After the act of union in 1707 the king or queen is more correctly called the monarch of great britain. British monarchy 16th century military history books. The oxford illustrated history of the british monarchy oxford illustrated histories 9780198227861. Bestselling celebrity biographer andrew morton recommends the best books on the british royal family and the publishing of his own book, diana, her true storyin her own words, viewed by many as the definitive book on princess diana. In late 16thcentury england, queen elizabeth was a protestant royal who faced perpetual threats to her life and reign. Not too scholarly, not too simplistic, it should be a popular purchase for both reference and general reading. The oxford illustrated history of the british monarchy is probably the most authoritative account of the british monarchy ever published for the general reader. The ceremonys musical history alone is on e of ex tra ord inar y r ichness involving henry purcell, handel, edward elgar and william walton.
Elizabeth i stands in the english imagination for one of the formative phases of english history. English monarchs kings and queens of england timeline. From an examination of queen elizabeth ii s lengthy reign to a glimpse at the romance between the duke and duchess of cambridge, here are 15 books to read if you love following this royal family. The current monarch and head of state is queen elizabeth ii, who ascended the throne in 1952. The best of royal historical fiction carolyn harris. This category contains pages that are part of the a history of the british monarchy book. A history of england through the monarchy by prof david starkey. A searchable 1,000year history of the british crown contained in this one app. If you are looking for a book of british history, this is not your book. What are some great historical fiction novels about the. It contains a yearbyyear database of significant dates in history from the roman conquest in ad43 to the present day.
See more ideas about history, british history and tudor history. Dec 10, 2019 king edward vii caused the british crown to endure its deepest crisis in modern history. From one of our finest historians comes an outstanding exploration of the british monarchy, from the retreat of the romans up until the modern day. Covering some of the most famous figures in world history, including william the conqueror, henry viii, and queens victoria, elizabeth i, and elizabeth ii, the historical dictionary of the british monarchy provides a chronology starting with the year 495 and continuing to the present day, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and. The british monarchy and the french revolution marilyn. British monarchy archives the first edition rare books. The ruthless 16thcentury spy network that kept queen elizabeth safe. The abdication of the king, however, may have prevented even greater trouble that could have been fatal to. It begins with the early monarchs who were little more than tribal warlords, and moves down through the centuries to the present day and the court of queen elizabeth ii. A history of the british monarchy wikibooks, open books for. He has also run, unsuccessfully, as a parliamentary candidate for the farright u. My favourite books are those that provide fresh insights on historical events. Jan 25, 2001 the rich pageant of britains history emerges nowhere more colorfully than in the story of its kings and queens.
Listed in red are the heptarchy, the collective name given to the seven main anglosaxon petty kingdoms located in the southeastern twothirds of the. Jul 02, 2014 check out cornwells series on the anglosaxon kings. Aethelred ii ethelred the unready 97910 and 10141016. This compendium volume of two earlier books is fully revised and updated. Chock full of history, find out how the sisters really felt about each other, where their loyalties lied, and the feuds that sparked due to sibling rivalry. The scandalous romance that may have saved the british monarchy. The british monarchy is one of the oldest, and at one point the largest, controlling monarchies in the world.
House of denmark edit house of wessex restored, first time edit house of denmark restored edit house of. The last kingdom formerly the warrior chroniclessaxon stories 1. The monarchy, though traditionbound, continually had to reinvent itself, morris contends, and its modern incarnation emerged in the later years of georges reign with a style stressing personality, empathy, and domesticity, and a legitimacy based on the monarchys embodiment of the nations history. She is the 32nd greatgranddaughter of king alfred the great who was the first effective king of. House of wessex edit for earlier monarchs of wessex, see list of monarchs of wessex.
He offers not only a brilliant overview of british history through her kings and. The most comprehensive visual encyclopedia of every king and queen of britain, from saxon times through the tudors and stuarts to today. British royalty historical fiction, historical fiction, books. The oxford illustrated history of the british monarchy oxford. Best of british monarchy historical fiction for those of us who cant get enough of the royals of england and the british isle generally, here is a list of must read books by all the most interesting authors. His publications include the oxford companion to british history of which he was general editor, published by oup in 1997. The book covers major issues such as wwii in just a few paragraphs. There have been 12 monarchs of the kingdom of great britain and the united kingdom see monarchy of the united kingdom since the merger of the kingdom of england and the kingdom of scotland on 1 may 1707. A life from beginning to end hourly history, 2016 queen victorias life was one of magnificent proportions. The huge popularity of the royal wedding in 2011 between the queens grandson, prince william and the commoner kate middleton, now the duke and duchess of cambridge, reflected the high profile of the british monarchy at home and abroad. This spectacular book offers the most authoritative account of the british monarchy ever published for the general reader. History of the british monarchy this book is an overview of english and british rulers from the 800s to the present. The rich pageant of britains history emerges nowhere more colorfully than in the story of its kings and queens. This pageturning work of historical fiction blends fact with fiction to tell the.
