The Lao and the Siamese are descendants of the same Ai-Lao race, but they have different characters and destinies, and they established their own kingdoms. The invasion of ViengChan by Siam in 1779 left Lao LanXang in danger of total collapse. The twelve-year-old prince Chao Anouvong, the feudal ruling class, the court nobility and many of the people were forcefully taken to Siam, resulting in the total political extinction of a society that had governed LanXang for over 1,000 years. Chao Anouvong grew up in Bangkok and was regarded by the Siamese as a mere provincial ruler. He returned to ViengChan at the age of twenty-eight and became king, with nothing to support him but his own talents and his ambition to restore LanXang.

Since the announcement from Kensington Palace that Harry and Meghan had chosen St George's Chapel on 19 May, 2018 as their wedding venue, the world has been gripped by wedding fever.

Pitkin is delighted to publish this new royal souvenir in commemoration of their special day. This is the tale of how the dashing Prince Harry fell in love with and married the beautiful American actress Meghan. It is the celebration of a truly modern love story. This book explores their early years, how Harry and Meghan met, and how love culminated in one of the most anticipated weddings the world has ever witnessed.

Born on 15 September 1984, Harry, christened Henry Charles Albert David, is the second child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and younger brother to Prince William. Harry is the fourth grandchild of the Queen and Prince Philip and currently fifth in line to the British throne. His bride Rachel Meghan Markle, known simply as Meghan, was born on 4 August 1981 and grew up in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Thomas Markle, an Emmy award-winning lighting director of Irish and Dutch descent, and Doria Ragland, an African American psychotherapist and yoga teacher. As an accomplished actress, Meghan fulfilled her childhood dream of being a television star. Meghan has now become one of the senior members of the royal family. With her American nationality and her identity as a mixed-race woman, Meghan introduces something new into the royal family, something that has been described as a `breath of fresh air' that will assist the monarchy in its move towards modernity. With her Prince at her side, we have seen how Meghan has embraced her new role with natural charm and elegance. Despite their differing backgrounds and career paths, the new royal couple are united in their commitment to charitable campaigns and devotion to one another. Their wedding is a reflection of their love and hopes for their future life together.

An eminent scholar of Russian history here presents the most informative, balanced, and up-to-date short study of Catherine the Great and her reign. This edition includes a new preface dealing with recently discovered sources and revised interpretations of the period. Praise for the earlier edition: "A panoramic view of Russia's social, political, economic, and cultural development and of its emergence as a formidable power in the international arena during the thirty-four years of [Catherine's] reign."-Anthony Cross, New York Times Book Review "De Madariaga's book will be the standard and an essential guide for all students and scholars of Russian and European history of the second half of the eighteenth century."-Marc Raeff, Journal of Modern History

During her 70 years on the throne, few got to know the Queen well, but there is one body of work that sheds new light on her thoughts, personality and the issues that really concerned her: the Queen's own speeches. For many years, the Queen's Christmas address was the most-watched programme on television on Christmas Day, and millions regularly tuned in to hear what she had to say. Now, in this wonderful, intimate portrait of Her Majesty, Ingrid Seward uses the Queen's speeches as a starting point to provide a revealing insight into the character of the woman who reigned over us since the days when Churchill was prime minister. Starting with her first-ever broadcast, in December 1940, when the teenaged Princess Elizabeth addressed a war-torn nation, right through the annus horribilis, and on into the 21st century, the book highlights the most important moments in her life and how she responded to them. Based on in-depth research and interviews with many of those who knew the Queen best, this book sheds new light on the life and career of our much-missed monarch. Renowned as one of the most authoritative writers on royal matters, Ingrid Seward, the editor of Majesty magazine, has written a charming and fascinating portrait that will be cherished by all who read it.

A thrilling new account of the tragic life and troubled times of Henry VI.

'The best life of Henry VI now in print' DAN JONES.
'Vivid, absorbing and richly detailed' HELEN CASTOR.
'A well-crafted moving account of a tragic reign' MICHAEL JONES.

First-born son of a warrior father who defeated the French at Agincourt, Henry VI of the House Lancaster inherited the crown not only of England but also of France, at a time when Plantagenet dominance over the Valois dynasty was at its glorious height.

