England's Royal History

Book Categories: Kings & Queens, Pro & Con, The Monarchy, Genealogy, 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, Civil War, Commonwealth of England, Hanovers, Regency, Victoria, Edward VII, British History, British Empire, Windsors, Princess Diana, British Palaces, Royal Collection, Order of the Garter, Recipes, Anecdotes, Animals, Portraits, Christmas, 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 Kings and Queens of England by Nigel Cawthorne. A royal history from Egbert to Elizabeth II.

Divorced, Beheaded, Died: The History of Britain's Kings and Queens in Bite-sized Chunks by Kevin Flude. A witty guide to Britain's royal history, from Henry VIII to some of lesser-known and mythical monarchs.

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

Kings and Queens: Amazing & Extraordinary Facts by Malcolm Day. Revealing stories about the lives and personalities of British monarchs.

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.

Crown & Country - The Kings & Queens of England: A History by David Starkey. Starts with the warring tribal kings who reigned under the Romans, and continues through the Middle Ages and the Wars of the Roses, the turbulent Tudor era, the chaos of the Civil War, to the modern era, including a new chapter on the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, previous royal weddings, and the future of the monarchy.

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 child kings of England.

The Kings & Queens: A Very Peculiar History Quiz Book by Victoria England. Questions and answers about the British monarchy, featuring famous quotes, quirky stories and detailed answers.

British Queens

England's Queens by Elizabeth Norton. Nearly 80 women have sat on the throne of England as queen regnant or queen consort, and their voices survive through their own writings and those of their contemporaries.

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.

She Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor. About Henry I's daughter Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, and Margaret of Anjou.

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.

She-Wolves: The Notorious Queens of Medieval England by Elizabeth Norton. Eleanor of Aquitaine, Anne Boleyn, and other royal "bad girls."

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.

Lives of the Queens of England by Agnes Strickland. Nonfiction by a popular and respected 19th century historical writer.

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

The Rough Guide to the Royals by Alice Hunt and James McConnachie. Background and insight into the current British royal family: what they do, where they get their money, how British they are. Also looks at figures from the past, including Henry VIII, Caroline of Brunswick, and Richard III.

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.

Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy by Kenneth J. Panton. Provides a chronology from the year 495 to modern times, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and other aspects of British culture, society, economy, and politics.

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 Hugo Vickers. This brief book traces 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.

Crown & Country by David Starkey. A history of England through the monarchy. Published in the UK; 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 Sex and Scandals

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."

Sex Lives of the Kings & Queens of England by Nigel Cawthorne. An expose of royal sex scandals from Edward VIII to the House of Windsor.

Behind the Palace Doors: Five Centuries of Sex, Adventure, Vice, Treachery, and Folly From Royal Britain by Michael Farquhar. The personal lives of monarchs from Henry VIII to Elizabeth II. For a fun, sometimes racy look at British royal history with all the boring parts left out, I recommend this book. (Read my longer review here.)

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.

The Pocket Guide to Royal Scandals by Andy Hughes. Facts and rumors about history and skeletons in the British royal cupboards.

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
Books About International Royal Scandals

Coronations, Ceremonies, Celebrations

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

The Coronation: A Royal History by Annie Bullen. Illustrated with over 80 photographs, this souvenir guide looks in detail at the history of the coronation of Britain's kings and queens: the traditions, the pomp, the ceremony, the robes, the jewels.

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.

The Language of Space in Court Performance, 1400-1625 by Janette Dillon. Where was the chair of Mary Queen of Scots placed for her trial? How many paces did the king walk forward to meet an ambassador? How were spectators arranged at tournaments?

Royal Jubilees by Judith Millidge. The celebrations that marked George III's 50th year as king set the mould for the jubilees that followed for Queen Victoria, George V, and Elizabeth II. This 64-page book describes the jubilees and gives examples of the souvenirs that accompanied them.

The Queen's Coronation: The Inside Story by James Wilkinson. An inside look at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Royal Death, Tombs, Wills

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 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.

Great Britain's Royal Tombs: A Guide to the Lives and Burial Places of British Monarchs by Michael Thomas Barry. Learn the true-life stories of the monarchs of England, from the warrior kings of the Dark Ages to modern day, and where they are buried. Includes 234 illustrations and photos.

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.

