Many sets of English brothers have achieved fame in royal circles as monarchs since 802 AD. Other brothers have been prominent in politics, the arts and entertainment and in criminal activities. Some brothers were high achievers but not as famous or infamous as their higher achieving brothers. General John Pitt lived in the shadow of William Pitt the Younger who was PM at age 24. The Seymour brothers of Jane Seymour were both executed or treason in the mid 16th century during the blood sport of Tudor politics. Joseph Johnson, a Tory MP like his brother Boris, resigned from parliament in 2019 rather than support the radical policies of his brother who was PM at the time.
- Gardiner, Juliet, Who is Who in British History?, Pavilion, 2020, ISBN 1855858827
- Cannon John, A Dictionary of British History, OUP 2015, ISBN 9780191758027
- Brief overview of the 12 sets of brothers who were kings of Wessex, England then Britain from 802
- Edward and Thomas Seymour, who were regents for Edward VI were both executed in 1552 and 1549 respectively
- Joseph Johnson resigned as a Tory MP in 2019 rather than support his brother as PM
- The Kray brothers were notorious criminals in the 1950s and at one stage were imprisoned in the Tower of London
- The Princes in the Tower disappeared forever in 1483 in one of the most intriguing murder mysteries of history.
- When William Pitt the Younger was PM at age 24, his brother was the Governor of Gibraltar in the early 19th century
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Compare and contrast the achievements or lack of achievements of sets of royal and non royal brothers throughout English history
- Discuss how the brothers were viewed in the context of their times
- Determine the main forces which shaped the destinies of the brothers in their historical contexts
