4 British Monarchs Reimagined as Steampunk Heroes

(Pirate Hat Image Credit: Lee Hanson)

There's no monarchy we love more than the Brits. (Will and Kate's baby? Adorable. Queen Elizabeth memes? Hilarious.) And there are few genres we love more than steampunk. So what if we mashed the two? A little steampunk flair meets classic British royals. Read on as we reimagine our favorite British figures as steampunk heroes. 

King Henry VIII: Airship Pirate

We all know how ruthless Henry VIII of the Tudor dynasty was. Since he also founded the Royal Navy, what better role for him than the pirate captain of an airship? From the sky Henry could reign terror on everyone in his domain, descending with his crew of courtiers to ravage the countryside. Nothing could stop Henry VIII until an old leg injury—received during a jousting competition on mechanical horses—forced him to retire from battle. Since then, no one has dared attempt to reign the skies and the kingdom like he did.

Queen Victoria: Time Traveler

Queen Victoria is one of the most famous monarchs of the British Empire, known for possessing the longest reign of any British monarch, and of any female monarch in history. Tenacity…or time travel?

What if Victoria discovered her time-bending abilities during a lonely childhood, but ignored her gift until ascending to the throne and marrying Prince Albert? Between diplomatic meetings and nine pregnancies, Victoria could skip ahead in time and discover astonishing advances: steam boats, cameras, sewing machines, light bulbs, even flushing toilets! The inventions themselves may have been attributed to others—particularly, men—but we know that Victoria, with her time traveler's knowledge, was the true mastermind.

King Richard I (aka Richard the Lionheart): Beast Breeder

Everyone’s heard of Richard the Lionheart, allegedly nicknamed because of his fierce and unforgiving stance in battle. But what if there was another reason for his moniker? What if Richard bred creatures to release upon his enemies, ranging from league-bounding lions with forked tongues to sea-dwelling fish worms with electromagnetic tentacles.

Queen Elizabeth I: Mechanic

Elizabeth I is remembered for many things, but sadly not for her prowess in the field of mechanics. But in our steampunk world, Elizabeth tinkered with gears and screws from a young age. This eventually led to studying the field of robotics, and building a personal automaton aide by the age of fifteen. Her interest quickly grew to other fields, such as airship engines and steam automotives. When the Spanish Armada attempted to invade England, Elizabeth was skilled enough to construct submarines in secret. During the planned invasion, Elizabeth launched her new weaponized submarines and laid waste to the Armada, forcing them to flee and securing victory for England.