Great Kings of England
Royal Standard raised at Oxford by the forces of Charles I: King of England, Scotland, Ireland and France
King Arthur a mostly legendary king, but one based on at least some degree of actual history. His place, however, as one of the great English kings of all time is more than justified simply on the basis of the model for ideal kingship his legend provided and the inspiration he was to all future generations of Britons. Most accounts place Arthur as coming from Wales, Cornwall or generally the west of England, perhaps living in the 2nd Century. King Arthur is portrayed in a rather Davidic way as an orphan boy, chosen by divine intervention (the sword in the stone) to be king. He then establishes his court at Camelot, his Knights of the Round Table and lives and reigns in the highest ideal of a wise, chivalrous, warrior king. He is said to have launched a quest to find the Holy Grail and his great knights, such as Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad and Sir Gawain. The legend usually used to relate the fall of Arthurian greatness was the illicit affair between Lancelot and Arthur's wife Queen Guinevere, a story which illustrates the disaster which comes when Christian fidelity is abandoned. King Arthur is said to have been killed at the battle of Camlann by the forces of Mordred and was taken away to the mythical island of Avalon. Some say he died there, others that he was healed and will return to rule England again one day, a story which again evokes the Christian Messiah.
King Alfred the Great of Wessex reigned from 871-899 and was the son of King Ethelwulf. In 853, when he was five years old, he went to Rome where he was confirmed by Pope Leo IV himself and is said to have been anointed for his future role as king though he had three older brothers at the time, being very similar to the Biblical account of King David and the Prophet Samuel. Alfred first came to great fame during the reign of his brother, King Ethelred, as he led the war against the invading Danish Vikings. Ultimately, Alfred would spend much of his life battling against the presence of the Danes in Britain. He had victories and defeats but did find the time to marry in 868 to Ealhswith, granddaughter of the King of Mercia. After coming to the throne he had to fight hard against long odds against the Danes and gained great fame for his skill and courage. He had about 6 children and eventually his sons were able to fight alongside him in the wars to defend England. Eventually, King Alfred drove out the Danes and then famously founded the forerunner of the Royal Navy. He also showed great wisdom in creating a support system for his army. As all military experts know, "amateurs study tactics, experts study logistics". Alfred also made his kingdom known throughout the world, corresponding with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, sending a mission to India, establishing an embassy in Rome, visiting Denmark and Prussia and taking numerous Celtic principalities under his protection. He was also very interested in religious subjects and an accomplished writer as well. He died probably in 899.
King St Edward the Confessor, though not the only saintly English king, is certainly the most known and honored. Among the last of the Anglo-Saxon kings, Edward III came to the throne in 1042 and reigned until the crucial year of 1066. Coming to the throne on the heels of a period of Danish domination, Edward was hailed by the English people with great enthusiasm and was crowned at Winchester Cathedral on April 3, 1043. In 1045 he married Edith of Wessex, but out of religious devotion the two lived in chastity in a "spiritual marriage". Known as a fair and generous ruler, King Edward founded Westminster Abbey and was regarded by those around him as "living the life of an angel". The building of the abbey was done when the Pope allowed him to substitute that great act in the place of a pilgrimage of Rome which he had promised to make, but was unable to fulfill due to his duties as king. He improved the laws in England, gave money to the poor and is said to have never spoken badly of any person. His mother was from Normandy, and during his reign ties between the two lands became closer, leading ultimately to the Norman conquest which followed after his death. He was canonized in 1161 by Pope Alexander III. Many miracles have occured at his tomb in England.