History // Medieval Times
Kings & Queens
What medieval kings and queens did: ruling the land, making laws, collecting taxes; the crown and throne as symbols of power; the Tower of London
Quick check
Could the learner explain what a king or queen actually did in medieval times, beyond just wearing a crown?
Ask this to see whether the topic is secure.
Topic // Mastery
What mastery looks like
- Explain what a medieval king or queen did (ruled, made laws, led armies, collected taxes)
- Describe at least one symbol of royal power (crown, throne, sceptre)
- Name one famous medieval monarch or describe the Tower of London's role
Topic // Map
Where this fits
- RequiredMust come first
- HelpfulHelps, but not essential
Before this
2 topics- What Is a Castle?Required
Medieval Times // Ages 5 to 7
Castles as royal residences provide context for understanding kings and queens
- Knights & ArmourHelpful
Medieval Times // Ages 5 to 7
Knights served kings — understanding knights helps grasp royal power
You are here
Kings & Queens
Ages 5 to 7 // Concept
Leads to
4 topics- Medieval Pyramid of PowerRequired
Medieval Times // Ages 7 to 9
Must understand kings and power before grasping the feudal hierarchy
Medieval Times // Ages 9 to 11
Must understand royal power before studying its limitation through Magna Carta
- Robin Hood & King ArthurHelpful
Medieval Times // Ages 5 to 7
Knowing about kings enriches Robin Hood and King Arthur stories
- Battle of Hastings and 1066Helpful
Medieval Times // Ages 7 to 9
Understanding kingship helps grasp the succession crisis of 1066
History // Medieval Times
More in Medieval Times
- Village LifeAges 5 to 7ConceptDaily life for ordinary people in a medieval village: thatched houses, farming, baking bread, fetching water; how different life was from today
- The VikingsAges 5 to 7ConceptWho the Vikings were: seafaring warriors and traders from Scandinavia; longships; Viking raids on Britain; that Vikings also settled and farmed
- Medieval ClothingAges 5 to 7ConceptWhat people wore in medieval times: peasant clothes (wool, linen) vs noble clothes (silk, fur, bright colours); no zippers or buttons; how clothes showed your…
- Medieval Food & FeastsAges 5 to 7ConceptWhat people ate in medieval times: bread and pottage for ordinary people, grand feasts for the rich; no forks, eating with hands; the great hall as the centre…
- The Medieval ChurchAges 7 to 9ConceptThe enormous power of the medieval Church: monasteries and the daily life of monks and nuns; building great cathedrals; pilgrimage as a religious journey; the…
- The CrusadesAges 7 to 9ConceptA simplified account of the Crusades: why Europeans travelled to the Holy Land, what they found there, the cultural exchange between Christian Europe and the…
- Castle Design Through the AgesAges 7 to 9ConceptHow castles were built and evolved: from wooden motte-and-bailey to stone keeps to concentric castles; rooms and their uses; how castle design responded to new…
- Anglo-Saxon BritainAges 7 to 9ConceptWho the Anglo-Saxons were: Germanic peoples who settled in Britain after the Romans left; their kingdoms, villages, place names, art, and eventual conversion to…