An amazing woman from Bourne, Collyweston and Maxey who had a profound impact on history but has been virtually forgotten in our Lincolnshire locality. Read tales of her survival from the traumatic birth of her son (Henry VII) when aged only thirteen, her ever-changing fortunes in the Wars of the Roses, being condemned as a traitor by Richard III and her eventual triumph, which saw her become the matriarch of the Tudor dynasty. As the only blood link from the Normans to our present Royal Family (documented here), her legacy through her symbols and academia is still far-reaching today.

The Tudors are England's most notorious royal family. But, as Leanda de Lisle's gripping new history reveals, they are a family still more extraordinary than the one we thought we knew. The Tudor canon typically starts with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, before speeding on to Henry VIII and the Reformation. But this leaves out the family's obscure Welsh origins, the ordinary man known as Owen Tudor who would fall (literally) into a Queen's lap--and later her bed. It passes by the courage of Margaret Beaufort, the pregnant thirteen-year-old girl who would help found the Tudor dynasty, and the childhood and painful exile of her son, the future Henry VII. It ignores the fact that the Tudors were shaped by their past--those parts they wished to remember and those they wished to forget. By creating a full family portrait set against the background of this past, de Lisle enables us to see the Tudor dynasty in its own terms, and presents new perspectives and revelations on key figures and events. De Lisle discovers a family dominated by remarkable women doing everything possible to secure its future; shows why the princes in the Tower had to vanish; and reexamines the bloodiness of Mary's reign, Elizabeth's fraught relationships with her cousins, and the true significance of previously overlooked figures. Throughout the Tudor story, Leanda de Lisle emphasizes the supreme importance of achieving peace and stability in a violent and uncertain world, and of protecting and securing the bloodline. Tudor is bristling with religious and political intrigue but at heart is a thrilling story of one family's determined and flamboyant ambition.

In a world historically dominated by male rulers, the women who have sat on thrones of their own shine out brightly. Some queens and empresses were born to greatness, while others fought their way to power. Queens ranges from the ancient world to the present day, telling the stories of these women who ruled, from murderous former courtesan Wu Zetian in 7th century China to Elizabeth I, the 'Virgin Queen' of England. In 6th century Constantinople, Empress Theodora, who had been a street performer before catching the eye of Emperor Justinian, extended rights for women, passing laws that allowed them to divorce and own property and made rape a crime punishable by death. In 12th century Europe, Eleanor of Aquitaine first married the king of France and then the king of England. At the Mughal court in Lahore in the early 17th century, Nur Jahan, wife of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, was the political powerhouse behind the throne. In more recent history, the book explores the reigns of Catherine the Great, revealing how a minor German aristocrat came to rule and expand the Russian Empire, Queen Victoria, whose family dominated the world in the early 20th centuty, and her more recent descendent, Elizabeth II, the longest-ruling queen in history. Female rulers are often described as ambitious rather than bold, as devious rather than diplomatically astute and as intriguers and meddlers, all characterizations that are destructive to the reality of women's lives in the world's monarchies. Even genealogies still often leave out the women of royal families, overlooking their genuine contributions. To some extent, we will never know these great women of history as well as we know their menfolk; the sources simply leave too many gaps. However, we can and will do better in giving the women rulers of history the recognition they deserve Carefully researched, superbly entertaining and illustrated throughout with more than 180 photographs and artworks, Queens highlights the true personalities and real lives of the women who became monarchs and empresses.

Twenty-five years after her tragic death, James Patterson tells the heartbreaking true story of Princess Diana's life as a mother and a global icon.

At the age of thirteen, she became Lady Diana Spencer. At twenty, Princess of Wales. At twenty-one, she earned her most important title: Mother.

As she fell in love, first with Prince Charles and then with her sons, William and Harry, the world fell in love with the young royal family - Diana most of all. With one son destined to be King and one needing to find his own way, she taught them lessons about royal tradition and also real life. 'William and Harry will be properly prepared,' Diana once promised. 'I am making sure of this.'

Even after her tragic death, the strength of her love for her sons remains an enduring inspiration, not only for the two princes, but for the entire world.

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.

After in-depth research of the circumstances of that fateful night, investigative writer and former journalist Noel Botham finally reveals what he alleges to be the truth - Princess Diana fell victim to a ruthlessly executed assassination. Twenty years later, the tragedy still shapes Britain as we know it today. How could the Establishment betray the trust of a whole nation? How was the killing executed? Was there really another car in the tunnel at the time of the crash? Reporting from the innermost sanctums of British intelligence and royalty, Botham reveals shocking answers to what he claims is one of the UK's most successfully kept secrets. As Botham affirms, The Murder of Princess Diana firmly lays to rest the outdated theory that Diana's death was a mere accident, and finally gives the people of Britain the explanation they deserve.

Discover the reigns of twelve African queens and warriors from across the continent, from pioneering historian and writer, Paula Akpan.

There are women who ruled vast swathes of the African continent. They led, loved and fought for their kingdoms and people and their impact can still be felt today. However, beyond the lands they called home, so few of us have heard their names.

