The Monarch's Cyphers
There have been 12 Kings and Queens from 1715, when the Doggett's Coat and Badge Wager began to mark the accession of King George I, to 2023 when King Charles III was crowned. Each Monarch has their own cypher, which will be flown by a craft in the Coronation to Coronation Pageant.
Here are the cyphers, and a little more information about each monarch, courtesy of https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/KingsQueensofBritain/
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GEORGE I 1714 -1727
Son of Sophia and the Elector of Hanover, great-grandson of James I. The 54 year old George arrived in England able to speak only a few words of English. The conduct of national policy was left to the government of the time with Sir Robert Walpole becoming Britain’s first Prime Minister.
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GEORGE II 1727 – 1760
Only son of George I. He was more English than his father, but still relied on Sir Robert Walpole to run the country. George was the last English king to lead his army into battle at Dettingen in 1743.
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GEORGE III 1760 – 1820
He was a grandson of George II and the first English-born and English-speaking monarch since Queen Anne. His reign was one of elegance but he suffered from a mental illness and his son ruled as Prince Regent after 1811 until George’s death. During his reign, the American Colonies proclaimed their independence on July 4th 1776.
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GEORGE IV 1820 – 1830
Known as the ‘First Gentleman of Europe’, he had a love of art and architecture. He married twice, once in 1785 to Mrs. Fitzherbert, and then in 1795 to Caroline of Brunswick. Caroline and George had one daughter, Charlotte in 1796 but she died in 1817.
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WILLIAM IV 1830 – 1837
Known as the ‘Sailor King’, he was the third son of George III. Before his accession he lived with Mrs. Jordan, an actress, by whom he had ten children. He married Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg in 1818 to secure the succession, and had two daughters but they did not live. During his reign Britain abolished slavery in the colonies in 1833.
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VICTORIA 1837 – 1901
Victoria was the only child of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Edward Duke of Kent, fourth son of George III. In 1840 she married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg. She had nine children, 40 grand-children and 37 great-grandchildren, scattered all over Europe. Her reign saw the British Empire double in size.
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EDWARD VII 1901 – 1910
A much loved king, he loved horse-racing, gambling and women. Edward married Alexandra of Denmark in 1863 and they had six children. His horse Minoru won the Derby in 1909
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GEORGE V 1910 – 1936
George had not expected to be king, but when his elder brother died he became the heir-apparent. He joined the Navy as a cadet in 1877 and loved the sea. In 1893 he married Princess Mary of Teck. In 1932 he began the royal broadcasts on Christmas Day.
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EDWARD VIII June 1936 – abdicated December 1936
Edward was the most popular Prince of Wales Britain has ever had. Edward abdicated in favour of his brother and took the title, Duke of Windsor. He went to live abroad.
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GEORGE VI 1936 – 1952
George was very popular and well loved by the British people. George was in close touch with the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill throughout the war and both had to be dissuaded from landing with the troops in Normandy on D-Day. The post-war years of his reign were ones of great social change and saw the start of the National Health Service.
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ELIZABETH II 1952 – 2022
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London on 21 April 1926. She married her cousin Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and they had four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 was the first to be televised.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral on 8th September 2022 at the age of 96. She was the longest reigning monarch in the history of the United Kingdom, celebrating her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022.
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King Charles III 2022 –
Charles succeeded to throne at the age of 73, taking the title King Charles III, his wife Camilla becoming Queen Consort. Charles is the oldest heir apparent to succeed to the British throne. |
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