Which was the better sovereign of England?

Question

fron these pairs:

Edward IV or Richard III

Henry VII or Henry VIII

Elizabeth I or Mary I

William and Mary or Anne

Answer 1

Hard to compare the first two, since Edward was King for over twenty years and Richard for only two, but in his short time Richard was a good King.

Hanry VII--he left a full treasury, which Hnery VIII proceeded to spend and then supplemented by confiscating Church lands.

Elizabeth, far and away!  Mary, in her misguided efforts to restore England to the "true faith," persecuted Protestants and made herself generally disliked, with the result that as she lay on her deathbed at the age of 42, she heard her courtiers riding past the window  on their way to ingratiate themselves with Elizabeth--who, upon learning that she was Queen, fell on her knees and quoted Scripture (a Protestant gesture) in Latin (a Catholic gesture).  If the Pope had not declared Elizabeth illegitimate and ruled that no good Catholic could acknowledge her as Queen, she might have established a far greater degree of religious tolerance in the country than that ruling allowed her to.  As it was, she encouraged exploration of the New World, fostered the arts, and generally maintained peace.  When the Spanish Armada undertook to invade England in 1588, it was the first time England had had to go to war in the nearly thirty years that she had then reigned.   (Some of the Armada eventually made it back to Spain.)

It's my impression that William was rather soulless and that Mary was pretty much under his thumb, but Anne was a smaller version of Elizabeth before her and Victoria after, presiding over an age of national power and literary greatness.  So my vote is for her.

Answer 2

Elizabeth! and here's why:

She came to the throne and inherited a nearly bankrupt country, a country at war, and a country that was not united under one church. They had also never had a woman rule before. She had a 45 year reign, and by the time she was done, the country was at peace, the treasury was full, and the people were united under one church.

Answer 3

Oliver Cromwell

Answer 4

Neither Edward nor Richard were that great to begin with

Henry VIII had a lasting impact on history and his time

as did his daughter Elizabeth I

William & Mary or Anne, that's a draw.

Answer 5

I'll go with William and Mary or Anne!!!!

Answer 6

Edward IV

Henry VII

Elizabeth I

Anne