England's Royal History

Book Categories: Pro & Con, The Monarchy, Genealogy, Kings & Queens, Princes of Wales, Sex, Coronations, Death, Shakespeare, Early Britain, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans, Angevins, Middle Ages, Plantagenets, Hundred Years' War, Wars of the Roses, Lancastrians, Yorkists, Tudors, Scotland, Stuarts, Hanovers, Regency, Victoria, Edward VII, British History, British Empire, Windsors, Princess Diana, British Palaces, Royal Collection, Order of the Garter, Recipes, Anecdotes, Animals, Miscellaneous, Children's Books, DVDs, Royalty Magazines, Scotland, Wales, Europe

The Kings and Queens of Britain (Oxford Paperback Reference) by John Cannon and Anne Hargreaves. A dictionary of the kings and queens of Britain, ranging from mythical and early pre-conquest rulers to the present House of Windsor. Covers English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish monarchs.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Royal Britain: A Magnificent Study of Britain's Royal and Historic Heritage by Charles Phillips. A compendium of kings, queens and rulers, and their architectural legacies.

Kings & Queens by Richard Cavendish and Pip Leahy. The story of Britain's monarchs from pre-Roman times to today.

The Kings and Queens of England by Ian Crofton. Includes a timeline of key events, memorable quotations, family trees, and more.

Kings and Queens of the British Isles by Thomas Cussans. This lavishly-illustrated book uses tells the story of British monarchs, including Hengist, Horsa, Brian Boru, Hywel Dda, Mary Queen of Scots, and Queen Victoria.

Royal Panoply by Carrolly Erickson. Brief lives of the English monarchs.

The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England by Antonia Fraser. Biographical sketches about British monarchs, from the early Norman kings through Elizabeth II. Includes family trees and drawings of the royal coats of arms.

Kings & Queens of England and Scotland by Plantagenet Somerset Fry. From the first Saxon king to Charles, Prince of Wales, this compact visual guide conveys the drama and history of Britain's royal lineage.

The Kings and Queens of England by W. M. Ormrod. In this new illustrated edition, historians vividly present the lives of the country's monarchs from the warrior kings of the Dark Ages to the present queen.

The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Kings & Queens of Britain by Charles Phillips. This comprehensive visual encyclopedia lists every British king and queen, and provides insight into the world in which they lived.

Kings and Queens of Britain's Modern Age: From Hanover to Windsor, 1714 - Today by Charles Phillips. Traces the royal family from the accession of George I to the development of the modern Commonwealth.

Royals of England by Kathleen Spaltro and Noeline Bridge. Chronological biographies. Includes 50 family trees.

The Royal Minorities of Medieval and Early Modern England edited by Charles Beem. The history of underage male kings of England.

British Queens

The Lioness Roared: The Problems of Female Rule in English History by Charles Beem. Examines problems facing female rulers, from the 12th century empress Matilda's efforts to become England's first regnant queen to Queen Victoria's exercise of power during the Bedchamber Crisis of 1839.

Sovereign Ladies: Sex, Sacrifice and Power - The Six Reigning Queens of England by Maureen Waller. About Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Mary I, Queen Mary II, Queen Anne, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II.

The Last Medieval Queens: English Queenship 1445-1503 by J. L. Laynesmith. The last medieval queens of England were Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne Neville, and Elizabeth of York. This book considers what it meant to be a queen during those turbulent times, and the ways in which these women interpreted their roles.

Queens Consort: England's Medieval Queens by Lisa Hilton. The lives of the 20 women who were crowned queen between 1066 and 1503, including well-known figures like Eleanor of Aquitaine and forgotten figures such as Adeliza of Louvain.

'High and Mighty Queens' of Early Modern England edited by Carole Levin, Debra Barrett-Graves, and Jo Eldridge Carney. Scholarly essays on Catherine of Aragon, Mary I, Elizabeth I, Anna of Denmark, Henrietta Maria, and more.