And yet, by the time he was done to death in the Tower of London in 1471, France was lost, his throne had been seized by his rival, Edward IV of the House of York, and his kingdom had descended into the violent chaos of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry VI is perhaps the most troubled of English monarchs, a pious, gentle, well-intentioned man who was plagued by bouts of mental illness. In Shadow King, Lauren Johnson tells his remarkable and sometimes shocking story in a fast-paced and colourful narrative that captures both the poignancy of Henry's life and the tumultuous and bloody nature of the times in which he lived.

This meticulously researched book presents a vivid portrait of King Juan Carlos from his awkward years as Franco's chosen successor as the Head of State of an authoritarian regime to his achievements in promoting and defending the new democracy after Franco's death in 1975. Few modern kings have played so important a role. Dr Powell's biography is therefore essential reading if we are to understand contemporary Spain.' - Sir Raymond Carr;Widely acknowledged as a key figure in Spain's remarkable transition to democracy following General Franco's death in 1975, King Juan Carlos consolidated his reputation as a champion of democracy by aborting the attempted military coup of 23 February 1981. This political biography of the Spanish monarch sheds new light on his childhood, the process whereby he became Franco's successor in 1969, his subsequent contribution to his nation's democratization, and his role as constitutional monarch since 1978, both at home and abroad.

In this remarkably human portrait of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Emperor of Iran, Andrew Scott Cooper examines the life of an infamously complex personality in a bold new light. The recent wave of instability in the Middle East has led Iranians and scholars to reassess the legacy of the Shah-widely denounced as a brutal, corrupt dictator-who championed Western-style reforms and launched Iran onto the world stage as a modern and powerful state. The Fall of Heaven was written with exclusive access to royalists and revolutionaries-most notably the Shah's widow Empress Farah, other members of the Pahlavi family, and the men who deposed them: Iran's first elected president Abolhassan Banisadr, along with other religious and political figures active in the revolutionary underground. These testimonials are set alongside first-person remembrances of White House officials, along with American diplomats and civilians in Tehran. Cooper takes readers from the Shah's lavish palace in Tehran to the dusty streets of Najaf, where Ayatollah Khomeini lived in exile, and from the Imperial Family's summer retreat on the Caspian Sea to the back alleys of Beirut, where Islamist revolutionaries plotted the regime's overthrow. Both epic and intimate, The Fall of Heaven re-creates the dramatic final days of a legendary ruling family, the deposition of which started the militant unrest that still affects the Middle East today.

King Kamehameha the Great had 30 wives. Ka'ahumanu (c.1768-1832) was his favorite. Descended from Oceanian voyagers, she grew up in a society completely isolated from the rest of the world, her life enmeshed in dynastic wars and constrained by an elaborate system of taboos. In 1778, she was shocked by the arrival of alien ships, followed by an influx of foreigners. In their wake came devastating epidemics. Seizing power after the King's death, Ka'ahumanu overturned those taboos and guided her nation through revolutionary change, crucial to the Hawaiian Islands' unification. Through sicknesses, romances, infidelities, murders, rebellions, pardons, travels, missionary work, and more, her story challenges many beliefs about American history, Christianity, and gender. Further, it has implications for current debates about immigration, sexuality, and religious diversity. Drawing on seldom-analyzed French and Russian sources, this biography covers neglected aspects of Ka'ahumanu's life. The many spouses and lovers she and Kamehameha had, the roles played by Central Europeans, African-Americans, Catholics and Unitarians in her realm, and struggles with religious pluralism are all included.

"The Duchess of York wished to have the portraits of the most beautiful women at Court," Anthony Hamilton wrote in the Memoirs of Count Grammont. "Lely painted them, and employed all his art in the execution. He could not have had more alluring sitters. Every portrait is a masterpiece."

The original set of "Beauties" painted by Lely were, as we find from James II's catalogue, eleven in number, their names being Barbara, Duchess of Cleveland (nee Villiers); Frances, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox (nee Stuart); Mrs. Jane Myddleton (nee Needham); Elizabeth, Countess of Northumberland (nee Wriothesley); Elizabeth, Countess of Falmouth (nee Bagot); Elizabeth, Lady Denham (nee Brooke); Frances, Lady Whitmore (nee Brooke); Henrietta, Countess of Rochester (nee Boyle); Elizabeth, Countess de Grammont (nee Hamilton); and Madame d'Orleans.

