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The most popular monarch revealed... and it is NOT King Charles III
When it comes to the biggest questions about British history, there is perhaps none more frequently asked than who were the best (and worst) monarchs. YouGov asked the public for their opinion.
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When it comes to the biggest questions about British history, there is perhaps none more frequently asked than who were the best (and worst) monarchs.
Over the years, historians have given their answers, but now YouGov has asked the British public for their opinion.
AÂ national poll asked punters to review 43 English, and then British, rulers since William the Conqueror, quizzing them if they knew them and, perhaps more importantly, if they view them 'favourably' or 'unfavourably'.
Although it seems most Brits should have been paying more attention in history class, the majority said either that they didn't know enough about them to give a view, or that they hadn't heard of them in the first place.
But English history lessons have paid off in some regards, as a particular focus on the Tudors has caused their familiarity scores to be higher than any, except the most modern kings and queens.Â
The data shows that kings and queens were perhaps a more popular subject in schools in decades gone by than now, as over-65s were the most likely to be familiar with just about every monarch on the list.
The poll also shows that Conservative voters typically hold the most net favourable opinion of each monarch, echoing similarities to separate YouGov polling, which shows they are consistently more in favour of the monarchy's existence.Â
Each monarch was given a 'net favourability' figure â the score you get when you take the number of people with a positive opinion and subtract the number with a negative one.
Here MailOnline ranks the kings and queens based on that figure. Hover over the numbers to reveal to reveal the monarchs remembered by history most fondly, and the who have left a haunting legacy.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the late Queen Elizabeth II was by far the most popular monarch.
This is down to the fact that 94% of people know who she is, with 84% viewing her favourably - only 10% being unfavourable.
Most people alive in Britain don't remember any other ruler than her, with her reign of 70 years and 214 days holding the record for the longest of any British monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II at a State Banquet in Kampala, Uganda on November 22, 2007
The most difficult part of her reign is usually regarded as the immediate aftermath of the death of her former daughter-in-law Princess Diana in 1997.Â
When the beloved ruler died in 2022, an estimated 250,000 members of the public queued to file past her coffin, and more than a million people lined the streets of London on her funeral.
Queen Victoria reigned for longer than any of her predecessors, eventually having the 'Victorian Era' named after her time on the throne.Â
She is seen as having rescued the monarchy from the contempt in which it was held for several decades before 1837, going on to become a grand unifying figure in a time when Britain dominated the globe.Â
Perhaps the most famous aspect of Queen Victoria was how after the early death of her beloved husband Prince Albert in 1861, she retired for many years from public life.
Queen Victoria reigned for longer than any of her predecessors, eventually having the 'Victorian Era' named after her time on the throneÂ
Portrait of Queen Victoria in her coronation robes and wearing the State Diadem
The monarch then proceeded to quash growing republicanism by establishing an emotional link with her subjects that no anti-monarchist could rival.Â
The Queen has stayed in the public consciousness in part because of her constant adaptations in TV and films, including The Young Victoria (2009), Her Majesty Mrs Brown (1997), Victoria and Abdul (2017) and Victoria (2016â2019).
Her technique of bonding with her subjects from afar would go on to be replicated by the modern royal family to this day.Â
The late Queen Elizabeth II's father, King George VI, was never meant to be king.
He only ascended the throne following the abdication of his brother Edward VIII as he wanted to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
George VI led Britain during the Second World War and his popularity soared after he stayed in the country and was seen enduring the hardships of the common people.Â
King George VI in his coronation robes in 1937. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth
But he was saddled with various illnesses throughout his life, with the war taking a toll on his health, until his penchant for smoking resulted in lung cancer and eventual death in 1952.
Although popular at the time of his death, his reputation has continued to be enhanced over the following 70 years - receiving a boost through the extraordinarily successful 2010 film The King's Speech.
It tackled directly the problem of the often crippling speech impediment that had dogged him for most of his life, but which had become especially problematic due to him having to give speeches when he unexpectedly became king.Â
She was the child of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
But despite her mother being beheaded when she was two, Elizabeth I would become one of the few medieval queens of England - famous for her pale white face and flowing red hair.Â
When she became queen at the age of 25, England was divided between the Protestants and the Catholics, while also under threat of invasion from Spain, France, and Scotland.
But Elizabeth I faced down the threats, and due to her steering of a successful course between Roman Catholicism and puritanism she avoided a bloody religious civil war, unlike France.
Elizabeth I, Queen of England and Ireland, 1558 to 1603 was the last Tudor monarch
Elizabeth I would become one of the few medieval queens of England - becoming famous for her pale white face and flowing red hair
In 1588 she was monarch during one of the greatest military victories in English history when the nation defied the Spanish Armada sent by Philip of Spain to invade and reinstate Catholicism.Â
Elizabeth's reign was termed the 'Elizabethan Era' and writers such as William Shakespeare flourished.