Queens & Power in Medieval and Early Modern England edited by Carole Levin and Robert Bucholz. How historical, fictional, and Biblical queens were represented in medieval and early modern England.

Queenship in Britain 1660-1837 edited by Clarissa Campbell Orr. Essays about royal patronage, court culture, and dynastic politics. Topics include the marriage options of royal daughters and the travails of Princesses of Wales.

Letters of the Queens of England edited by Anne Crawford. Includes letters from virtually every medieval and Tudor queen, from Matilda of Scotland to Katherine Parr. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Princes of Wales (Heirs to Throne)

Princes of Wales by Deborah Fisher. As heir apparent to the British throne, the Prince of Wales has always been at the center of public scrutiny. This book offers an overview of all 21 officially recognized Princes of Wales, from the first Prince of Wales in 1301 to the present-day Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II's son Prince Charles.

Princes of Wales: Royal Heirs and Their Lives in Waiting by David Loades. The stories of history's most interesting British royal heirs, from the charismatic 14th century Black Prince to the colorful characters of the 20th century.

Investiture: Royal Ceremony and National Identity in Wales 1911-1969 by John S. Ellis. A study of the ceremonies of the Investiture of the Prince of Wales and the public reaction to them.

The Monarchy

A Companion to the Royal Heritage of Britain by Marc Alexander. An encyclopedic work on every aspect of the monarchy in Britain from semi-legendary times to the present day, including such traditions as Maundy money and the Orders of Chivalry.

The Monarchy and the British Nation, 1780 to the Present edited by Andrzej Olechnowicz. Essays on the monarchy and public values, the monarchy's popularity, the monarchy and Ireland, and more.

The Royal Line of Succession by Hugh Vickers. This brief book braces the histories of the men and women who have found themselves in line to the throne.

The Oxford Illustrated History of the Monarchy by Ralph Alan Griffiths and John Ashton Cannon. Ranging from the Dark Ages through to the present day, the authors provide a vivid picture of Britain's kings and queens, and of the monarchy as a political and social force. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards: Who's Who in the British Monarchy by David Hilliam. Royal biography and genealogy. From Alibris.

More Books About British Royal Genealogy
Books About the Pros & Cons of Monarchy

Royal Affairs and Mistresses

Royal Affairs: A Lusty Romp Through the Extramarital Adventures That Rocked the British Monarchy by Leslie Carroll. Love affairs that "disrupted dynastic alliances, endangered lives, and fed the salacious curiosity of the public for centuries."

Ladies of the Bedchamber: The Role of the Royal Mistress by Dennis Friedman. According to the author, sex addiction threads its way through 600 years of the British monarchy to the present day.

Royal Sex: Mistresses & Lovers of the British Royal Family by Roger Powell. Certain aristocratic families provided monarchs with mistresses over the centuries to capture royal power and patronage.

Lives of the English Rakes by Fergus Linnane. Charts the exploits the English rake, from the hedonistic King Charles II and his licentious courtiers to the flowering and decline of the rake during the Victorian era.

Books About European Royal Sex Lives

Coronations

Coronation by Roy Strong. This comprehensive history sets each of Britain's coronations in its political, religious, and cultural context. Illustrated.

The Drama of Coronation: Medieval Ceremony in Early Modern England by Alice Hunt. Examines the five coronations that took place in England between 1509 and 1559: those of Henry VIII, Anne Bolyen, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Royal Death, Tombs, Wills

The Ends of Kings by Geoff Brown. About the death and burial sites of all English kings and queens since William the Conqueror. Includes maps and photographs.

The Death of Kings: Royal Deaths in Medieval England by Michael Evans. An account of what is known about the deaths of medieval English kings, whether natural, violent, or accidental.

The Royal Tombs of Great Britain: An Illustrated History by Aidan Dodson. This lavishly illustrated book provides a concise digest, largely based on primary source material, of all that is known about the sepulchres of British rulers down to the Georgian era. Entries include a biographical note on the tomb's owner, the circumstances of death, the architecture and decoration of the tomb, post-interment history, and bibliography.

