When you think of kings, you probably think of England. After all, there are lots of other countries that have a king – but not England. The reason for this is that the English people never wanted a king. When William the Conqueror invaded in 1066 and became the first King of England, it wasn’t because the English people were clamoring for a new king. In fact, they didn’t even know he was coming! For more than one hundred and fifty years after the Anglo-Saxons finally won back control of England from the Vikings in 919, no one seriously considered giving up their powerful local lords called ealdormen and ceorls in exchange for having to answer to some stranger who would be known as a king. It was only when William found out that Harold Godwinson was next in line for the English throne that he decided to invade England sooner rather than later. So why didn’t anyone in England want to be ruled by a king? Keep reading below to find out more about why There Is No King Of England.
Why Isn’t There A King Of England?
Great question! There used to be a King of England, but the position was abolished in 1707. The English monarchy began with the unification of England and Wales under King Alfred the Great in 871 AD. The monarchy continued until 1707 when it was abolished by the Acts of Union (Scotland and England). Under the Acts of Union, the monarch ceased to be head of state in both countries and was replaced by a single British monarch.
Why English People Didn’t Want A King?
1. The English People never wanted a king.
When William the Conqueror invaded in 1066 and became the first King of England, it wasn’t because the English people were clamoring for a new king. In fact, they didn’t even know he was coming! For more than one hundred and fifty years after the Anglo-Saxons finally won back control of England from the Vikings in 919, no one seriously considered giving up their powerful local lords called ealdormen and ceorls in exchange for having to answer to some stranger who would be known as a king. It was only when William found out that Harold Godwinson was next in line for the English throne that he decided to invade England sooner rather than later.
2. The English didn’t want a king because they felt they could do it themselves.
By the middle ages, England had become a powerful country that was able to defend itself against invaders. It wasn’t long after the Anglo-Saxons took control of England that they had built a large navy and were able to defend their lands from Vikings, who had been raiding England for years. The Norman invasion in 1066 was merely an attempt by William to take over the throne and gain control of England for himself. He couldn’t have done it without the help of his own men, but he could have done it without using force at all! Instead, he invaded with an army of about 1,000 men and managed to conquer most of what is now known as England in just six months!
3. The Normans were too powerful.
Perhaps the most important reason why William decided to invade England was because he had a strong army of Normans, who were determined to rule over England and establish their own king. If they hadn’t been so powerful, there is no way that William would have been able to take control of England without having to fight his way through the entire country! The Normans were an incredibly effective fighting force who had conquered France and other parts of Europe before coming to England. They had already established control over Normandy, which is where King William was born and raised. So when he decided it was time for him to become king, there was no one in England who could stand up against him!
4. The English couldn’t stand Norman rule!
The Normans made a lot of changes in England after they conquered the country, including introducing new laws that affected everyone in the country whether they liked it or not! For example, the Normans brought in a new system of law that made it so that everyone was required to belong to the church! Although some people liked this change, many others did not! The Normans also brought in new taxes and other government policies that didn’t sit well with the English people. It was because of these changes in England that William decided enough was enough and invaded England. He didn’t have to worry about any resistance from the English, since they thought he would be a great king!
5. The Normans were born warriors!
The Normans came over to England with experience fighting other European countries. They had already conquered most of France and had annihilated their armies when they came across William at Dyrham in 1071. William faced no opposition when he invaded England because his army was full of expert warriors who were prepared for any challenge they might face! For example, William himself had been trained as a knight from an early age and was an expert swordsman. He was able to defeat the English army when they first met because he was well-trained in fighting techniques and tactics!
6. The English didn’t have any fighting experience!
Although the Normans had been fighting other countries and winning battles for centuries, the English people had never fought anyone before! They weren’t prepared for William’s army, which was full of experienced warriors who were better trained than their own soldiers. So when William invaded England, he was able to take over the country almost immediately because there was no one in England who could stand up to him!
7. The Normans were very strict about laws and punishments!
The Normans were very strict about laws that affected everyone in England whether they liked it or not! For example, if a man committed adultery, he would be punished by being burned alive. If a woman committed adultery or someone else did something wrong, she would be put to death! The Normans also made it so that everyone had to follow the laws and customs of their country, whether they liked it or not!
Why Don’t We Just Get Rid Of The Monarchy?
1. The Monarchy is a good thing because it keeps the country united!
Although the monarchy is not always a good idea, it does have some advantages. For example, it is a good thing because it keeps the country united. It also gives each king or queen in the country a sense of duty to their people and their country. This means that they will do everything they can to help their people and make sure that everyone in the country has what they need!
2. The Monarchy is not just for England anymore!
The monarchy has been around for hundreds of years, but now it has spread across Europe and other parts of the world. This means that monarchies are no longer just for England – they are everywhere! If you think about it, there are monarchies in places such as France and Spain where there aren’t any English kings or queens who rule over them! A lot of people think this way too; they think that monarchies should be abolished because they are no longer needed. But, this is not the case! People still need a monarchy to keep their country united and to make sure that everyone in the country has what they need!
3. The Monarch is a symbol of unity!
The monarch is a symbol of unity because it unites the people of England together. They all think that they are part of the same country, and if there were no monarch, they would not be united. This means that they would have no idea what was going on in other parts of the world or in other countries! If there was no monarchy, there would be war everywhere and nobody would really care about anyone else’s problems. This means that people still need a monarchy to keep them united and make sure that everyone has what they need!
4. The Monarchy is good because it creates jobs!
One of the reasons why monarchies are good is that they create jobs. This means that people who work for the monarchy will have money to live on and can buy things like food and clothes. They will also be able to travel around and see new places, which helps them to explore new cultures. But, this is not all! The monarch makes sure that there are jobs in the country because they need a lot of people to do different jobs, such as cleaning rooms and working in shops! This means that even if there were no monarchies in England, there would still be a lot of jobs for people to do.
5. The Monarchy is good because it protects the country!
The monarch protects the country because they have power over the army and navy, which means that if there was no monarchy, the army would not have enough people to fight wars or protect the country. This means that if there were no monarchy, there would be a lot of wars and a lot of people who would not be able to defend their countries from other countries! The monarch also makes sure that there are enough police in England because they need to make sure that everyone has what they need.
Summary
When William the Conqueror invaded England, he was hoping that the English people would welcome him as their new king. However, he was met by fierce resistance from the Anglo-Saxon people, who had no intention of giving up their autonomy and freedom. The English people had always been an independent nation, and they did not want to be ruled by a king.