Biography: royalty Books
Random House USA Inc Empress Dowager Cixi
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£20.37
St Martin's Press The Last Days of the Romanovs
Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Romanov Sisters and Caught in the Revolution, The Last Days of the Romanovs is Helen Rappaport''s riveting, moment-by-moment account of the last fourteen days of the Russian Imperial family. The brutal 1918 massacre of the Romanov family may be familiar, but in Russian scholar Rappaport''s hands, the tale becomes as shocking and immediate as a thriller. . . . A gripping read. People magazine This is the story of the murders that ended three hundred years of Romanov rule and set their stamp on an era of state-orchestrated terror and brutal repression. Counting down to the last, tense hours of the Imperial family''s lives, Rappaport strips away the over-romanticized versions of previous accounts. The story focuses on the family inside the Ipatiev House, capturing the oppressive atmosphere and the dynamics of a groupthe Romanovs, their servants, and guardsthrown together b
£16.19
Back Bay Books The Rival Queens
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£999.99
Random House USA Inc Eleanor of Aquitaine
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£999.99
Random House Publishing Group Henry VIII
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£19.00
Random House USA Inc Becoming Queen Victoria The Unexpected Rise of
Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The perfect companion to the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria • A gripping account of Queen Victoria’s rise and early years in power from CNN’s official royal historian “Kate Williams has perfected the art of historical biography. Her pacy writing is underpinned by the most impeccable scholarship.”—Alison Weir In 1819, a girl was born to the fourth son of King George III. No one could have expected such an unassuming, overprotected girl to be an effective ruler—yet Queen Victoria would become one of the most powerful monarchs in history. Writing with novelistic flair and historical precision, Kate Williams reveals a vibrant woman in the prime of her life, while chronicling the byzantine machinations that continued even after the crown was placed on her head. Upon hearing that she had inherited the throne, eighteen-year-old Victoria ba
£16.20
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Q
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£22.05
Random House USA Inc elizabethandmarycousinsrivalsqueens
Book SynopsisSuperb.... A perceptive, suspenseful account. --The New York Times Book ReviewDunn demythologizes Elizabeth and Mary. In humanizing their dynamic and shifting relationship, Dunn describes it as fueled by both rivalry and their natural solidarity as women in an overwhelmingly masculine world. --Boston HeraldThe political and religious conflicts between Queen Elizabeth I and the doomed Mary, Queen of Scots, have for centuries captured our imagination and inspired memorable dramas played out on stage, screen, and in opera. But few books have brought to life more vividly the exquisite texture of two women’s rivalry, spurred on by the ambitions and machinations of the forceful men who surrounded them. The drama has terrific resonance even now as women continue to struggle in their bid for executive power. Against the backdrop of sixteenth-century England, Scotland, and France, Dunn paints portraits of a pair of protagonists whose fo
£18.70
Basic Books Napoleon
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£38.00
Penguin Putnam Inc The Sun Rising
£22.99
Random House USA Inc The Crown The Official Companion Volume 2
Book SynopsisCan’t get enough of The Crown? In this must-have exploration of the history behind seasons 2 and 3 of Peter Morgan’s Emmy-winning Netflix drama, the show’s historical consultant answers all your questions alongside beautifully reproduced archival photographs. In this eye-opening companion to seasons 2 and 3 of Netflix’s acclaimed series The Crown, renowned biographer and historical consultant Robert Lacey takes us through the real history that inspired the drama. Covering two tumultuous decades in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, Lacey looks at the key social, political, and personal moments and their effects—not only on the royal family but also on the world around them. From the Suez Crisis and the U.S.–Soviet space race to the legacy of the Duke of Windsor’s collaboration with Hitler, along with the rumored issues with the royal marriage, the book provides a thought-provoking insight into the histo
£22.40