Royal Wills by J. Nichols. The full title of this book is "A Collection of All the Wills, Now Known to Be Extant, of the Kings and Queens of England, Princes and Princesses of Wales, and Every Branch of the Blood Royal, From the Reign of William the Conqueror to That of Henry the Seventh." Published in 1999.

Books About European Royal Murders

Kings in Shakespeare's Plays

Shakespeare's Kings: The Great Plays and the History of England in the Middle Ages, 1337-1485 by John Julius Norwich takes a look at the historical accuracy of Shakespeare's plays about English kings.

Shakespeare's English Kings: History, Chronicle, and Drama by Peter Saccio also explores the history behind Shakespeare's plays. Includes genealogical charts.

Shakespeare's Consuls, Cardinals, and Kings: The Real History Behind the Plays by Dick Riley. Examines the sources available to Shakespeare, how he turned history into drama (and kept himself in the good graces of Queen Elizabeth and King James), and what modern historians say about his plays.

Alterations of State: Sacred Kingship in the English Reformation by Richard C. McCoy. Looks at how writers like Shakespeare and Milton portrayed kingship during the Reformation.

Holy Estates: Marriage and Monarchy in Shakespeare and His Contemporaries by Sid Ray. Early modern political treatises adopt the language of marriage tracts, using their construction of the family unit as a model for exercising power. The metaphors often took on subversive meanings when redeployed in fiction and drama.

The Middle Ages

A Royal History of England: The Middle Ages by John Gillingham, Peter Earle, and Antonia Fraser.

The Kings and Their Hawks: Falconry in Medieval England by Robin S. Oggins. This book, the first broad history of English royal falconry during the period, describes the practice and conditions of the sport and the role of falconers in the English royal household.

Gothic Kings of Britain by Philip J. Potter. The lives of 31 medieval rulers, 1016-1399.

Gender, Family and the Legitimation of Power: England From the Ninth to Early Twelfth Century by Pauline Stafford. Essays on Anglo-Saxon and early Norman England focusing on political issues of family, succession, inheritance, and land holding among royalty and the elite.

The Royal Pardon: Access to Mercy in Fourteenth-Century England by Helen Lacey. Analyzes the procedures of pardoning and the role of royal mercy at moments of political upheaval. Appendices provide full lists of over 1,000 people who acted as intercessors for mercy, from personal servants of the crown to great nobles of the realm.

Kings in the North by Alexander Rose. In the Middle Ages, the earls of Northumberland were famed, or notorious, as the Kings in the North. This book traces the history of the Percy dynasty from the days of William the Conqueror to the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Books About the Norman Dynasty
Books About William the Conqueror
Books About the Angevin Kings
Books About Eleanor of Aquitaine
Books About the Plantagenets
Books About the Hundred Years' War

Wars of the Roses

The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir. Rich in character, pageantry, and drama, and vivid in its recreation of a grim period of history.

A Royal History of England: The Wars of the Roses by Anthony Cheetham and Antonia Fraser.

The Red Rose and the White: The Wars of the Roses, 1453-1487 by John Sadler. The Wars of the Roses were a series of mini-wars fought between two branches of the Plantagenet royal family, and won by the Tudors. This is a history of the entire dynastic struggle, including the social, economic, religious, political and military aspects.

The Kingmaker's Sisters: Six Powerful Women in the Wars of the Roses by David Baldwin. The six sisters of Warwick the Kingmaker all married powerful noblemen fighting on opposite sides in the Wars of the Roses.

Books About the Royal House of Lancaster
Books About the Royal House of York

Tudors & Stuarts

Quarrel With the King: The Story of an English Family on the High Road to Civil War by Adam Nicolson. Follows the first four earls of Pembroke from the 1520s through 1650. The richest family in England, the Pembrokes both threatened the Crown and acted as its violent agents before ultimately rebelling against the monarchy.

