Who invented the 'House of Windsor' as a royal name? Who founded Westminster Abbey? Which king had twenty-one illegitimate children? David Hilliam answers all of these questions and more. Here is a continuous history of the English monarchy, showing how the nine dynasties rose and fell. The book describes the most memorable features of the life and times of each king and queen - from Egbert, crowned in 802 and considered the first king of England, to Queen Elizabeth II - as well as recording the extraordinary lives of their queens, consorts, mistresses and bastard children. It also tells the story of the Saxons, describes what has happened to the monarchs' mortal remains, and relates many lively incidents of royal history that rarely appear in the text books. Read of the saintly Edward the Confessor, who is believed to have refused to consummate his marriage; of teh rumbustious Henry VIII, given to beheading those who displeased him; of the 'little gentleman in black velvet', who caused the death of William III; and of Queen Victoria's strangest servant, the 'Munshi', Queen Emma, who endured a trial by ordeal; and Anne Boleyn, widely suspected of being a witch. A complete list of the monarchs' reigns and a genealogical table showing the royal descent down thirty-seven generations from Egbert to Elizabeth II adds to the volume's reference value.

Which 'ill-prepared' monarch was on the English throne at the turn of the last millenium? How many English monarchs have been crowned on St George's Day? When, how and why did England 'lose' eleven days? "Monarchs, Murders & Mistresses" answers these questions and many more, presenting a royal event for each day of the calendar year in vivid detail with close-ups of the personalities involved. The book reveals the recurring occupational difficulties faced by the royal family over the centuries: as Shakespeare's Henry VI so memorably concludes. 'Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown'. Today the royal family is plagued by the press, but even 300 years ago Charles II felt the need to apologise to a crowd of onlookers for taking so long to die. this book contains topics ranging from the death of William III, who was killed by a mole to the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots. These, and over 400 other tales of royal days, bring alive the drama of what it was, and is, to be a king or a queen.

For more than sixty years, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine was involved in all the important events in twelfth-century France and England. This wonderful book tells her tale in exquisite detail, from describing the fashionable furs and luxurious clothing she carried with her, to vivid descriptions of the court of medieval France. It recounts the harrowing battles in the Holy Land as well as the true-to-life discussions of Eleanor s many love interests. Filled with hard-to-find images including a photo of the only remaining sculpture of the famous queen this is a fascinating and visually stunning book.

Coronations are very public occasions, typically seen as meticulously planned formal ceremonies where everything runs smoothly. But behind the scenes at Westminster Abbey lie extraordinary but true stories of mayhem, confusion and merriment. In this book we travel through over a thousand years of England's history to reveal the real character of its kings and queens. Also packed with facts about how the service, traditions and accessories have changed over the years, Crown, Orb & Sceptre provides both a compelling read and an accessible and irreverent reference guide to one of the most spectacular ceremonies in England's heritage.

The Lost Generation of the First World War were boys who had barely left school before they found themselves living in trenches, drowning in mud and living in constant fear of death. This unique collection of letters from a group of schoolboys who attended Bournemouth Grammar pays tribute to these boys who barely had the chance to become men. Bournemouth's grammar school was founded in 1901. Tragically, all boys who were pupils there in its first decade grew up to be of fighting age in the bloodiest war in history. Ninety-eight of them were killed, averaging about one death every fortnight throughout that conflict. However, it was not all unrelieved blood and slaughter. Life was hard, but often full of interest and surprise. Many of them wrote back to 'Tig' – their much-respected headmaster to tell him of their wartime adventures. Collectively, these letters provide a wide spectrum of the 'Great War.' We read of young men enjoying trying to catch rats in the trenches, winning bets on how long it would take to rescue a tank from no man's land, playing 'footer' amid the gunfire, and singing 'ragtime' in a rickety new-fangled aeroplane while 'rocking the machine in time to it.' This is the voice of the Lost Generation.

Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy, Second Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 800 cross-referenced entries that cover significant events, places, institutions, and other aspects of British culture, economics, politics, and society.