Following the dramatic announcement that Richard III's body had been discovered, past controversies have been matched by fresh disputes. Why is Richard III England's most controversial king? The question of his reburial has provoked national debate and protest, taking levels of interest in the medieval king to an unprecedented level. While Richard's life remains able to polarise opinion, the truth probably lies somewhere between the maligned saint and the evil hunchback stereotypes. Why did he seize the throne? Did he murder the Princes in the Tower? Why have the location and details of his reburial sparked a parliamentary debate? This book will act as both an introduction to his life and reign and a commemoration to tie in with his reburial.

The first major biography of Henry VIII least favourite wife - but the one who outlived them all. 'I like her not!' was the verdict of Henry VIII on meeting his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, for the first time. Anne could have said something similar on meeting Henry and, having been promised the most handsome prince in Europe, she was destined to be disappointed in the elderly and corpulent king. Henry also felt that Anne was not as she had been described, complaining that he had been sent a Flander's mare. Forced to proceed with their wedding for diplomatic reasons, Henry and Anne tried to make the best of the situation, but attempts to consummate the match were farcical. Henry could not bring himself to touch his new bride and Anne, entirely ignorant of such matters, did not even notice that there was a problem. After only seven months of marriage Henry was so desperate to rid himself of Anne that he declared himself impotent in order to secure a divorce. Anne was also eager to end her marriage and, with her clever handling of Henry obtained one of the biggest divorce settlements in English history. Following her divorce, Anne made good use of her many properties, including Richmond Palace, Hever Castle and the house at Lewes now known as 'Anne of Cleves' House'. Anne of Cleves is often portrayed as a stupid and comical figure. The real Anne was both intelligent and practical, ensuring that, whilst she was queen for the shortest period, she was the last of all Henry VIII's wives to survive. Henry's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell lost his head for his role in the Cleves marriage, but Anne's shrewdness ensured she kept hers. Even after Henry's death, Anne managed to work to her own advancement, attempting to annul her divorce in order to ensure her financial security as a dowager queen. Anne of Cleves led a dramatic and often dangerous life but, for all this, of Henry VIII's six wives, she is truly the wife that survived.

The Queen is a succinct and intimate biography of Elizabeth II, who has managed to remain enigmatic yet is the most recognized woman in the world. For more than thirty years Robert Lacey has been gathering material from the members of the Queen's inner circle - her friends, relatives, private secretaries and prime ministers - and the results are distilled in this elegant, small format hardback, at under GBP10 contrasting deliberately with the other weighty and expensive Jubilee tomes. Tracing the Queen's life through its major stages, and uncovering her greatest personal loves, and trials, The Queen offers the freshness of the first-hand insights and compelling story-telling for which Robert Lacey's best-selling biographies are famous.

In the years before the First World War, the great European powers were ruled by three first cousins: King George V of Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Together, they presided over the last years of dynastic Europe and the outbreak of the most destructive war the world had ever seen, a war that set twentieth-century Europe on course to be the most violent continent in the history of the world.
Through brilliant and often darkly comic portraits of these men and their lives, their foibles and obsessions, Miranda Carter delivers the tragicomic story of Europe's early twentieth-century aristocracy, a solipsistic world preposterously out of kilter with its times.

An essential and concise reference guide to the final resting places of the monarchs of England. Through 234 illustrations and photos, 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 today. Visit some of the famous cathedrals and lesser-known burial sites throughout Great Britain. Learn about some of the most dramatic episodes in the history of Great Britain. Whether it's William the Conqueror's slaying of Harold Godwinson, Henry VIII's readiness to behead his unfortunate wives, or Elizabeth I's chastity, these monarchs hold both legendary and symbolic positions in the public imagination. In a spectacular celebration of the British monarchy, discover momentous content detailing the lives and final resting places of each ruler. Also presented are their achievements and failings, as well as their impact on the wider world. A magnificent visual feast, this book guarantees to bring history alive for readers of all ages, through exciting narrative, illustrations, paintings, and rare photographs.

Queen Anne (1665-1714) was not charismatic, brilliant or beautiful, but under her rule, England rose from the chaos of regicide, civil war and revolution to the cusp of global supremacy. She fought a successful overseas war against Europe's superpower and her moderation kept the crown independent of party warfare at home. This biography reveals Anne Stuart as resolute, kind and practical-a woman who surmounted personal tragedy and poor health to become a popular and effective ruler.