Books About the Tudor Dynasty
Books About the Stuart Dynasty

The House of Hanover

Books About the Royal House of Hanover
Books About the Regency
Books About Queen Victoria and Her Family
Books About the Royal Family & Jack the Ripper

British History

English History Made Brief, Irreverent, and Pleasurable by Lacey Baldwin Smith. An amusing tour through England's history.

The History of England by Thomas Babington Macaulay. Classic account by a bestselling Victorian author.

Folly and Fortune in Early British History: From Caesar to the Normans by Kenneth G. Henshall. Examines the role of foolishness in major events of British history, particularly invasions.

This Sceptred Isle, 55 BC-1901: From the Roman Invasion to the Death of Queen Victoria by Christopher Lee. Focuses on the key characters and pivotal events that have shaped British history.

This Sceptred Isle, Volume 2: Twentieth Century by Christopher Lee. Focuses on the key characters and pivotal events that have shaped British history.

This Sceptred Isle, Volume 3: The Dynasties by Christopher Lee. Tells the stories of powerful families that shaped the history of the British Isles, from the Godwines, Despensers, Percys, and Cecils to the media barons of the 21st century.

Simon Schama's History of Britain Series
Books About Scotland's Royal History
Books About the History of Wales

The British Empire

This Sceptred Isle: The British Empire by Christopher Lee. Britain's empire was the largest the world has ever known. At his coronation, over 400 million people saluted George V. The story of the British Empire is one of enormous personalities, adventure, and complex international administration.

The Cambridge Illustrated History of the British Empire edited by P.J. Marshall.

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire by Lawrence James.

Heaven's Command: An Imperial Progress by Jan Morris traces the beginnings of the British empire.

Pax Britannica: The Climax of an Empire by Jan Morris. About the heyday of the British empire.

Farewell the Trumpets: An Imperial Retreat by Jan Morris. Third book in Morris' series tells the story of the empire's decline.

The 20th Century and the Windsors

Books About King Edward VII
Books About the Modern Royal Family
Books About Diana, Princess of Wales
Books About Sarah, Duchess of York

English Royal Castles and Palaces

Royal Castles and Palaces of Great Britain

The Order of the Garter

The Order of the Garter 1348-1461: Chivalry and Politics in Late Medieval England by Hugh E. L. Collins. Scholarly study from Oxford University Press. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

History of the Most Noble Order of the Garter & the Several Orders of Knighthood in Europe by Elias Ashmole. First published in 1715.

Royal Dining and Recipes

Dinner at Buckingham Palace: A Unique Collection of Recipes, Menus, Anecdotes and Tastes of the Royal Household by Charles Oliver and Paul Fishman. From Queen Victoria to the present day, this book provides a look at the tastes and traditions of Britain's royal household.

Eating Like a King: A History of Royal Recipes by Michele Brown. What did Mary Tudor eat for breakfast? What made George IV so very fat? This collection of recipes enjoyed by British monarchs from William the Conqueror to Edward VII explains how to prepare roast peacock, blackbirds baked in a pie, and more practical dishes.

For the Royal Table: Dining at the Palace by Kathryn Jones. A lavishly illustrated behind-the-scenes look at 350 years of royal banquets, from Charles II to the present day.

Anecdotes and Quotes

We Are Amused by Alan Hamilton. Over 500 years of bons mots by and about the British royal family.

A View From the Sidelines by Michael Shea. The queen's former press secretary offers a light-hearted behind-the-scenes account of his years with presidents, monarchs, film stars, and their hangers-on.

How Fat Was Henry VIII? And 101 Other Questions on Royal History by Raymond Lamont-Brown. Which king invented the handkerchief? Which queen pretended to be invisible? Which king pawned his crown? Did monarchs use contraception? Find out.

The Oxford Book of Royal Anecdotes by Elizabeth Longford. Covers the full range of Britain's history from the first century A.D. to modern royals. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Right Royal Remarks: From William I to Queen Elizabeth II edited by Michael Hill. Intriguing and entertaining quotes from British royals. From Alibris.

You Look Awfully Like the Queen: Wit and Wisdom From the House of Windsor by Thomas Blaikie. An illustrated collection of amusing and affectionate anecdotes about the British royal family. From Alibris.

