Anne Boleyn was born to an aristocratic family in Blickling Hall, Norfolk, England. In 1513, Archduchess Margaret of Austria invited Anne to join her wards in Mechelen (today in Belgium) and expand her knowledge. She studied arithmetic, grammar, reading, writing, history, and her family genealogy. The following year, Anne traveled to France as a maid of honor to King Henry VIII’s sister, Queen Mary, and later to the queen’s stepdaughter Queen Claude. During her six years in France, she developed interests in poetry, literature, and religious philosophy, leading her to explore religious reform. In 1522, Anne returned to England and made her royal court début, serving as lady-in-waiting to Henry VIII’s wife, Catherine of Aragon. With her distinguished fashion style and vitality, she soon became an accomplished member of the court and the center of attention at every social gathering. She had many pursuers and even was briefly engaged to the son of the Earl of Northumberland, Henry Percy. In 1526, Anne caught the attention of the king, who began to court her. She refused to become one of his mistresses and declined a sexual relationship with him without marriage. Despite his marriage to Catherine, the king proposed, and she accepted. By then, Henry and Catherine had been married for 17 years and had only one living child, Mary I; Henry became doubtful about the marriage’s validity. Before marrying Henry, Catherine was married to his older brother, Arthur, who died at 15, only a few months after their wedding. Since the teenage newlywed didn’t consummate their marriage, Catherine could marry Henry. But now, wanting to marry Anne, Henry concluded that Catherine probably lied and consummated the marriage with his brother, causing a punishment from God that did not give him a male successor. In 1527, Henry asked Pope Clement VII to annul his marriage with Catherin and to permit him to marry Anne. Figuring his request would be approved within a few months, Anne became more dominant in the court and took her place at the king’s side in policy and state. Some sources say that at the time, she brought Henry a copy of William Tyndale’s book “Obedience of a Christian Man,” arguing that God’s words hold the supreme authority enshrined in the Bible and not the Pope. By 1532, the Pope did not approve the annulment, but Anne, who became the Marquess of Pembroke, was already pregnant. To legitimize her child as heir to the throne, Anne and Henry secretly wed on January 25th, 1533. Only five months later, Henry declared his marriage to Catherine illegal, stripping her title as queen, and sent her off the court. On June 1st, 1533, finally recognized as Henry’s legal wife, Anne was formally crowned Queen of England. This series of events ignited the Church of England’s reformation and independence in 1534 when Henry broke with the Roman Catholic Church and set himself as the Supreme Head of what would become the Church of England. That led to political and religious fighting and struggles in Britain for the next 200 years. Three months after their wedding, Anne gave birth to her daughter, which later became Elizabeth I of England. Henry was disappointed that once again he had a girl and not a boy to succeed to his throne, and after Anne’s miscarriage in the following year, the king gradually distanced himself from her. In 1536, Catherine of Aragon died, which meant that Henry was now free to marry without any suspicion of illegality. A few months later, Anne gave birth to a stillborn boy, and Henry, who was already in a relationship with Anne’s cousin and maids-of-honor, Jane Seymour, felt betrayed by Anne, accusing her of bewitching him. Looking for a way to get rid of Anne and remarry, Henry found people who claimed that while married to him, she had several affairs, including with her brother. Anne was trialed for treason, adultery, and incest and was unanimously convicted. On May 17th, 1536, Anne and Henry’s marriage was annulled, and two days later, Anne was executed in the Tower of London. Read more...

