Pillars of the community since 1066

As a typically Royal-obsessed, aging, British citizen who dabbles in antiques, this 1967 chart showing the various length of reigns of Kings and Queens since 1066 (and all that) is very useful.

The times that the monarchs of various houses have sat on the throne is simply displayed by the use of classical pillars which vary in height, and are set in chronological order for easy comparison.

Other interesting details are made obvious, such as the exact time when our present monarchy changed their house from the very German 'Hanover', to the much more homely 'Windsor', as a result of the bad publicity created by Uncle Wilhelm just before the outbreak of WW1. It was about this time that German Shepherd dogs began to be referred to as the more Gallic 'Alsations' , for fear of a revolution by Republicans, or worse.

The pillar belonging to Queen Victoria towers over all the others - including the Plantagenets - and because this chart was printed in 1967, it also towers over our present Elizabeth the 2nd, but if it were re-drawn today, Lizzy is catching up. If she lives as long as her mother, then I think she will be competing with Victoria in the sky-scraper stakes.

There is a sad little pillar for 1936, belonging to a sad little king, Edward the 8th. He was the one who married the American divorcee, Wallace Simpson, and set sail for France in the S.Y. Nahlin, never to return to England. This left plenty of time for his brother to practice his speech-making without stuttering, with the help of an Australian therapist - but you know all about that, don't you?

There is a simple and boring wooden pole stuck into the ground which marks Cromwell's brief social experiment of 1649 - 1660, then the party continues where it left off with the Restoration and all it's bawdy comedies, and Charles the 2nd celebrating Christmas again for the next 25 years. Phew.

Perhaps the saddest little pillar of them all is that of Edward the 5th who - along with his brother - was reputedly murdered by his ambitious uncle, buried under some stone steps in the Tower of London, exhumed later and placed in an anonymous grave at Westminster Abbey - but thanks to Mr Shakespeare, I expect you have heard about that too. If it is any consolation, Richard the 3rd's pillar is not much higher.

Elizabeth the 2nd's uncapped pillar is on the extreme right, and Charles the 3rd continues to make biscuits on his little small-holding in Gloucestershire, rapidly balding as he waits for his own pillar to be erected. (You boy - stop sniggering in the back of the class). Watch this space.