Corgi and Bess: More Wit and Wisdom From the House of Windsor by Thomas Blaikie. A second anthology of hilarious and touching royal anecdotes. From Alibris.

Royalty & Animals

Noble Hounds and Dear Companions by Sophie Gordon. Over a century of photographs of royal pets and royal owners.

All the King's Horses: A Celebration of Royal Horses From 1066 to the Present Day by Amanda Murray. A history of British royal horse-racing and breeding. Discover how the side saddle was introduced, the connections between horsemanship and architecture, Queen Victoria's achievements as a breeder, and more.

Miscellaneous

Royal Warriors: A Military History of the British Monarchy by Charles Carlton. Explores the role that kings and queens have played in war, and how war has shaped the monarchy.

Royal Bounty: The Making of a Welfare Monarchy by Frank Prochaska. The story of the royal family's voluntary work from the 18th century to the present, and its significance in a democratic, collectivist age.

Democratic Royalism: The Transformation of the British Monarchy, 1861-1914 by William M. Kuhn. Focuses on the actions of five people who created the modern monarchy: Walter Bagehot, W.E. Gladstone, Lord Esher, Randall Davidson and the Duke of Norfolk.

Royal Poxes & Potions by Raymond Lamont-Brown about the history of English royal physicians, surgeons and apothecaries.

A Right Royal Christmas: An Anthology edited by Hugh Douglas. Explores events in English history that took place during the Christmas season, and how royals such as Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria celebrated the holiday.

Great Tales From English History: The Truth About King Arthur, Lady Godiva, Richard the Lionheart, and More by Robert Lacey.

The Royal Image and the English People by Nicola Smith. Examines the history of royal statues and monuments.

Royal Faces: From William the Conqueror to the Present Day by Dana Bentley-Cranch. Portraits of English royals.

Royal Dress by Valerie Cumming is about the image and the reality of clothing in the English royal court from 1580 to the present day.

Monarchs, Murders and Mistresses: A Calendar of Royal Days by David Hilliam and Christopher Hibbert. What happened on each day of the year in English royal history. Includes family trees.

Fools and Jesters at the English Court by John Southworth. A reign-by reign account of court fools from their origins in Carolingian Europe and Celtic Ireland to the time of James I. Out of print, but sometimes available from Alibris.

The Dukes: The Origins, Ennoblement and History of 26 Families by Brian Masters. There are only 26 non-royal dukes in the British Peerage. The author tells their stories. From Alibris.

The Secret People of the Palaces by Joan Glasheen. The royal household from the Plantagenets to Queen Victoria. From Alibris.

The Media, the Monarchy and the Constitution
New Royal Books
Royalty Magazines

For Children

British Kings & Queens by John Guy. One thousand years of intrigue, struggle, passion and power, from the early Saxon and Danish kings to the present day. For children ages 9 to 12.

Kings and Queens of England by John Green. More than 1,200 years of ruling British monarchs fill the pages of this coloring book, from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II. For children ages 4 to 8.

A Coloring Book of Kings & Queens of England edited by David Brownell; illustrated by Harry Knill and Donna Neary.

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On DVD

These DVDs are formatted for North American audiences and may not work in other areas.

Monarchy With David Starkey. This six-episode series carries the viewer through nearly 10 centuries of royal rule in England.

History of Britain Series

A Complete History of Britain. All 15 episodes of Simon Schama's landmark program are available together in this set.

Companion Books to the History of Britain Series

A History of Britain: At the Edge of the World, 3500 B.C.-1603 A.D, by Simon Schama. Includes striking portraits, pictures, and maps. Companion book to the first History of Britain series.

A History of Britain: The Wars of the British. Second book in Schama's series, covering the years 1603 to 1776.

A History of Britain, Volume III: The Fate of Empire 1776-2002 by Simon Schama. Third book in the series.

DVDs About the Crown Jewels
DVDs About the Modern British Royal Family
More DVDs About Royalty