It will be seen that in this list of "Beauties" Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, does not figure; but since she was responsible for the collection, it would be peculiarly ungracious to omit her from a volume that treats of it. Also, she deserves inclusion for her supreme courage in selecting the sitters-for what must the ladies who were not chosen have said and thought of her?

Nor in the series are Nell Gwyn, Louise de Keroualle, and the Duchess Mazarin; but no account of the social life of the Court of Charles II can possibly omit mention of them, and therefore something has been said about each of these ladies.

The new Revised Edition restores Melville's masterpiece of the intricate relationships and day-by-day account of court life in the reign of Charles II of England. This edition also adds a new glossary, bibliography, and extended footnotes for the lay history reader. Also included are first-ever translations of French language poems, letters, and epitaphs of St. Evremond completed by Coby Fletcher.

Sarah Gristwood has written a masterpiece that effortlessly and enthrallingly interweaves the amazing stories of women who ruled in Europe during the Renaissance period. -- Alison Weir Sixteenth-century Europe saw an explosion of female rule. From Isabella of Castile, and her granddaughter Mary Tudor, to Catherine de Medici, Anne Boleyn, and Elizabeth Tudor, these women wielded enormous power over their territories, shaping the course of European history for over a century. Across boundaries and generations, these royal women were mothers and daughters, mentors and protA(c)es, allies and enemies. For the first time, Europe saw a sisterhood of queens who would not be equaled until modern times. A fascinating group biography and a thrilling political epic, Game of Queens explores the lives of some of the most beloved (and reviled) queens in history.

Ten years after her death, Princess Diana remains a mystery. Was she "the people's princess," who electrified the world with her beauty and humanitarian missions? Or was she a manipulative, media-savvy neurotic who nearly brought down the monarchy? Only Tina Brown, former editor-in-chief of "Tatler," England's glossiest gossip magazine; "Vanity Fair"; and "The New Yorker" could possibly give us the truth.

'If you find the subject of food to be both vexing and transfixing, you'll love What She Ate' Elle Did you know that Eleanor Roosevelt dished up Eggs Mexican (a concoction of rice, fried eggs, and bananas) in the White House? Or that Helen Gurley Brown's commitment to 'having it all' meant dining on supersized portions of diet gelatine? In the irresistible What She Ate, Laura Shapiro examines the plates, recipe books and shopping trolleys of six extraordinary women, from Dorothy Wordsworth to Eva Braun. Delving into diaries, newspaper articles, cook books and more, Shapiro casts a different light on the usual narratives of women's lives. Finding meaning in every morsel, and looking through the lens of their attitudes towards food, she masterfully reveals the love and rage, desire and denial, need and pleasure, behind six remarkable appetites.

The funny and tragic, bestselling biography of The Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, perfect for fans of Netflix's The Crown. A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR * A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR * A DAILY MAIL BOOK OF THE YEAR 'I honked so loudly the man sitting next to me dropped his sandwich' Observer She made John Lennon blush and Marlon Brando clam up. She cold-shouldered Princess Diana and humiliated Elizabeth Taylor. Jack Nicholson offered her cocaine and Pablo Picasso lusted over her. To her friends Princess Margaret was witty and regal, to her enemies, she was rude and demanding. Ma'am Darling looks at her from many angles, creating a kaleidoscopic biography, and a witty meditation on fame and art, snobbery and deference, bohemia and high society.

From the crowning of Charles III, thirty-nine coronations have been held in Westminster Abbey since the Norman Conquest. Only two monarchs – Edward V and Edward VIII – were uncrowned, and a further twenty or so Scottish monarchs were crowned elsewhere, usually at either Scone Abbey or Holyrood Abbey.

In The Throne, Ian Lloyd turns his inimitable, quick-witted style to these key events in British royal history, providing fascinating anecdotes and interesting facts: William the Conqueror’s Christmas Day crowning, during which jubilant shouts were mistaken by his guards as an assassination attempt; the dual coronation of William and Mary in 1689; the pared-back ‘Half Crown-ation’ of William IV; and the televised spectacle of Elizabeth II’s 1953 ceremony.

Detailing everything from the famous Coronation Chair made for Edward I and the Crown Jewels to the infamously uncomfortable Gold State Coach – this is a truly spectacular celebration of British culture and the ultimate pomp of royalty.