The longest reigning monarch in british history is queen victoria. Here are nine great reads about the british monarchy to tide you over until the duke. The story of the kings and queens of england is long and fascinating. Bex porter as she falls in love with the heir to the british throne. Living now in a commonwealth country, the history of the monarchy seemed more important for me. The scandalous romance that may have saved the british. You can view a list of all subpages under the book main page not including the book main page itself, regardless of whether theyre categorized, here. Count tolstoy has written books on ancient and postwar british history. Queen elizabeth will surpass her record on september 11, 2015. If a page of the book isnt showing here, please add text bookcat to the end of the page concerned. The life of a modern monarch by sally bedell smith, mrs queen takes the train by william kuhn, th.
King edward vii caused the british crown to endure its deepest crisis in modern history. By telling the story of each coronation in turn, roy strong recounts the history of british monarchy since the 10th century, and looks forward to the coronation of prince charles. Best of british monarchy historical fiction 49 books. For british monarchs since the union of england and scotland in 1707, see list of british monarchs. Feb 24, 2011 covering some of the most famous figures in world history, including william the conqueror, henry viii, and queens victoria, elizabeth i, and elizabeth ii, the historical dictionary of the british monarchy provides a chronology starting with the year 495 and continuing to the present day, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and. However, when i came to read this book, it presented a more realistic picture of british history, whereby you get the impression that british history had similar parallels with other societies in aspects such as despotic rule, lack of respect for civil as well as human rights on the part of its monarchy through the ages as well as the trajectory development and evolution of contemporary democracy in britain. The ceremonys musical history alone is on e of ex tra ord inar y r ichness involving henry. The life of wallis simpson, duchess of windsor by anne sebba, the royals by kitty kelley, elizabeth th. England and scotland had been in personal union under the house of stuart since 24 march 1603. John cannon is emeritus professor of history at the university of newcastle.
British monarchy scroll down to find information about the principle figures in british monarchial history alfred the great timeline date summary detailed information 23 april 871 accession of alfred king alfred succeeded his brother ethelred to the throne of wessex and danish mercia. In the history of anne perrys bestselling victorian mystery series, the stakes have never been greater than nowas a mission for queen and country places the future of the british empire squarely in thomas pitts hands. Victorias childhood was difficult and lonely but from the time she took the throne aged just eighteen she blossomed into a powerful woman, both frivolous and formidable. Her reign saw england transformed, at her command, from a catholic to a protestant country, with incalculable consequences for the history of europe and of the world starting with the attempted invasion by the spanish armada, beaten off by the queens legendary naval captains. Its origins can be traced almost years back to william the conqueror. The oxford illustrated history of the british monarchy. In the history of anne perrys bestselling victorian mystery series, the stakes have never been greater than nowas a mission for queen and country places the future of the british empire squarely in. The oldest member of the british monarchy was princess alice, duchess of gloucester, who lived until the age of 102. This is a chronologically ordered list of british monarchs starting from the act of union of 1707the unification of the english and scottish kingdoms as great britain. Check out cornwells series on the anglosaxon kings. Genealogical tables are included along with information on important royal landmarks, and some important nonrulers.
Queen elizabeth ii became queen of the united kingdom and head of the commonwealth on 6th february 1952. Top 10 books about royal families books the guardian. The monarchy of the united kingdom, commonly referred to as the british monarchy, is the constitutional monarchy of the united kingdom, its dependencies the bailiwick of guernsey, the bailiwick of jersey and the isle of man and its overseas territories. The best books on british royalty a five books interview. Contact info casemate publishers 1950 lawrence road havertown pa 19083 t. Feb 21, 2017 a searchable 1,000year history of the british crown contained in this one app. Starkeys book was a great introduction for me to the world of the british monarchy. She is head of the british royal family, has 4 children, 8 grandchildren and 8 greatgrandchildren, and is 93 years, 9 months, and 27 days old. Ralph griffiths is professor of medieval history at the university college of wales, swansea.