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London, England, the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York. Her father was King George V’s second son. In 1936, her uncle Edward VIII abdicated the throne, and her father was crowned King George VI, establishing her as the heir presumptive at the age of 10. She was educated at home, first by her governess and later by private tutors, such as the Vice-Provost of Eton College. After her father ascended the throne, her studies focused mainly on constitutional history and law, preparing her for her future role as Queen of England. At the height of the Blitz on London during WW2, the princess and her sister Margaret moved to Windsor Castle. There, she had her first radio broadcast, addressing children like her who had been evacuated from their homes and separated from their families. She began to take on royal duties and accompany her parents on official visits, and in 1943, she made her first public appearance inspecting the troops. When she turned 18, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, training alongside other British women to serve as driver and mechanic; she was the first woman in the royal family to become an active member of the Armed Forces. On her 21st birthday, on her first tour overseas, she addressed the British Commonwealth in a radio broadcast and pledged to devote her life to public service: “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” Elizabeth first met her future husband, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, when she was 8, and then again at 11. After their third meeting in 1939, they kept in touch and eventually fell in love. Despite her father’s disapproval (since Prince Philip was foreign-born, had no financial means, and one of his sisters was married to a German with Nazi connections), the couple married at Westminster Abbey on November 20th, 1947. The country was still recovering from the war, and Elizabeth, like most brides at the time, collected war ration coupons to pay for her wedding gown. Following the wedding, her husband took her name of Windsor, so their future children will carry the surname of the British royal family. The couple moved to Windlesham Moor and later to Clarence House in London, where in 1948, she gave birth to her first child Prince Charles. Two years later, her second child, Princess Anne, was born. In 1951, George VI’s health declined, and Elizabeth often took his place in public events and state occasions. While she and Prince Philip toured Australia and New Zealand, on February 6th, 1952, while on a stop in Kenya, her father died, and she became the queen. The young monarch immediately undertook all of her father’s routine duties but took some time to mourn and recover before being coronated. The coronation ceremony took place on November 4th, 1952, in Westminster Abbey; for the first time, it was broadcast on television, allowing people worldwide to witness the historic event. In 1953, the Queen and the Duke embarked on a six-month world tour of the Commonwealth, marking the first visit of a reigning British monarch to Australia and New Zealand. It was the first of hundreds of visits she took throughout her reign, becoming the most widely traveled head of state. She made many historical visits along the way, including the first royal tour to the Indian subcontinent in 50 years she did in 1961, the visit to West Germany post WW2 in 1965, the first reigning British monarch to visit South America in 1968, and the first to travel to the Republic of Ireland in 100 years in 2011. As a sovereign, the queen had many constitutional and representational duties, including hosting Heads of State and the annual garden parties for the people of Britain and the Commonwealth, confirming and awarding honorary titles, opening the session of Parliament, and supporting charities. She was the patron of over 600 charities and organizations, estimated to help raise more than £1.4 billion. By 2008, Queen Elizabeth surpassed Queen Victoria to become the longest-lived British monarch; on September 9th, 2015, she became the world’s longest-reigning British monarch, longest-reigning queen, and female head of state. During her 70 years of reign, she suffered many personal and political turmoils that affected her popularity and almost jeopardized the future of the monarchy, including the mining disaster in Wales in 1966, the recession of the early 80s, her delayed response to Princess Diana’s death, and various scandals made by her children. Still, in many ways, she was the symbol of England, admired by the English people, and deeply appreciated by leaders worldwide, as proven by the deep sorrow and the great respect she received when she passed away on September 8th, 2022, at the age of 96. Read more...

