succeeded to the throne and became King of England.
Richard was known as a brave man and he spent more time abroad than being present in his own country.
Until today he is knwon under his nickname “Lionheart“, Coeur de Lion in French, which shows the strong French influence in the cultural environment of the English people.
He is also known as a musician and a poet.

In 1191 Richard met Princess Berengaria of Navarre in South Italy and married her a month later in Cyprus. Shortly after the marriage he continued the third crusade and on his way back he was set prisoner by the duke Leopold of Austria in Dürnstein Castle.

Richard stayed there for two years until England could pay the ransom. Soon after he was liberated he died in battle in France of blood poisoning on 6 April 1199.
His mother Eleanor of Aquitaine was with him and he was buried in the abbey church at Fontevraud, but his heart is one of the relics in Rouen Cathedral.

Richard Lionheart became a legend e.g. the role he plays in the Robin Hood stories wherein he is the good king. The sheriff of Nottingham “cooperates“ with John Lackland.

1. Harvey, John: ''The Plantagenets''. London 1959.
2. McDowall, David: ''An illustrated History of Britain''. Harlow: Longman, 1989.

Mary II

2010-05-03T13:44:05Z

Vonmam9q:

1662-94. The oldest child of [[James II]] and his first wife Lady [[Anne Hyde]].

Mary II was born in London on April 30th 1662. She was brought up a Protestant and was very young - only fifteen - when she was married to her cousin, William of Orange (later [[William III]]), in 1677. As Mary's father, James II, tried to re-catholise England more and more, Mary and William were asked for help. Thus William "invaded" England on November the 5th in 1688. In 1689, Mary became Queen, joint sovereign with her husband. She acted as William's mouthpiece in his European absences and had great influence concerning e.g. ecclesiastical issues.

The coronation of William and Mary was one of the greatest events in the British royal history. It took place in London on April 11th 1689 and included a huge ceremonial act. Never before was there anything like this in the British Monarchy before. The coronation of Mary II and her husband was so special because both got the royal title and were sovereigns wearing royal insignia.

The couple reigned both and were often shown together on paintings. Mary was known as a very loyal wife to William and became a popular figure for the people of the Netherlands as well as of the country of her birth. She was especially loved by the people for her caring attitude towards sick and wounded people. The opening of the [[Royal Naval Hospital]] in Greenwich stands for this character trait. She was brought up in a very religious way and always had in mind that she might be punished by God for what she did.

Mary II died at the age of 32 of smallpox in London on December 28th 1694. Her husband William seemed to have missed her after her death and is said to have deeply mourned for her.

Mary and William had no children, thus the crown went on to her sister [[Anne I|Anne]] after William's death in 1702.

== Sources ==
* Kenyon, J.P.: ''The Stuarts.'' London, 1972.
* McDowall, David: ''An illustrated History of Britain.'' Harlow: Longman, 1989.
* Wende, Peter (Hg.): ''Englische Könige und Königinnen Von Heinrich VII. bis Elisabeth II.'' München 1998.
* ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/367538/Mary-II)
* ''The Companion to British History''

Mary II

2010-05-02T08:24:06Z

Vonmam9q:

lived from 1662-94 and was the oldest child of [[James II]] and his first wife Lady [[Anne Hyde]].

Mary was brought up a Protestant and married William of Orange (later [[William III]]), her cousin, in 1677. As Mary's father tried to re-catholise England more and more, Mary and William were asked for help. Thus William "invaded" England on November the 5th in 1688. In 1689, Mary became Queen, joint sovereign with her husband respectively. She acted as William's mouthpiece in his European absences and had great influence concerning e.g. ecclesiastical issues.

----
sources: ''The Companion to British History''; ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' ([http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/367538/Mary-II])

Mary II

Mary II was born in London on April 30th 1662. She was very young when she was married to William (only fifteen years). She and William had no children, thus the crown went on to her sister Anne after William’s death in 1702.
Anne I was born in London on February 6th 1665 and reigned until her death on August 1st 1714.

Mary II and William III ( Prince of Orange) married in 1677 and reigned in the Netherlands up to their coronation in London in 1689.
This year was a very special one for the couple because after they were asked to take over the crown of Mary’s weak father James II they received the title King and Queen of England.

The coronation of William and Mary was one of the greatest events in the British royal history. It took place in London on April 11th 1689 and included a huge ceremonial act. Never before was there anything like this in the British Monarchy before.
The coronation of Mary II and her husband was so special because both got the royal title and were sovereigns wearing royal insignia.

The couple reigned both and were often shown together on paintings. Mary was known as a very loyal wife to William and became a popular figure for the people of the Netherlands as well as of the country of her birth.
She was especially loved by the people for her caring attitude towards sick and wounded people. The opening of the navy hospital in Greenwich stands for this character trait.
She was brought up in a very religious way and always had in mind that she might be punished by god for what she did.

Mary II, Queen of England, died at the age of 32 of smallpox in London on December 28th 1694.
Her husband William seemed to have missed her after her death and is said to have deeply mourned for her.

Sources:

1. Kenyon, J.P.: The Stuarts. London, 1972.
2. McDowall, David: An illustrated History of Britain. Harlow: Longman, 1989.
3. Wende, Peter (Hg.): Englische Könige und Königinnen Von Heinrich VII. bis Elisabeth II. München 1998.