A mnemonic for the rulers of England

Source: ishouldntbedointhis.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/kings-and-queens-of-england-lapbook.html

When do schoolchildren stop roting their rulers? Reciting Julio-Claudian emperors upon Nero’s suicide may have been unwise. Recalling western emperors after Constantine’s split may have been Byzantinely brave. American teachers doubtless kept hammering out the Georges after 1776 but must have called it a day by 1812.

Cleaning out my desk, I came across a mnemonic for the kings and queens of England. It was penned by my father’s father in the late 19th century. It starts with William I and ends with Victoria; the initial of each word gives the ruler; note in two places the letter “I” must be taken as “J”:

When William Had Stolen Harold’s Rich Inheritance He Eradicated Every English Rite: He Had His Edifices Entirely Remodelled, His Houses Entirely Modernized, Everywhere Increasing Comfort Considerably, Judging Wisely And Gaining Generally Great Good Without Violence.

My grandfather’s name was a Norman “Percy” and he didn’t think much of the Saxons. In the meantime and for the schoolchild in each of us, what were the three years in history when three kings sat on the English throne?