Penguin Putnam Inc Our Rainbow Queen A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Book SynopsisA full-spectrum collection of photos of the late Queen Elizabeth II—spanning ten decades of fashion and every color of the rainbow.This riotously colorful book takes a prismatic journey through a century of styles worn by British Monarch Queen Elizabeth II. Each photo is gloriously accessorized with captions and commentary by journalist and broadcaster Sali Hughes, who provides fascinating context. Readers will learn how the Queen used color and fashion in strategic and discreetly political ways, such as wearing the colors of the European flag to a post-Brexit meeting or a pin given to her by the Obamas to a meeting with Donald Trump. With stunning photographs that span feature brilliant colors ranging from the dusky pinks the Queen wore in girlhood through to the neon green dress that prompted the hashtag #NeonAt90, this must-have collection celebrates the iconic fashion statements of the UK's longest reigning and most vibrant monarch. This is a
£17.00
Random House USA Inc Nicholas and Alexandra The Fall of the Romanov
Book SynopsisA “magnificent and intimate” (Harper’s) modern classic of Russian history, the spellbinding story of the love that ended an empire—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, The Romanovs, and Catherine the Great“A moving, rich book . . . [This] revealing, densely documented account of the last Romanovs focuses not on the great events . . . but on the royal family and their evil nemesis. . . . The tale is so bizarre, no melodrama is equal to it.”—NewsweekIn this commanding book, New York Times bestselling author Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of the Russian empire to tell the story of the Romanovs’ lives: Nicholas’s political naïveté, Alexandra’s obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin, and little Alexis’s brave struggle with hemophilia. Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Ma
£25.65
British Library Publishing Elizabeth Mary
Book SynopsisAccompanying a major British Library exhibition, Elizabeth and Mary: Royal Cousins, Rival Queens brings new insights to the familiar tale of two powerful women whose relationship dominated English and Scottish politics for thirty years.
£40.00
£27.96
Little Brown and Company Diana William and Harry The Heartbreaking Story
Book SynopsisInstant New York Times Bestseller! “She was the best mother in the world,” said Princes William and Harry at Diana’s 10-year memorial. “Entertaining and persuasive,” (Publishers Weekly) this is the first big book about the private Diana, the mother of two princes.“Royal fans will devour this well-paced biography that gives new insight into the House of Windsor. You’ll tear through it by sundown and walk away thinking about the Princess of Wales and her two sons with new perspective .” –Men’s Journal From the moments William and Harry are born into the House of Windsor, they become their young mother’s whole world. I’ve got two very healthy, strong boys. I realize how incredibly lucky I am, Diana reminds herself every morning. But even the Princess of Wales questions,
£24.00
Kensington Publishing The Duchess of Windsor
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£17.95
Random House USA Inc Prince Charles
Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “masterly account” (The Wall Street Journal) of the life and loves of King Charles III, Britain’s first king since 1952, shedding light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne Sally Bedell Smith returns once again to the British royal family to give us a new look at the man who was the oldest heir to the throne in more than three hundred years. This vivid, eye-opening biography—the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more, some speaking on the record for the first time—is the first authoritative treatment of Charles’s life.Prince Charles brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions, insecurities, and convictions. It begins with his lonely childhood, in which he struggled to live up to his father’s expectations and sought companionship from the Queen Mother and his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. It follows him through difficult years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his intense search for spiritual meaning. It tells of the tragedy of his marriage to Diana; his eventual reunion with his true love, Camilla; and his relationships with William, Kate, Harry, and his grandchildren. Ranging from his glamorous palaces to his country homes, from his globe-trotting travels to his local initiatives, Smith shows how Prince Charles possesses a fiercely independent spirit and yet spent more than six decades waiting for his destined role, living a life dictated by protocols he often struggles to obey. With keen insight and the discovery of unexpected new details, Smith lays bare the contradictions of a man who is more complicated, tragic, and compelling than we knew, until now.
£18.00
Medina Publishing Ltd Diana
Book SynopsisDiana: I'm Going to be Me, tells the remarkable story of Princess Diana's life through her own words. It is now 20 years since this iconic royal figure died at the tragically young age of 36 in a Paris car crash.