From pre-colonial Nigeria to the rich plains of Rwanda, from Ancient Egypt to apartheid South Africa, historian Akpan writes the stories of these powerful queens and takes you on a spellbinding, enrapturing and immersive journey that is nothing short of revelatory.

A queen on the edge.

Anne Boleyn has mesmerised the English public for centuries. Her tragic execution, orchestrated by her own husband, never ceases to intrigue. How did this courtier's daughter become the queen of England, and what was it that really tore apart this illustrious marriage, making her the whore of England, an abandoned woman executed on the scaffold? While many stories of Anne Boleyn's downfall have been told, few have truly traced the origins of her tragic fate.

In Thorns, Lust and Glory, Estelle Paranque takes us back to where it all started: to France, where Anne learned the lessons that would set her on the path to becoming one of England's most infamous queens. At the court of the French king as a resourceful teenage girl, Anne's journey to infamy began, and this landmark biography explores the world that shaped her, and how these loyalties would leave her vulnerable, leading to her ruin at the court of Henry VIII.

A fascinating new perspective on Tudor history's most enduring story, Thorns, Lust and Glory is an unmissable account of a queen on the edge.

Composed between 1500 and 1502, "The Life of Henry VII" is the first "official" Tudor account of the triumph of Henry VII over Richard III. Its author, the French humanist Bernard Andre, was a poet and historian at the court of Henry VII and tutor to the young Prince Arthur. Steeped in classical literature and familiar with all the tropes of the ancient biographical tradition, Andre filled his account with classical allusions, invented speeches, and historical set pieces. Although cast as a biography, the work dramatizes the dynastic shift that resulted from Henry Tudor's seizure of the English throne at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and the death of Richard III. Its author had little interest in historical "facts," and when he was uncertain about details, he simply left open space in the manuscript for later completion. He focused instead on the nobility of Henry VII's lineage, the moral character of key figures, and the hidden workings of history. Andre's account thus reflects the impact of new humanist models on English historiography. It is the first extended argument for Henry's legitimate claims to the English crown. "The Life of Henry VII" survives in a single manuscript, edited by James Gairdner in the nineteenth-century Rolls Series. It occupies an important place in the literary tradition of treatments of Richard III, begun by Andre, continued by Thomas More and Polydore Vergil, and reaching its classic expression in Shakespeare. First English translation. Introduction, bibliography, index.

The Untold True History of Love, Power and Revenge Amidst the Gaslights & Carriages of Old Paris & Madrid that Changed the World from China to Mexico
If you think you know Paris and Madrid, think again
This is the book that unlocks the charm, romance, heart-ache and mysteries of Paris and Madrid that directly preceded the contemporary. After reading this incredible history, you'll never think of either city in the same way

A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year 'One of the most important books to be written about the Tudors in a generation.' Tracy Borman In this groundbreaking history, Sarah Gristwood reveals the way courtly love made and marred the Tudor dynasty. From Henry VIII declaring himself as the 'loyal and most assured servant' of Anne Boleyn to the poems lavished on Elizabeth I by her suitors, the Tudors re-enacted the roles of devoted lovers and capricious mistresses first laid out in the romances of medieval literature, but now with life-and-death consequences for the protagonists. The Tudors in Love dissects the codes of love, desire and power, unveiling obsessions that have shaped the history of this nation. 'A riveting, pacy page-turner... the Tudors as you've never seen them before.' Alison Weir

A beautiful pictorial souvenir commemorating the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. From her birth in London in 1926 to the celebration of her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, this touching tribute looks back at the life of Britain's longest reigning monarch. Charting the courtship and marriage of the Queen's parents, King George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the birth of the Queen and her sister Margaret Rose, the abdication crisis of 1936, the royal family's role in World War II and the untimely death of the Queen's beloved father in 1952, this beautifully illustrated book chronicles Her Majesty's transition from princess to one of the most iconic and beloved modern heads of state. Also covering the coronation, the birth of the Commonwealth, the 'annus horribilis' of 1992 and the advent of the modern royal family, historians and royal watchers - including BBC journalists Scott Reeves, June Woolerton and Jon Wright - detail the events, both personal and private, that defined the enduring legacy of a monarch who devoted herself to her country and people.

Aethelred became king of England in 978, following the murder of his half-brother Edward the Martyr (possibly at the instigation of their mother) at Corfe. On his own death in April 1016, his son Edmund Ironside succeeded him and fought the invading Danes bravely, but died in November of the same year after being defeated at the battle of Assandun, leading to the House of Wessex being replaced by a Danish king, Cnut. Aethelred, in constrast to his predecessor and successor, reigned (except for a few weeks in 1013/14), largely unchallenged for thirty-eight years, despite presiding over a period that saw many Danish invasions and much internal strife. If not a great king, he was certainly a survivor whose posthumous reputation and nickname (meaning 'Noble Council the No Council') do him little justice. In Aethelred the Unready Ann Williams, a leading scholar on his reign, discounts the later rumours and misinterpretations that have dogged his reputation to construct a record of his reign from contemporary sources.

Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - On November 6, 1817, died the Princess Charlotte, only child of the Prince Regent, and heir to the crown of England. Her short life had hardly been a happy one. By nature impulsive, capricious, and vehement, she had always longed for liberty; and she had