Young kings of England facts for kids

The question of who should rule England next has always been a big deal, right from the very first kings! Sometimes, it was tricky to figure out. Imagine a king having more than one child; who gets the crown?

One way kings tried to solve this in the 1100s was by crowning their son as the "Young King." This meant the prince would rule alongside his father, showing everyone who the next ruler would be. It was like an early training program for kingship! However, it's interesting to note that none of these "Young Kings" ever became the main, ruling king on their own after their fathers passed away.

The coronation of Henry the Young King on June 14, 1170.

What Was a Young King?

For a long time, deciding who would be the next king was a big challenge. When a king died, there could be arguments or even fights over who should take the throne. To try and stop these problems, some kings decided to crown their son while they were still alive. This son was called the "Young King," "Junior King," or "Titular King."

The idea was simple: by crowning the prince early, everyone would know who the next ruler was. This was meant to make the transfer of power smoother and avoid any confusion or battles. However, as history shows, it didn't always work out as planned.

Early Succession Challenges

Even before the "Young King" idea, choosing the next ruler could be complicated. For example, when King Edward the Elder died, he had two sons, Aelfward and Athelstan. Aelfward was supposed to be the next king, but he sadly died just 28 days after his father. This meant the throne then went to his brother, Athelstan. This shows how quickly plans for who rules next could change!

The Young Kings of England

Only a few princes were ever crowned as "Young Kings" in England. They were meant to be the next in line, but none of them actually got to rule as the main king after their fathers. Here are the two most famous "Young Kings":

• Eustace IV, who was the son of King Stephen. He was crowned as a "titular king" between 1152 and 1153.
• Henry the Young, who was the son of King Henry II. He was crowned as "young king" between 1170 and 1183.

King Stephen, whose son Eustace was a "Young King." Stephen is shown here with Henry I, who was Henry the Young's great-grandfather.

Since Henry the Young, no prince has been crowned as a "Young King" in England. Instead, the next in line to the throne is usually known as the "Prince of Wales" or simply called the "rightful heir to the English throne."

For a full list of all the kings and queens who have ruled England, you can check out the List of English monarchs.