£8.50
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Letters of Princess Alice to Queen Victoria 18621878
£23.75
Random House USA Inc Queens of the Conquest
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£19.80
St. Martin's Griffin The Royal Stuarts
Book SynopsisCompelling...A masterly feat...A magnificent, sweeping, authoritative, warm yet wry history. --The Wall Street JournalIn this fascinating and intimate portrait of the Stuarts, author Allan Massie takes us deep into one of history''s bloodiest and most tumultuous reigns. Exploring the family''s lineage from the first Stuart king to the last, The Royal Stuarts is a panoramic history of the family that acted as a major player in the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Union of the Crowns, the English Civil War, the Restoration, and more. Drawing on the accounts of historians past and present, novels, and plays, this is the complete story of the Stuart family, documenting their path from the salt marshes of Brittany to the thrones of Scotland and England and eventually to exile. The Royal Stuarts brings to life figures like Mary, Queens of Scots, Charles I, and Bonnie Prince Charlie, uncovering a family of strong affections and fierce rivalries. Told with pa
£19.79
St. Martin's Griffin The Romanov Sisters The Lost Lives of the
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£19.80
St. Martin's Publishing Group The Rebel Romanov
£25.60
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Queen Elizabeth I
Book SynopsisA unique collection of items that between them reveal a fascinating insight into the life of this famous Queen.
£32.67
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Othon de Grandson
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£32.47
Pen & Sword Books William Marshals Wife
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£28.01
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Courting the Virgin Queen
Book SynopsisThe many courtships of the woman who became Elizabeth I began when she was aninfant, displayed before foreign ambassadors who considered her as a possible clauseof a contract between England and France. From such an unromantic beginning,Elizabeth grew to see her father marry multiple times and experienced frequent changesin stepmothers and status in the family. Eventually, she became the most eligiblewoman in Europe. From start to finish, her marriage prospects were as much political asthey were personal. When she came to the throne in 1558, the primary question facing everyone fromforeign monarchs to English nobles and ministers was which of her many suitors wouldfinally win her hand. Through the longest Tudor reign, Elizabeth used courtship as a toolto consider foreign alliances, hold ambitious English courtiers in check, and navigateher role as a woman ruler in a world that considered her unnatural without a man at herside. Elizabeth was, in fact, always the Virgin Queen', from
£24.68
Pen & Sword Books Ltd James Is Tumultuous First Year as King
Book SynopsisThis is the story of a crucial year in the history of England, brimming with great political and social upheaval: the year 1603.1603 was a time of last goodbyes and new beginnings; of waning customs and fresh political and constitutional visions. It saw an aged queen die and a king from the far north rise as sovereign over a foreign nation. It also witnessed an unprecedented outbreak of bubonic plague, which began in London and spread indiscriminately through the provinces, killing up to 30,000 people.Catholicism was a second major disease doing the rounds in 1603. Its presence would lead to an attempt to dethrone King James I in the very first months of his reign, culminating in a trial staged at Winchester Castle in November. One of the candidates the conspirators had in mind to replace him was the would-be queen Lady Arbella Stuart. Indeed, Arbella would bring her own dramas to an already crowded and politically and socially charged year.The present work considers the entirety of th
£28.01
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Charles II
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£28.67
Pen & Sword Books Ltd William and Mary A History of Their Most
Book SynopsisWilliam and Mary, Britain's most mysterious monarchs, were married for reasons of dynasticconvenience. Their union gradually developed into a happy and successful one, despiteWilliam's frequent absences on military campaign. They shared interests such as art andgardening, both of which they practised at their palace retreat, Het Loo. Despite the fact thatMary was heir presumptive to her father, the Duke of York, they might have expected toremain in the Netherlands for the rest of their lives. Midway through their marriage, their way of life changed substantially when Mary's father,now King James II, was rejected by his English and Scottish subjects because of his ferventCatholicism. William, a foreigner, was accepted as a replacement primarily because of hisBritish queen. The couple had Kensington Palace built, to a design by Sir Christopher Wren,and their renovations at Hampton Court Palace, also by Wren, gave the palace much of itspresent character. The monarchy was now fully ans
£25.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Rasputin and his Russian Queen
Book SynopsisThe real story of Queen Victoria's favourite granddaughter and the hard-drinking holy man from Siberia.
£26.07
Random House USA Inc The Queen Mother
Book SynopsisThe official and definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the most beloved British monarch of the twentieth century. Consort of King George VI, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, and grandmother of Prince Charles, Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon—the ninth of the Earl of Strathmore’s ten children—was born on August 4, 1900, and, certainly, no one could have imagined that her long life (she died in 2002) would come to reflect a changing nation over the course of an entire century. Vividly detailed, written with unrestricted access to her personal papers, letters, and diaries, this candid royal biography by William Shawcross is also a singular history of Britain in the twentieth century.
