NOTES: dau of Ulrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg-Gustrow and Elizabeth of
Denmark (dau of King Frederick I and his 2d wife Sophie of Pomerania), 3 sons,
4 daus
NOTES: 3rd and youngest dau. of Henry IV, King of France and Navarre, and
his 2nd wife Marie de' Medici. Henrietta Maria was a little over fourteen when
negotiations for her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales, were opened in
1624.
NOTES: Acceded 30 Jan 1649; Crowned in Scotland: Scone 1 Jan 1651; Restored
29 May 1660; Crowned in England: Westminster Abbey 23 Apr 1661. His reign
marked a period of relative stability after the upheaval of the English
Revolution. Noted for subservience and insistence on royal prerogative, his first
Parliament was overwhelmingly Royalist and give him free rein. Although a member
of the Anglican church, Charles recieved the last rites of the Roman Catholic
church. He was succeeded by his brother, James II.
NOTES: William III ruled jointly with Mary II 1689-1694; then alone
1694-1702. William accepted the Declaration of Rights passed by the Convention
Parliament, which met on Jan. 22, 1689, and on February 13, William and Mary
were proclaimed joint sovereigns of England. In February 1702 William was riding
at Hampton Court when his horse stumbled on a mole hill and threw him, breaking his
collar bone. After it had been set, he insisted on returning to Kensington Palace
by coach, which aggravated his condition. He became feverish some days later and
was put to bed but died of pleuro-pneumonia a few days later on 8 March 1702. The
Jabobites toasted the "little gentleman in black velvet" (the mole) who had brought
about the death of their enemy.
NOTES: Frederick William's greatest accomplishment was in the internal
development of Prussia. Contemptuous of the luxury of his father's reign, he
instituted a system of rigid and efficient economy at court and transferred
public financial administration from local governments to the central royal
authority. He was thus able to repay the debts incurred by his father and greatly
improve the financial condition of Prussia. He also instituted compulsory
elementary education in Prussia. The development of the army was his fondest
achievement. He was particularly proud of the Potsdam Guard, composed of
exceptionally tall men hired, and sometime kidnapped, from all parts of Europe. Under
his supervision the number of soldiers in the army was increased from about 38,000 to
some 83,500 and Prussia became the third ranking military power in Europe.
NOTES: First king of Prussia (1701-13) and as Frederick II, elector of
Brandenburg (1688-1701, son of Frederick William the Great Elector. Frederick
endeavored to establish a court modeled on that of Louis XIV of France.
NOTES: Reign: 1457-1509; First ruler of the house of Tudor, whose reign
initiated a period of national unity following the strife of the 15th century.
The reorganization in 1487 of the Star Chamber was one of several means by which
Henry strengthened the royal power over the nobles.
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