British Royalty

Since William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, crossed the English Channel in 1066 to defeat King Harold II and unite England’s various kingdoms, 41 kings and queens have sat on Britain’s throne. “Shining examples of royal power and majesty alongside a rogue’s gallery of weak, lazy, or evil monarchs,” as Tracy Borman describes them in her sparkling chronicle, Crown & Sceptre.

There are some who would argue that in the 21st Century a monarchy, of any description, is an outdated institution, but paradoxically, it only takes the merest hint of a Royal scandal or conspiracy for the world press to be in hot pursuit of the story. What’s more, any newspaper or magazine fortunate enough to get a Royal exclusive, even in our modern age, is guaranteed to increase circulation dramatically, suggesting that there is as much interest in the monarchy as there has ever been. So how did it all begin? Well, for the British, the answer to that question is quite simply when the ...

Royal unions have always been the stuff of scintillating gossip, from the passionate Plantagenets to Henry VIII’s alarming head count of wives and mistresses, to the Sapphic crushes of Mary and Anne Stuart right on up through the scandal-blighted coupling of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Thrown into loveless, arranged marriages for political and economic gain, many royals were driven to indulge their pleasures outside the marital bed, engaging in delicious flirtations, lurid love letters, and rampant sex with voluptuous and willing partners.

How did a fashion icon transform into a beloved humanitarian on the world stage? How was the Princess of Wales able to successfully navigate a complex marital situation to her advantage? Was she or wasn’t she in love that final summer? Diana, A Spencer Forever answers all these questions as the final chapters in Princess Diana’s story unfold in 1996 and 1997. Explore the final months leading up to her tragic death, and the global grieving phenomenon that came to define her. The first biographical fiction in the trilogy, Diana, A Spencer in Love tells the story of the Princess’s first ...

💔 When the fairytale cracks, the truth comes flooding out. A Royal Princess is trapped in a loveless marriage. A relentless paparazzi stalks her every move. And the world’s most famous woman stands on the brink of breaking free. It’s 1992—the year everything changes. Behind the glittering façade of palaces and pageantry, Princess Diana faces betrayal, heartbreak, and a media storm that will shatter the illusion of her perfect marriage. In Diana, A Spencer in Turmoil, author Deb Stratas brings to life the private struggles that defined the People’s Princess—her battle with ...

Anybody who visits London at the height of the summer will soon realize that the United Kingdom’s capital city attracts sightseers from every far-flung corner of the globe. And what’s on their list of attractions to see? Nine times out of ten it will be Buckingham Palace, often followed by the Tower of London, and since the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, her former residence, Kensington Palace. In an age when the monarchy, British or otherwise, is accused of being an outdated institution, the tourists still flock in their millions to follow in the footsteps of Royalty...

A “riotously readable…tender and affectionate” (Daily Mail, London) exploration of five hundred years of British history—from King Henry VIII to Queen Elizabeth II—as seen through the doorways of the exquisite Hampton Court Palace. Architecturally breathtaking and rich in splendid art...

A revelatory account of how the loving marriage of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth saved the monarchy during World War II, and how they raised their daughter to become Queen Elizabeth II, based on exclusive access to the Royal Archives—from the bestselling author of Elizabeth the Queen and...

For fans of the Netflix series The Crown, a meticulously researched historical tour de force about the secret ties among Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, the Duke of Windsor, and Adolf Hitler before, during, and after World War II. Andrew Morton tells the story of the feckless Edward...

In 1923, Louise Mountbatten’s marriage to Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf marked a significant turning point in her life. As the Swedish Crown Princess, she was thrust into the spotlight, a life she had not wished for. During the First World War, she served as a Red Cross nurse, dedicating herself to helping others. Despite her royal birth as a Princess of Battenberg, she desired a simpler life. At the end of the war, the family adopted the name Mountbatten, and Louise vowed never to marry royalty. However, when she met her Gusty, her principle yielded to love, and she said yes despite his ...