From the Modern Library's new set of beautifully repackaged hardcover classics by Robert K. Massie--also available are "Peter the Great "and "The Romanovs"
In this commanding book, Robert K. Massie, prize-winning author of "Catherine the Great, " sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of Imperial Russia to tell the story of the Romanovs' lives: Nicholas's political naivete, Alexandra's obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin, and little Alexis's brave struggle with hemophilia. Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Massie unfolds a powerful drama of passion and history--the story of a doomed empire and the death-marked royals who watched it crumble.
The Modern Library of the World's Best Books
Nicholas and Alexandra
"A magnificent and intimate picture . . . Not only the main characters but a whole era become alive and comprehensible."--"Harper's"
Peter the Great
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
"Enthralling . . . as fascinating as any novel and more so than most."--"The New York Times Book Review"
" "
The Romanovs
"Riveting . . . unfolds like a detective story.""--Los Angeles Times Book Review"

Princess Diana is seen as the first member of the British royal family to tear up the rulebook, and the Duchess of Cambridge is modernising the monarchy in strides. But before them was another who paved the way. Princess Mary was born in 1897. Despite her Victorian beginnings, she strove to make a princess's life meaningful, using her position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions in the process. As the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, she would live to see not only two of her brothers ascend the throne but also her niece Queen Elizabeth II. She was one of the hardest-working members of the royal family, known for her no-nonsense approach and her determination in the face of adversity. During the First World War she came into her own, launching an appeal to furnish every British troop and sailor with a Christmas gift, and training as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital. From her dedication to the war effort, to her role as the family peacemaker during the Abdication Crisis, Mary was the princess who redefined the title for the modern age. In the first biography in decades, Elisabeth Basford offers a fresh appraisal of Mary's full and fascinating life.

A behind-the-scenes look into the life of Meghan Markle and her romance with Prince Harry—a dishy, delightful must-read filled with exclusive insights for anyone obsessed with the Royal Family.

When Prince Harry of Wales took his American girlfriend, Meghan Markle, to have tea with his grandmother the queen, avid royal watchers had a hunch that a royal wedding was not far off. That prediction came true on November 27, 2017, when the gorgeous, glamorous twosome announced their engagement to the world. As they prepare to tie the knot in a stunning ceremony on May 19, 2018, that will be unprecedented in royal history, people are clamoring to know more about the beautiful American who captured Prince Harry’s heart.

Born and raised in Los Angeles to a white father of German, English, and Irish descent and an African American mother whose ancestors had been enslaved on a Georgia plantation, Meghan has proudly embraced her biracial heritage. In addition to being a star of the popular television series Suits, she is devoted to her humanitarian work—a passion she shares with Harry. Though Meghan was married once before, Prince Harry is a modern royal, and the Windsors have welcomed her into the tight-knit clan they call “The Firm.” Even a generation ago, it would have been unthinkable, as well as impermissible, for any member of Great Britain’s royal family to consider marrying someone like Meghan. Professional actresses were considered scandalous and barely respectable. And the last time an American divorcee married into the Royal Family, it provoked a constitutional crisis!

In American Princess, Leslie Carroll provides context to Harry and Meghan’s romance by leading readers through centuries of Britain’s rule-breaking royal marriages, as well as the love matches that were never permitted to make it to the altar; followed by a never-before-seen glimpse into the little-known life of the woman bringing the Royal Family into the 21st century; and her dazzling, thoroughly modern romance with Prince Harry.

In this new assessment of Henry VI, David Grummitt synthesizes a wealth of detailed research into Lancastrian England that has taken place throughout the last three decades to provide a fresh appraisal of the house's last King. The biography places Henry in the context of Lancastrian political culture and considers how his reign was shaped by the times in which he lived. Henry VI is one of the most controversial of England's medieval kings. Coming to the throne in 1422 at the age of only nine months and inheriting the crowns of both England and France, he reigned for 39 years before losing his position to the Yorkist king, Edward IV, in the early stages of the Wars of the Roses. Almost a decade later, in 1470, he briefly regained the throne, only for his cause to be decisively defeated in battle the following year, after which Henry himself was almost certainly murdered. Henry continues to perplex and fascinate the modern reader, who struggles to understand how such an obviously ill-suited king could continue to reign for nearly forty years and command such loyalty, even after his cause was lost. From his coronation at nine months old, to the legacy of his reign in the centuries after his death, this is a balanced, detailed and engaging biography of one of England's most enigmatic kings and will be essential reading for all students of late medieval England, and the Wars of the Roses.

