the death of an emperor, a special name is given to the reign, reflecting the ethos of the time. Emperor Hirohito’s reign is known as Showa, meaning “Enlightened Peace,” to reflect the emperor’s opposition to his government’s policies that brought Japan into the Second World War and his efforts to rebuild a peaceful Japan after its defeat.
English/British/Commonwealth Dynastic Names (since 1066)
| Norman | 1066-1154 |
| Plantagenet | 1154-1399 |
| Lancaster | 1399-1461 |
| York | 1461-1485 |
| Tudor | 1485-1603 |
| Stuart and Orange | 1603-1714 |
| Brunswick or Hanover | 1714-1901 |
| Saxe-Coburg-Gotha | 1901-1917 |
| Windsor | 1917-present |
Why has the name of the royal family changed from time to time?
The name of the British/Commonwealth royal family has changed when the dynasty changed. The change has occurred for one of three reasons: the reigning branch of the royal family had no direct legitimate successors so a cousin from another branch of the family which had its own name took the throne (e.g. the change from Tudor to Stuart); the reigning branch was overthrown or defeated in war (e.g. York to Tudor, Bourbon to Brunswick in Canada), or a queen regnant married and her son assumed his father’s name (e.g. Brunswick to Saxe-Coburg-Gotha). Queen Elizabeth II has decreed her desire that her successors retain the name Windsor. If this is followed then the pattern of changing dynasties would come to an end and all future monarchs would belong to the House of Windsor.
What did the two great British queens, Victoria and Boadicea, have in common?
Boadicea in the ancient British language means the same as “Victoria.” She led the Britons in rebellion against their Roman occupiers and is remembered in history as a great patriotic warrior queen.
One of the earliest known legal codes bears a king’s name. Who was he?
Hammurabi, King of Babylon, who died in 1750 B.C. The code was carved upon a black stone monument, eight feet high, and was intended to be read by all. The monument is currently on display at the Louvre museum in Paris.
Canadian Provinces Named After Royalty
• Alberta (Princess Louise Alberta, daughter of Queen Victoria)
• New Brunswick (Royal House of Brunswick)
• Prince Edward Island (Prince
• Edward, Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria)
Australian States Named After Royalty
• Queensland (Queen Victoria)
• Victoria (Queen Victoria)
Why are British kings and queens called “Defender of the Faith”?
During the Middle Ages, the king of France became known by the special designation of “His Most Christian Majesty.” All the other kings were envious of this and wished special titles for themselves. The king of Portugal became “His Most Faithful Majesty,” the king of Hungary “His Apostolic Majesty,” and the king of Spain “His Most Catholic Majesty.” King Henry VIII was no exception. In 1521, he wrote a book called Defence of the Seven Sacraments, which attacked the views of Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer. The king sent the book to the pope, Leo X, who was so pleased with it that he gave the king the title “Defender of the Faith,” or in Latin, Fidei Defensor, to be borne by Henry and his successors. Although King Henry VIII shortly afterwards broke with the pope, he and the sovereigns after him kept the title. Consequently, Mary I and James II, who were Roman Catholics; Charles I, who was a passionate Anglican; George I, who had been a Lutheran before becoming king; and Queen Victoria, who, although an Anglican, was really more sympathetic to Presbyterianism, were all known as “Defender of the Faith.” In 1953, separate styles and titles were adopted by the queen for each of her independent realms on the advice of their respective parliaments. For Canada, the queen retained Defender of the Faith but it was redefined again. The prime minister, Louis St. Laurent, explained in the House of Commons that for Canada, which has no state church, but people “who have faith in the direction of human affairs by an all-wise Providence,” the title would henceforth mean “a believer in and a defender of the faith in a supreme ruler.”
American States Named After Royalty
• Georgia (King George II)
• Louisiana (King Louis XIV)
• Maryland (Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I)
• New York (Prince James, Duke of York, later King James II)
• North Carolina (King Charles I)
• South Carolina (King Charles I)
• Virginia (Queen Elizabeth I — “The Virgin Queen”)
• West Virginia (Queen Elizabeth I — “The Virgin Queen”)
Quickies
Did you know …
• that the royal title “Defender of the Faith” harks back to the most ancient days when monarch was both priest and king?
Which of Canada’s monarchs was King of Scots in right of his wife?
King François II of France was married to Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1558 when he was a prince. At his marriage he became King of Scots. In 1559, he succeeded his father as the king of France, but died in 1560.
What is a Crown Victoria?
The Crown Victoria is a full-size automobile made by the Ford Motor Company in St. Thomas, Ontario, and favoured by police forces throughout North America as their standard cruiser. The name originated in a style of carriage designed in France in the 1830s and named after the then Princess Victoria (later Queen Victoria) that featured an elegant low body. The name was eventually passed on to horseless carriages (automobiles) of a similar style.
Quickies
Did you know …
• that George VI’s dramatic and moving broadcast on D-Day calling his people to prayer for victory was an exercise of the monarch’s ancient priestly role?
Who was the city of New York named
