Great Fire

[retrocop]

Can anyone answer how many perished in the Great Fire of London? No cheating and looking it up. I am surprised at the answer.

[jourdain2]

Not going to use the standard, hapless, quiz contestant's excuse of 'It was before I was born' are you, Peter? :)

[Jackdaw33]

You are right about Prince Arthur. He was next in line after the death of Richard I but the throne was seized by John. John killed Arthur so the next in line was his own son. The only other example is when Henry IV took the throne when the heir presumptive was Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.

[jno]

presumably quite a few monarchs died without regnal numbers and only had them added later?

[Jackdaw33]

Correct, the first of every name. Actually regnal numbers did not come in use till the reign of Edward III. Before that kings were distinguished by name Fitz (son of) father's name. The confusion arose with the accession of Edward III as that meant there were now two Edward Fitz Edwards.

[jno]

I dimly recall that Elizabeth was actually called Elizabeth the First during her life, but can't confirm that anywhere.

[Jackdaw33]

Doubtful. Until 1952 she was simply referred to as Queen Elizabeth.

[jno]

I thought it was odd, that's why I remembered it... only not very clearly. (I might have the wong monarch, for one thing.)

I did find that King Francis issued coins calling him Francois 1.