Monarchy: England and her Rulers from the Tudors to the Windsors

David Starkey charts the rise of the British monarchy, from the Wars of the Roses through the English Civil War, the Georgians, right up to the monarchs of the 20th century.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM

This is quite a fascinating book giving you a sanpshot of the Kings and Queens of England since Richard III and how Monarchy has adapted to meet the needs of the times and to ensure monarchy survived. Most focus is up to the time of Victoria, with a small section of 20th and 21st Century Monarchy.

I would have liked more detail on the 20th and 21st Century but I learnt quite a lot about some Kings and Queens I knew little about. This is a companion to a TV series (which I haven't watched) and was listened to on audio, the narrator being the author! This somehow made it more poignant. It also helps you to see that Monarchy is going to need to adapt if it is to survive the 21st Century. Perhaps King William V will be the author of this change, just as his namesake William IV whilst only being King for 7 years was responsible for some of the major changes In the past. If you are interested in Monarchy I would recommend the book, but be aware there is only an hour at most (sometimes less) covering a monarch's reign because it is more about the monarchy than the monarch. At the end of the audiobook was an interview with the author which I also found very interesting.

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