Upon her death in 1603, her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots' son James VI of Scotland completed the union of the Scottish and English crowns and became James I of England.
George V took to the throne at an alarming time for monarchs across Europe. Â
But he managed to help avert their fates by welcoming the Labour party into government when it won power in January 1924.
George V (1865-1936) with his wife, Mary of Teck (1867-1953) in their coronation robes in 1911
George V took to the throne at an alarming time for monarchs across Europe, but he managed to help avert their fates
The king was seen as the upholder of the national idea of fair play, similar to a cricket umpire, and could be depended upon to remain impartial.Â
He also became extremely popular with the public by becoming the first monarch to speak to his people via radio on Christmas in 1932, which would continued by every subsequent monarch. Â
Despite having a shorter reign than most on this list, Richard I, more commonly known as Richard the Lionheart, was gained a reputation as the most famous knight-errant of his age.
Unlike other monarchs, he spent only 10 months of his 10-year reign in England, instead choosing adventures where he could prove his military skill, chivalric virtues and generosity.
Standing at more than six feet tall, he was immensely strong, with blue eyes and reddish-gold hair.
King Richard I (1157-1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199
Richard, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was a commander in the third crusade (1189-92)
Richard was given the at the time impeccably religious motive for glory, fighting and pillage when he signed up for The Third Crusade (1189â92), which had the aim of retaking Jerusalem.
But he fell out with his fellow crusaders, and although he got within 12 miles of Jerusalem, he was not strong enough to recapture the city.
The adventurer's life was cut short when he died from gangrene contracted after being hit by a crossbow bolt while besieging a minor fort controlled by a viscount in France.
When it comes to net favourability, Charles III ranks seventh overall, with a net favourability score of +27.
Unsurprisingly well known amongst modern day Britons, his reputation took a severe hit following his well-publicised extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
King Charles III in Buckingham Palace on June 26, 2024
He was blamed by some members of the public for causing his first wife, Princess Diana, trauma by treating her poorly during the breakup of their marriage.
His biggest successes in charity work can be found in his organisation The Prince's Trust, but he is also the patron or president of more than 800 other charities and organisations.
The eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Edward VII became king in 1901 after spending almost 60 years as the Prince of Wales and heir apparent.
After being excluded from political influence during his mother's reign he threw himself into ruling.
Edward VII became a gregarious leader of London society, spending his time eating, drinking, gambling, shooting, watching racing and sailing
He fostered good relations between Britain and other European countries, especially France, for which he was popularly called 'Peacemaker', but his relationship with his nephew, German Emperor Wilhelm II, was poor.Â
Edward became a gregarious leader of London society, spending his time eating, drinking, gambling, shooting, watching racing and sailing.
He is regarded by some historians as the first truly constitutional British sovereign and the last sovereign to wield effective political power.
The first monarch on YouGov's poll list has also proven to be one of the more popular members.Â
The reign of William the Conqueror, sometimes known as William I, is often considered the starting point of England as a medieval European kingdom.
He was a brave, brutal, illiterate, but clever Norman warlord who attained historical immortality when he won the battle of Hastings in 1066.Â
William of Normandy ruled as the Duke of Normandy from 1035 to 1087 and as King William I of England from 1066 to 1087
William was a brave, brutal, illiterate, but clever Norman warlord who attained historical immortality when he won the battle of Hastings in 1066
Leading around 5,000 knights, he made himself master of a kingdom with perhaps 1.5million inhabitants.Â
The English ruling class was wiped out and its lands were taken over by the invaders, with French replacing English as the language of government.
He was able to pass on the throne to his sons and his more remote descendants, who hold it to this day.
Henry V's famous victory at Agincourt on 25 October 1415 has not proved as enduring as some might have thought.Â
Only 21% of Britons have a favourable view of the monarch who came within a hair's breadth of uniting England and France under his crown, although it is higher than the 11% with a negative opinion.Â
He was the last great warrior-king of the Middle Ages, and William Shakespeare drew an immortal picture of him as a leader who inspired his followers not just by his courage, but by mingling with them in the hours before the battle.Â
Henry VÂ was the last great warrior-king of the Middle Ages
Shakespeare's play helped create English patriotism in its most cheerful form: 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.'
But his luck ran out soon afterwards as he died of an illness at the age of 35, probably dysentery, which was contracted while besieging the town of Meaux.Â
His legacy is largely seen as a symbol of English military might and power due to his outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War.Â
Now the list is switching things up to discuss the five most unpopular monarchs.
Charles I, the fifth least popular, had a tenure marked by profound conflict, constitutional crisis, and ultimately, a tragic end.