Mary Stuart was born at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland, the only legitimate child of James V of Scotland and his French wife, Mary of Guise. She was the great-niece of King Henry VIII of England. Six days after her birth, her father died, and she inherited the throne, being crowned Queen of Scots at nine months old. Because she was only an infant, her mother was assigned as regent until adulthood. As King Henry VIII of England wanted to gain control of Scotland, she was initially engaged to his son, Prince Edward. The nobility of Scotland, which at the time was a Catholic country, opposed the alliance with Protestant England and annulled the agreement. That led England to attack Scotland in what became known as The Rough Wooing. The Scots turned to France for protection, which resulted in the engagement of Mary to King Henry II of France’s eldest son, the Dauphin Francis. At six years old, Mary was sent to France, living in the French court for the next 13 years. In 1558, at 16, she married Francis. The following year, her husband crowned Francis II, and she became both the queen of Scotland and queen of France. A year later, her husband died, and the 18 years old widow returned to Scotland. While she was in France, Protestantism spread throughout Scotland and caused inner-state rivalries within the nobility. As a Roman Catholic, Mary had faced many challenges; with the support and assistance of her illegitimate Protestant half-brother, James, earl of Moray, she managed to rule the country and establish a policy of religious tolerance. In 1565, at 23, Mary married her cousin, Henry Stuart, Earl of Darnley. Soon after, she discovered that he conspired with Protestant nobles to get a hold of her throne. After witnessing him killing her closest secretary, six months pregnant, Mary decided to detach herself from him. In 1567, Darnley died in a mysterious explosion; her involvement in the incident was unclear. Three months later, Mary married James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell, her close confidant and the main suspect in her late husband’s death. The Scottish nobility did not approve of the marriage and rose against her. She lost an armed battle and was forced to abdicate her throne in favor of her infant son and imprisoned in Lochleven Castle, where she gave birth to still-born twins. In 1568, Mary escaped from the castle and raised a small army but was defeated. She fled to England, seeking the protection of her cousin Elizabeth I, but instead of getting help, Mary was imprisoned for the next 18 years. The Catholics in England wanted to put Mary on the throne instead of Protestant Elizabeth. Coded letters between Mary and her supporters were discovered in 1586, and she was brought to trial and was found guilty of treason. On February 8th, 1587, Mary got executed in Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire. She was 44 years old. Read more...

Margaret Thatcher was born in Lincolnshire, England, to a middle-class family of shopkeepers. Growing up, she was introduced to conservative politics by her father, a member of the town’s council, and formed her political tendencies and inspired her to become a Politician. She attended Huntingtower Road Primary School and later Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School. At 18, she got a scholarship to study at Somerville College, Oxford, earning a degree in chemistry. There, she was active in school politics, serving as president of the Conservative Association. After graduation, she moved to Colchester, where she worked as a research chemist. In 1950, at the age of 25, she relocated to London and made her first bid for public office, running as the Labour candidate for the Dartford parliamentary seat. Though she lost the election both in 1950 and in 1951, her nomination increased the local Conservative votes. At the time, she worked at J. Lyons & Co food company as a food scientist, testing the quality of ice creams and cake fillings. In 1951, she married Denis Thatcher and took some time off politics to study law. She passed the bar exams in 1954 while taking care of her newborn twins. Later on, she worked for a few years as a tax attorney. In 1959, 34 years old Thatcher made another attempt to enter the House of Commons, successfully winning the Conservative seat of Finchley district. Once in, she steadily climbed within the party. Within two years, she was appointed parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, becoming the youngest woman to receive such a post. In 1969, she was named chief opposition spokesman on education and then secretary of state for education and science. In this position, she advocated for making academic education available for working-class children. In 1975, at the age of 50, Thatcher, who was still low ranked in the party hierarchy, was elected Leader of the Conservative Party, becoming the first woman to lead a major political party in the UK and the first to serve as the opposition leader in the House of Commons. In the following year, she gave the Britain Awake speech, in which she attacked the Soviet Union and its policies, for which she was called the Iron Lady by the Soviet press, a nickname that stuck with her for the rest of her life. In 1979, Thatcher led the Conservative Party to win the general elections, becoming the first female prime minister in the UK. At the time, England was in political and economic turmoil, unemployment on the rise, and the government was nearly bankrupt. In her first term, she constructed a series of measures to eliminate governmental regulations and advance the independence of individuals from the state: increasing taxes on