Author(s): Charles Phillips

History

In this lavishly illustrated volume, Charles Phillips charts the complete history of the royal families of Britain.
Beginning in earliest times with the legend of King Arthur, Eric Bloodaxe and the real-life bloody history of Macbeth, he describes the lives and legends of the kings and queens of Britain, their consorts and children, and the pretenders, usurpers and regents who played a role in the making of the United Kingdom.

Over 500 paintings and photographs, drawings and engravings, artefacts and sculptures show how the royals have been viewed by every generation. Throughout, fact boxes highlight the essential events of each reign, and maps, charts and family trees contribute to this absorbing and outstanding book.

Special feature spreads reveal the true history of Richard the Lionheart and the Crusades; the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII; and Scottish independence from the time of 'Braveheart' William Wallace to the Jacobite Risings.

The history of Britain has often been partly the history of the world, and this was especially true during the reigns of two queens: the exploration of the New World that marked the Golden Age of Elizabeth I, and later the growth of the British Empire during the Age of Victoria.

Key moments of constitutional crisis include the trial and execution of Charles I in 1649, and more recently the Abdication Crisis in 1936 when Edward VIII gave up the throne to marry American divorcee Mrs Wallace Simpson. The private life and public face of glamorous, hard-working and complex Princess Diana is described, as well as her tragic sudden death. Today, the role of the second Queen Elizabeth as head of 'The Firm' and the declining British Commonwealth is assessed, and the future of the monarchy is touched on as the new generation of royal princes come of age.

A valuable reference book for any historian, this expert and authoritative guide will absorb, entertain and fascinate every reader interested in discovering more about one of the longest-running monarchies in the world.