Edward
/ˈɛdwəd
/1The name of six kings of England and also one of Great Britain and Ireland and one of the United Kingdom:
1.1 Edward I (1239–1307), son of Henry III, reigned 1272–1307; known as the Hammer of the Scots. His campaign against Prince Llewelyn ended with the annexation of Wales in 1284, but he failed to conquer Scotland, where resistance was led by Sir William Wallace and later Robert the Bruce.
1.2 Edward II (1284–1327), son of Edward I, reigned 1307–27. In 1314 he was defeated by Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn. In 1326 Edward’s wife, Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger de Mortimer, invaded England; Edward was deposed in favour of his son and murdered.
1.3 Edward III (1312–77), son of Edward II, reigned 1327–77. In 1330 he took control of his kingdom, banishing Isabella and executing Mortimer. He supported Edward de Baliol, the pretender to the Scottish throne, and started the Hundred Years War.
1.4 Edward IV (1442–83), son of Richard, Duke of York, reigned 1461–83. He became king after defeating the Lancastrian Henry VI. Edward was briefly forced into exile in 1470-1 by the Earl of Warwick but regained his position with victory at Tewkesbury in 1471.
1.5 Edward V (1470-circa 1483), son of Edward IV, reigned 1483 but not crowned. Edward and his brother Richard (known as the Princes in the Tower) were probably murdered and the throne was taken by their uncle, Richard III.
1.6 Edward VI (1537–53), son of Henry VIII, reigned 1547–53. His reign saw the establishment of Protestantism as the state religion.
1.7 Edward VII (1841–1910), son of Queen Victoria, reigned 1901–10. Although he played little part in government on coming to the throne, his popularity helped revitalize the monarchy.
1.8 Edward VIII (1894–1972), son of George V, reigned 1936 but not crowned. Edward abdicated eleven months after coming to the throne in order to marry the American divorcee Mrs Wallis Simpson.
