I was reading the list of mythical British kings on wikipedia earlier and saw that there were three Constantines listed. This caused an idle thought to occur to me - what if some English monarch who's a fan of Mallory decides to name his son Constantine, so that mixed in with all the Henrys, Edwards and Georges there's a few Constantines in the history books? Obviously it's not going to change much but just struck me as a very un-British name to appear so frequently on the wiki list.
King Constantine of England
- Thread starter Landshark
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My first thought- weren't there a few Scottish monarchs named Constantine? Definitely one or two in the tenth century. So it would be fairly simple to have history proceed AIOTL, only with more Scottish kings bearing the name Constantine (Wiki says Constantine III was the last). From there the name could spread into use in *England as well.
If one really wanted to disregard butterflies, Constantine could be the name of the TTL James I. He succeeds Elizabeth and becomes Constantine IV of England. But that would be very ASB IMO.
If one really wanted to disregard butterflies, Constantine could be the name of the TTL James I. He succeeds Elizabeth and becomes Constantine IV of England. But that would be very ASB IMO.
Thande
Donor
If one really wanted to disregard butterflies, Constantine could be the name of the TTL James I. He succeeds Elizabeth and becomes Constantine IV of England. But that would be very ASB IMO.
It wouldn't be Constantine IV, the numbers reset when the Normans invaded (or more accurately, numbers weren't used at all before the Norman period).
The exception would be if he wanted to recall these legendary kings, like there are some suggestions that if an Arthur had come to the throne (e.g. Henry VIII's older brother) he'd have called himself Arthur II, even though the first King Arthur is historically unclear.
Please tell me that we had a King called Alfonso the Festive.
I would happily sign an e-petition to demand Charles or his sons assume that title on coming to the Throne.
"King Alfonso the Festive II" has a mighty presence that would give the UK much needed moral gravitas in this age of recession and retrenchment
No, no. "the Festive" is an epithet. You use either the epithet or the number - in English and French you number, in Poland you use epithets.
so: Alfonso II the Flaky (né Prince Charles)
followed, possibly, by: Henry IX the Festive (né Prince Harry) [assuming William and Kate, oh, convert to Catholicism]
Thande
Donor
In pre-Norman England you also used epithets. I think it's a northern Germanic thing (though Hurgan would jump up and down at me making such allegations about a Polish tradition
).
Thande
Donor
I find it funny how Dathi first says one uses either or, and then gives example for using both
That's the way it worked in post-Norman England, and in France to my knowledge (I assume Germany as well) but as I said, in pre-Norman England and early Scandinavia it was common just to distinguish by epithet and not number kings. For example, Edward the Confessor was just Edward the Confessor, not Edward III - The Confessor.
(Put that way, sounds like a bad sequel film
)Ja, Ja, I knowI find it funny how Dathi first says one uses either or, and then gives example for using both
Alex Richards
Donor
Many kings have been given epithets, for example Richard I, Couer de Lion, John Lackland, William I, the Conquerer and of course Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots. Usually, we simply use either the Number of the epithet in a description. Both may be sited on a line of succession/ancestory.
A distinct possibility
It may change more than you think... IIRC Henry VIII wanted to emulate his namesake and boyhood hero Henry V because of the name, so it would depend upon the mythalogical properties of the mythical King Constantine I suppose...
An Interesting idea, but hasn't he already chosen the name of George when he becomes king?
There's rumours of a secret document excluding Harry and any descendants from the throne due to his alleged questionable parentage
.Then again as Prince Charles has publicly named Harry as his son that might not be valid anyway (cf questions about Edward III's parentage)...
The numbers reset in England - the normans didn't invade Scotland. James was known as James the sixth and first in Scotland. So he would in all likelihood have ben Constatine the IV and I.
I think the problem with it would be the way that Constantine is such an explicitly catholic name. Around that time, it would have been exceptionally provocative to use it.