spending, privatizing state-owned industries such as public transport, social housing, water, gas, and electricity, reducing governmental expenses on social services including education and health care, and eliminating regulations of businesses. The result was a collapse of the manufacturing industry that led to an increase in unemployment by more than 20%. Thatcher’s popularity was in decline, but her firm approach during the Falklands War in 1982, in which Britain managed to retake the territory from Argentina, enabled her to win the 1983 elections. In her second term, Thatcher focused on applying legal restrictions on trade unions. She also formed an alliance with the US against the Soviet Union, presided over the independence of Zimbabwe, and opposed international sanctions against the apartheid regime of South Africa. Though she encountered criticism for her actions, she managed to gain popularity by supporting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and keeping the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent, which manifested in another victory in the 1987 elections. In her third term, Thatcher led a hostile approach toward the European Community (EC), believing that the European Union should be a free-trade area and not a political entity. This approach against the EC divided the party. This, and the violent street outbreaks caused by the implementation of fixed-rate local tax led to the resignation of numerous party members. In 1990, Thatcher won the party elections by a small margin and decided to resign as the party’s leader and prime minister. She remained a member of Parliament and continued to influence the party’s politics until the 1992 elections. Afterward, she received a life peerage as Baroness that entitled her to sit in the House of Lords. After retiring at 67, Thatcher began to write about her experiences as prime minister and a woman in politics. In addition, she gave lectures and established the Thatcher Foundation to promote political and economic freedom. Thatcher retired from public speaking after suffering a series of minor strokes in 2000, which led to progressive dementia. She died at the age of 87.   Dive deeper into the inspiring story of Margaret Thatcher with our fun and engaging printable worksheet! Available now on Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers. Read more...

Diana Frances Spencer was born at Park House near Sandringham, England, to an aristocratic family. For several generations, her family was close to the British royal family, and as a child, she used to play with Queen Elizabeth II’s sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. At 7, her parents divorced, and she lived with her father. In her early years, Diana was home-schooled, and later she attended Silfield Private School and then the Riddlesworth Hall School for girls and West Heath Girls’ School. At 16, she studied a semester at the Institut Alpin Videmanette in Switzerland. On her return to England, she settled in London, working in various low-paying jobs, including a dance instructor, nanny, kindergarten assistant, cleaning lady, and a hostess at parties. In 1977, 17 years old Diana met 29 years old Charles, Prince of Wales, who was dating her older sister at the time. A few months later, they began dating. Their relationship got the approval of the royal family as well as the public, who adored her beauty, shy demeanor, and fashion style. They got engaged in early 1981, and on July 29th, 1981, they married in St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was a fairy tale wedding broadcasted and viewed by hundreds of millions worldwide. After the wedding, now with the title of Princess of Wales, Diana took on herself a wide range of royal duties. She went with The Prince of Wales on various royal tours, became a patron of more than 100 charities, and used her fame and the attention of the press to aid and promote causes that were closed to her heart, such as cancer, homelessness, and AIDS. She also channeled her fashionista statues to increase the profile of British designers. In 1982, at the age of 21, Diana had her first child, Prince William, followed by Prince Harry two years later. She wanted her sons to know the world outside the palace, and she often brought them with her on visits to hospitals, orphanages, and homeless shelters. She also took them on public transportation and to eat at fast-food restaurants. Diana became known as the People’s Princess for her compassion, accessibility, and personal warmth. From the beginning, her marriage to Prince Charles suffered many difficulties and infidelities on both sides, and throughout the years, the couple became estranged. During this time, she struggled with postnatal depression, eating disorders, low self-esteem, and the pressure of being chased constantly by the media, especially the paparazzi. By the early 90s, it became apparent that the royal couple was no longer together, and in 1992 they formally separated. The divorce got finalized in 1996. Despite losing the title of “Her Royal Highness,” the public still refers to her as a princess. After the divorce, Diana resigned from most of her patronages but maintained a public figure and continued the philanthropic and charity work. She served as an International Red Cross VIP volunteer and led a high-profile campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of leftover landmines in Angola. In 1997, Diana began a public relationship with the Egyptian heir Dodi Fayed. While attempting to escape a trail of paparazzi that followed them on the streets of Paris, Diana, Fayed, and their driver Henri Paul, had been killed in a car accident. She was 36 years old. Read more...