The Disguised Ruler in Shakespeare and His Contemporaries by Kevin A. Quarmby. In the early 17th century, the London stage often portrayed a ruler covertly spying on his subjects. The disguised ruler motif evolved in the 1580s as light-hearted entertainment, only to suffer a sinister transformation in later years.

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.

The English Aristocracy 1070-1272: A Social Transformation by David Crouch. Examines the English aristocracy between the reigns of William the Conqueror and Edward I, including its relationship with the monarchy.

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.

Writing to the King: Nation, Kingship, and Literature in England, 1250-1350 by David Matthews. In the century before Chaucer, poets frequently addressed political verse to the king as a device to make their comments more effective.

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.

Medieval Intrigue: Decoding Royal Conspiracies by Ian Mortimer. Examines controversial questions in medieval history, including whether Edward II was murdered, his possible later life in Italy, the Lancastrian claim to the throne, and the origins of the idea of the royal pretender.

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 Wars of the Roses by Michael Hicks. Examines the real reasons behind the Wars of the Roses (1455-85) and the involvement of politics, foreign powers, and a 15th-century credit crunch.

Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses by Sarah Gristwood. Women played key roles in the dynastic conflicts that tore apart the ruling Plantagenet family in 15th century England. This book traces the rise and rule of seven of those women, including Marguerite of Anjou, wife of Henry VI; Cecily Neville, mother of Edward IV; and Margaret Beaufort, who gave up her own claim to the throne in favor of her son, Henry VII.

The Women of the Cousins' War: The Duchess, the Queen, and the King's Mother by Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin, and Michael Jones. An illustrated look at the lives of three women during the Wars of the Roses: Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford; Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV; and Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII.

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
Books About the English Civil War

Cromwell and the Commonwealth of England

Perceptions of a Monarchy Without a King: Reactions to Oliver Cromwell's Power by Benjamin Woodford. In 1657, Parliament offered Cromwell the crown of Britain. This book explores the nation's response to this unprecedented event.

Cromwell, Our Chief of Men by Antonia Fraser. Biography.

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

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.

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.

Anecdotes and Quotes

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

Royalty in Quotes: A Miscellany of Regal Ramblings from Ammonite Press. A tongue-in-cheek look at remarks made by member of Britain's royal family. Includes almost 200 photographs.

Royal Wisdom: The Most Daft, Cheeky, and Brilliant Quotes From Britain's Royal Family by Kate Petrella. Entertaining quotes and quips from British royals, including Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Charles.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Portraits

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.

The Royal Portrait: Image and Impact by Jennifer Scott. This book focuses on royal portraits from the Royal Collection. Each chapter opens with a quotation and is structured around specific key images which are discussed in detail.

Royal Christmas

A Royal Christmas by Jeremy Archer. How the British royal family has celebrated Christmas through the ages. Covers such topics as Christmas pastimes, festive feasts, and Christmas and the Commonwealth.

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.

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 River: Power, Pageantry & the Thames by David Starkey and others, edited by Susan Doran. This illustrated catalogue, published to accompany an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, explores the history of the Thames as a stage for royal celebration and symbolism. It includes colourful stories of royal arrivals, coronations and marriages; frost fairs and boat races; and more.

The Rights and Wrongs of Royal Marriage: How the Law Has Led to Heartbreak, Farce and Confusion by Rebecca Probert. Obscure acts of Parliament have threatened to render members of the royal family illegitimate and prevented others from following their hearts. Drawing on once-secret files in the UK's National Archives, this book recounts episodes from the 18th century right down to the present day that will amuse and astonish royalists and republicans alike.

Bringing Them Up Royal by David Cohen. How the British royals raised their children, from Henry VIII to modern times.

Royal Exiles: From Richard the Lionheart to Charles II by Iain Soden. Covers English kings and princes forced to flee into exile or endure captivity at home or abroad, and foreign royalty held in England.

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.

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

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.

Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination by Scot McKendrick, John Lowden, and Kathleen Doyle. This catalog for a British Library exhibition of illuminated manuscripts collected by the kings and queens of England. Includes full-page illustrations and three essays.

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.

Kings & Queens: The History of the British Monarchy by Anita Ganeri. Information, facts and figures on all the kings and queens of England, from William I (1066-1087) to Elizabeth II (1952-present). Includes an introduction about early rulers. Fully illustrated.

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.

The Wars of the Roses: A Bloody Crown. Using re-enactments and interviews with historians and authors, this documentary brings to life the blood-soaked wars between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.

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