Top 10 Stuarts Facts for Kids

Keep reading to discover some interesting facts about the Stuarts dynasty which ruled England from 1603 to 1714. The reigns of the seven Stuart monarchs saw plots, plagues, war, executions, deposals and peaceful revolutions.

1. The Stuart family name has two different spellings. It was originally spelt 'Stewart' but Mary Queen of Scots was raised in France, where she learned to use the French spelling of 'Stuart'.
2. James IV of Scotland was the last British monarch to have been killed in battle when he perished in the Battle of Flodden.
3. James IV became king at just 15 years old in 1488, after his father's death at the Battle of Sauchieburn. Being king would be a good excuse for getting out of your homework!
4. James I (VI) was crowned King of Scotland after his mother (Mary Queen of Scots) abdicated the throne when she was imprisoned. He had just turned one a month before his coronation - presumably without any teething tantrums getting in the way!
5. When Mary Queen of Scots moved to France, she moved with her two half-brothers and "the four Marys" (four girls the same age as Mary I, all called Mary). Birthday parties must have been awfully confusing in that house!
6. James VI of Scotland was proclaimed King of England on the same day that Elizabeth I died.
7. Putting a King on trial was so unheard of that when the English were preparing for the trial of Charles I, the Chief Justices of England's three common law courts refused to take any part in the trial. They said it was unlawful and wrong to put a king on trial.
8. The English Civil War wasn't just one war. In fact, it was at least three, as supporters of Charles I continued to fight long after his capture and even his execution.
9. English wasn't the main language of England until the 15th Century. Before then, the main languages were Latin and French. Latin and French continued to be used for official documents, like laws, until the 18th Century.
10. The Mayflower was a ship which set sail from England in 1620, carrying the early European settlers of what is now the United States of America.

For more fun facts about the Stuarts and what it was like to live during this time period of English history, check out our Homework Help History section on the Stuarts.

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