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To: JCBreckenridge
Really, the last legitimate king was Richard II, King of England, son of the black prince.

Who inherited his crown by descent from the Conqueror, who won the throne by invasion and conquest.

Which leads us to the interesting question of how descending from a conqueror can provide a better title than being a conqueror yourself.

Richard II and Henry VI lose their thrones, and eventually their lives, because they were unable to hold onto the allegiance of a sufficient number of the political nation of their time.

We often think of hereditary monarchies as not having politics in the sense we think of them, but of course all leaders have to keep enough people on their side to maintain their power. No elections just means the political struggle isn't in the open, it doesn't mean it goes away.

During most of the absolute monarchy early modern period, the political struggle was carried on by who had control of the Guards, in sort of a modern version of the Praetorian Guards of the Roman Empire.

Seen most obviously in the Russian and Ottoman Empires, where losing control of the Guard often resulted in a dead monarch, but generally playing out in all the others.

52 posted on 12/29/2012 11:30:51 AM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: Sherman Logan

Not so.

Edmund Ironside (House of Wessex)
.Edward Atheling (Wessex)
..Edgar Atheling (Wessex) no children
..St. Margaret of Scotland (Wessex)
...Edgar King of Scotland(Dunkeld) (No kids)
...Alexander I King of Scotland(Dunkeld) (No Kids)
...David I King of Scotland(Dunkeld)
....Henry of Scotland Earl of Huntingdon
.....Malcolm IV King of Scotland (No Kids)
.....William I King of Scotland
......Alexander II King of Scotland
.......Alexander III King of Scotland
........Alexander Prince of Scotland (died young)
........Margaret Queen of Scotland
.........Margaret Maid of Norway (drowned)
......Margaret Countess of Kent
......Isabella Countess of Norfolk
.....David 8th Earl of Huntingdon
......John of Scotland Earl of Huntingdon (no kids)
......Margaret of Huntingdon
.......Christina of Galloway (no kids)
.......Devorguilla of Galloway
........John Balliol King of Scotland
.........Edward Balliol of Scotland
........Eleanor Balliol of Scotland
.........John II Comyn
..........John III Comyn

still have work to do, but TRUNC

...Matilda of Scotland(Dunkeld)
....William Adelin (Died in White Ship)
....Matilda I Empress of England (Anjou)
.....Henry II King of England (Plantagenet)
......Henry the Young King (killed)
......Richard I King of England
......Geoffrey II Duke of Brittany
.......Arthur I Duke of Brittany
.......Eleanor of Brittany
......John I King of England
.......Henry III King of England
........Edward I King of England
.........Edward II King of England
..........Edward III King of England


54 posted on 12/29/2012 12:12:01 PM PST by JCBreckenridge (q\\)
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