He had an unshakeable belief in the divine right of kings to rule a country as they saw fit, but his stubbornness and disregard for Parliament led to the English Civil War in 1642, which eventually led to his capture, imprisonment, trial and execution.
Charles I, the fifth least popular, had a tenure marked by profound conflict, constitutional crisis, and ultimately, a tragic end
The conflict saw the rise of Oliver Cromwell, a military and political leader whose New Model Army played a crucial role in shaping the outcome of the war.Â
His execution in 1649 was an unprecedented event, as it marked the first time a reigning English monarch had been tried and executed by his own subjects.Â
Charles's brazen 1642 invasion of the House of Commons' chamber, a grave violation of the liberties of Parliament, and his unsuccessful attempt to arrest five MPs are commemorated annually at the ceremony for the State Opening of Parliament.Â
Also unpopular overall is Henry VIII's firstborn, Mary I â also known as Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants.Â
Unlike her brother and her younger sister, Elizabeth, Mary was a fanatic Catholic who sought to bring England back into the fold of the Roman Church by a zealous pursuit of religious conformity.
Mary was a fanatic Catholic who sought to bring England back into the fold of the Roman Church by a zealous pursuit of religious conformity
Her regime led to the persecution and execution of numerous Protestants, leaving a lasting and dark legacy as over 280 were burned at the stake during her five-year rule - earning her the nickname 'Bloody Mary'.Â
She also lost Calais, the last English possession on the mainland of France, in 1558, which was a significant blow to English prestige.
And despite all of her bloody attempts to return England to Catholicism, they were reversed after her death by her much more popular sister, the 'Virgin Queen' Elizabeth I.
The only modern monarch on the list of the most unpopular monarchs, Edward VIII famously abdicated during the first year of his reign (1936).
He was a playboy with very little interest in court protocols or the constitutional conventions of Britain.
Both his father, George V, and the country's prime minister, Stanley Baldwin, were worried that he would be a disastrous king.Â
Edward VIII (picture taken in 1915)Â was a playboy with very little interest in court protocols or the constitutional conventions of Britain
Edward and Wallis Simpson glumly pose for a portrait after their wedding at the Chateau de Candes, in Monts, France, on June 3, 1937
The men were proved them right when, after just 326 days on the throne, Edward VIII abdicated the throne after he became obsessed with his plan to marry the American divorcee, Wallace Simpson.
During the war, Edward was packed off to Barbados to be the island's Governor General to get him out of the way as he was suspected of being a Nazi sympathiser who could be a useful pawn for Adolf Hitler.
His younger brother, George VI (reign 1936-1952), and his daughter, the late Queen Elizabeth II (reign 1952-2022), both repeatedly refused to welcome him back so he and Wallis were forced to live out the rest of their lives exiled in France.Â
Although not technically a monarch, Oliver Cromwell is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history after becoming the nation's Lord Protector.Â
But he left an unfavourable legacy, with the 41% of Britons with a negative view of Cromwell almost twice as high as the number with a positive view (21%).Â
Cromwell was a Roundhead leader against the Royalists in the English Civil War, and became Lord Protector - effectively monarch and PM combined - after the execution of King Charles I in 1649.
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) was a soldier, statesman and leading parliamentarian in the English Civil Wars
Cromwell's reputation is controversial, with some praising his efforts to unite and modernise the country, while others accuse him of slaughtering Catholics in Ireland
His reputation is controversial, with some praising his efforts to unite and modernise the country, while others accuse him of slaughtering Catholics in Ireland.
Cromwell's body was removed from Westminster Abbey and re-hanged in 1661, then his head was cut off and displayed on the roof of Westminster Hall until at least 1684.
The debate over his historical reputation continues to this day, with Winston Churchill describing him as a military dictator, while others view him as hero of liberty.
When it comes to the most unpopular royal, the famously six-time married Henry VIII proved to be the king of all kings.
He is the only one for whom a majority of the population (59%) have a negative opinion. And perhaps for obvious reasons, he is more unpopular among women (65%).Â
Just 17% of Britons have a favourable view of the man who started the English Reformation.
Henry VIII has been proved to be the king of all kings when it comes to the most unpopular royal
His unpopularity has been caused by his reputation as a foul-tempered, gluttonous, bloodthirsty tyrant who ordered the executions of two of the women who had the misfortune to marry him.
As well as his unfortunate wives, Henry had an estimated 57,000 people executed during his 36-year reign.
And despite acquiring vast wealth after dissolving the monasteries after breaking with the Catholic Church, his extravagant lifestyle and fondness for foreign wars brought England to the verge of bankruptcy on several occasions.
The King has stayed in the public consciousness in part because of her constant adaptations in TV and films, including The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), The Tudors (2007-2010), Firebrand (2023) starring Jude Law, and most recently Wolf Hall (2024).
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