The Royal Soap Opera, Part 5

After the repressive rule of Oliver Cromwell, the Parliamentarian leader, people longed for the monarchy. As a result, Charles I’s son, Charles II, became King in 1660. He was known as The Merry [1] Monarch because of his extravagant lifestyle! The people loved him, but his brother, who became James II, was not as popular because he was a Catholic. In 1689 the English asked William of Orange, James’ son-in-law [2],  to come from Holland to be their king. This is called The Glorious Revolution.

Charles II, James II, William and Anne

William and his wife Mary were followed by Queen Anne, Mary's sister, but she died in 1714 and she had no children. Her nearest Protestant relative was her cousin, George, from Hanover in Germany. He became George I, but he couldn’t speak English! After George I came George II and finally George III, under whose reign the English colonies in America became independent.

George I, II and III

---

[1] alegre, [2] yerno