This biography examines the life of one of the most charismatic individuals in public life today, in Great Britain and beyond-Prince William. This biography encompasses the life of Prince William of Wales, from the moment of his birth in 1982, through to his current status as an ambassador of the Royal Family and one of the most popular celebrities in his home country and around the globe. In Prince William, experienced biography author Joann F. Price details the prince's life thus far, including his experiences at the prestigious Eton College and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, his global travels with his glamorous and beloved mother and brother, his military service, and his engagement and upcoming wedding to longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton. The book also reveals important aspects of the Royal Family and explains how being born into it-an integral and highly influential part of the history of the British Empire-has molded this man's life. Students can use this book as a major resource in writing papers about Prince William; general readers will find its contents fascinating. Includes photographs of the prince throughout his life and of the royal family

The purpose of this book is to give, not only a portrait and a description of the birds, but a summing up of the beneficial and injurious habits of each, gained from the highest authorities obtainable. The book is intended for those who long to know birds intimately and intelligently, and wish to belong to the great army of bird-students who are "doing their bit" to preserve the bird-life of our country.

Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Second is printed from a Manuscript of the late Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford. Among the papers found at Strawberry Hill, after the death of Lord Orford, was the following Memorandum, wrapped in an envelope, on which was written, "Not to be opened till after my Will." Opening the box, it was found to contain a number of manuscript volumes and other papers, among which were these Memoirs.

We all live a double life: the external life which the world sees, and the internal life of hopes and fears, joys and griefs, temptations and sins, which the world sees not, and of which it knows but little. None lead this double life more emphatically than those who are seated upon thrones. Though this historic sketch contains allusions to all the most important events in the reign of Louis XIV., it has been the main object of the writer to develop the inner life of the palace; to lead the reader into the interior of the Louvre, the Tuileries, Versailles, and Marly, and to exhibit the monarch as a man, in the details of domestic privacy.

Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Second is printed from a Manuscript of the late Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford. Among the papers found at Strawberry Hill, after the death of Lord Orford, was the following Memorandum, wrapped in an envelope, on which was written, "Not to be opened till after my Will." Opening the box, it was found to contain a number of manuscript volumes and other papers, among which were these Memoirs.

Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Second is printed from a Manuscript of the late Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford. Among the papers found at Strawberry Hill, after the death of Lord Orford, was the following Memorandum, wrapped in an envelope, on which was written, "Not to be opened till after my Will." Opening the box, it was found to contain a number of manuscript volumes and other papers, among which were these Memoirs.

In Royally Suited, Prince Harry tells of the effect of his parents' divorce and the devastating loss of his mother, Princess Diana, and Meghan Markle talks of the racial difficulties she faced growing up as the daughter of a white Caucasian father and an African American mother. The book also reveals the story of how they fell in love; from a blind date to the abuse Meghan received which led to Prince Harry publically defending her. Both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have won the nation's hearts and the much-anticipated announcement of their engagement on 27 November 2017 caused a cheer in the Twitter-sphere. This comprehensive collection of quotes by the couple themselves gives a real insight into this modern day fairytale.

"The Sun King" is a dazzling double portrait of Louis XIV and Versailles, the opulent court from which he ruled. With characteristic elan, Nancy Mitford reconstructs the daily life of king and courtiers during France's golden age, offering vivid sketches of the architects, artists, and gardeners responsible for the creation of the most magnificent palace Europe had yet seen. Mitford lays bare the complex and deadly intrigues in the stateroom and the no less high-stakes power struggles in the bedroom. At the center of it all is Louis XIV himself, the demanding, mercurial, but remarkably resilient sovereign who guided France through nearly three quarters of the Grand Siecle.
Brimming with sumptuous detail and delicious bons mots, and written in a witty, conversational style, "The Sun King" restores a distant glittering century to vibrant life.