An "enchanting" upstairs/downstairs history of the British royal court, from the Middle Ages to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Wall Street Journal). Monarchs: they're just like us. They entertain their friends and eat and worry about money. Henry VIII tripped over his dogs. George II threw his...

The ultimate guide to every British monarch there's ever been: 64 profiles by 64 different historians, politicians and journalists compiled by leading political commentator Iain Dale 'We all know about Queen Victoria, Edward VIII and Queen Elizabeth II, but how much do we really know about other...

She’s seventeen, spontaneous, and entirely too clever. He’s twenty-nine, serious, and completely off-limits. But the more they clash, the harder it is to stay apart. Octavia Shelford is doing her best to dazzle the beau monde—and more importantly, her mother—on their Grand Tour. But a year of elegant soirées and polite conversation has only left her exhausted and no closer to impressing the one man whose opinion truly matters. Guy Claybury, the Duke of Woodford, gave up on finding a love match years ago. He is far too old and far too occupied with preventing war between England and...

The next volume in Alexander Larman's biographical chronicle of the Windsor family, as they go to war with Adolf Hitler—and each other. At the beginning of 1937, the British monarchy was in a state of turmoil. The previous king, Edward VIII, had abdicated the throne, leaving his unprepared and...

This program features an introduction read by the author. Alexander Larman, the master chronicler of the House of Windsor, brings his acclaimed trilogy to a dramatic and poignant conclusion. When the Royal Family took to the balcony of Buckingham Palace on VE Day in 1945, they knew that the...

For millions of people, both in Britain and across the world, Elizabeth II is the embodiment of monarchy. Her long life spans nearly a century of national and global history, from a time before the Great Depression to the era of COVID-19. Her reign embraces all but seven years of Britain's postwar history; she has been served by 15 UK prime ministers from Churchill to Johnson, and witnessed the administrations of 13 US presidents from Truman to Trump. The vast majority of Britons cannot remember a world without Elizabeth II as head of state and the Commonwealth.

When you look back in history at royal romances, surprising as it may seem, few have happy ever after endings, and in many instances the idea of “Love and Marriage” being inextricably linked is not quite as common as you might at first think. In fairy stories handsome Kings and Princes regularly sweep fair maidens off their feet, transforming them into Princesses and Queens, and although a rarer occurrence, a Royal Princess can create a Prince out of the most unpromising of characters! From King Arthur through to Prince Charles and Diana, Royal Romances - The British Monarchy gives you ...

"Once again, David Philips has produced an intriguing counter-history in a narrative that would rival the efforts of Hollywood legends." -Carolyn Korsmeyer, author of Little Follies If you think Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are the first royal couple to alienate themselves from their family, you couldn't be more wrong. Back in the 1930s and 1940s, the former British king, Edward VIII and his wife, Wallis Simpson, not only distanced themselves from their royal household. Edward, now styled the Duke of Windsor after his abdication, actively colluded with Britain's enemies...

“This Work Is, By His Royal Highness’s Permission, Most Respectfully Dedicated, By His Royal Highness’s Dutiful And Obedient Humble Servant, The Author.” Underneath the dedication was a line written by the Royal Librarian during the Regency, Mr. Stanier Clarke: ‘A Scribbler: The Honorable Miss Elizabeth Bennet.’ What is the story behind this novel, which was distinguished enough that the Prince Regent, later George IV, requested a dedication to himself? Was the author from the peerage, or did she earn the title? —Prologue, From the Hedgerows to Windsor After Hunsford, ...

She’s engaged to his brother. She’s falling in love with him anyway. Mining heiress Lucy Maldon is determined to make her engagement more than a business arrangement—even if it means following her elusive fiancé on his Grand Tour. But Walter, Lord Chelmsford, has no intention of playing the part of devoted husband-to-be. His younger brother, Peter, has always lived in his older brother’s shadow. Tasked with accompanying his brother across the Continent, Peter never expected to spend so much time with Lucy—or to fall for the woman he can never have. Torn between loyalty and love, ...