£22.50
Thorndike Press Large Print Diana
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£34.99
Amberley Publishing Henrietta Maria
Book SynopsisThe French wife and muse of Charles I was central to the narrative of the English Civil War and the Stuart Restoration. Henrietta Maria was an exceptionally courageous and spirited woman and a misunderstood Queen of EnglandTrade Review‘A gripping account of an unlikely heroine, full of fascinating details and intimate insights.’ -- Leanda de Lisle, bestselling author of The Sisters Who Would Be Queen
£14.23
Amberley Publishing Uncrowned
Book SynopsisThe fascinating hidden history of the British royal family's nearly men - those who had been destined for the throne, but never made it. Mantle explores the story behind these would-be-kings, showing how the question of succession has not always been a straightforward one.Trade Review‘Uncrowned is an epic debut from Ashley Mantle. A tour de force that breathes life into those might have been kings and queens had fate dealt them a different hand. The people within aren’t just what-ifs to tantalise, but fully fleshed people with stories of their own bursting to get out. They may have lacked a crown, but Mantle shows that none lacked a character of their own.’ -- Matthew Lewis, author of Richard III: Loyalty Binds Me'I enjoyed reading 'Uncrowned' and recommend it to anyone who, like me, somehow missed most of this at school and have been trying to make sense of history ever since.' -- The Writing Desk, November 2023'This entertaining and intriguing book is very accessible and should appeal to a casual reader of history who is looking to find out more about this particular category of royals. They are guaranteed to find something to capture their attention.' -- All About History Magazine, December 2023'I must say that this task of combining over a thousand years of royal history into a comprehensive book is no easy task, but Mantle does a spectacular job. It was an informative and engaging read that would be perfect for any fan of royal history. If you want a fascinating book about those who were so close to the throne but never ruled, I highly suggest you read, “Uncrowned: Royal Heirs Who Didn’t Take the Throne” by Ashley Mantle.' -- Adventures of a Tudor Nerd, December 2023'Military detail is negligible, but this is a book of great charm.' -- Miniature Wargames Magazine, February 2024
£22.99
Grand Central Publishing Prince Harry
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£22.40
Saint Benedict Press Blessed Charles of Austria: A Holy Emperor and
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£25.16
Grand Central Publishing Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the
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£17.09
Grand Central Publishing Meghan and the Unmasking of the Monarchy
Book Synopsis Extensively updated with brand new chapters and images chronicling Meghan Markle's life after the royal wedding, this revised edition of renowned royal biographer Andrew Morton's New York Times bestselling biography is a comprehensive look at the American actress who—like Princess Diana before her—threw the British monarchy into turmoil.When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry went on a blind date in 2016, little did they know that the resulting whirlwind romance would lead not only to their marriage, but ultimately to their eventual withdrawal from the royal family. From the joy and laughter of her wedding day to dark days when her mental health was so rocky she feared being left alone, Meghan’s life amongst the royals has been dramatic and tempestuous. She has now experienced the highs and lows of motherhood with Archie and Lilibet, and though she vowed to hit the ground running when she first joined the royal family, she felt—rightly or wrongly—that she ran full-tilt into a wall of prejudice and indifference.With updates throughout the book and several entirely new chapters that provide a deep dive into the tumultuous journey Meghan has had in the wake of the royal wedding—acclimating to the demands of Buckingham Palace, the birth of her son Archie, and her and her husband's decision to leave the royal family and forge a new life outside of England—this biography is the full and intimate story of Meghan's life so far. Drawing on exclusive interviews with her family members and closest friends, and including never-before-seen photographs, Morton offers a window to the real Meghan as he reflects on the impact that she has had on the rigid traditions of the House of Windsor, as well as what the future might hold.
£14.39
Basic Books Game of Queens
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£17.99
PublicAffairs Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages
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£18.04
The New York Review of Books, Inc Frederick the Great
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£16.96
PublicAffairs,U.S. Tudor
Book SynopsisThe 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.Trade Review"Leanda de Lisle reveals such hidden depths in the vivid history of England's most famous dynasty"--The American Conservative "Deeply researched but vibrantly accessible." -- Wall Street Journal "Leanda de Lisle has the gift of reminding us that history is the story of real people; real men, real women, full of rage and ambition and lust and hope and love. The Tudors are already our most vivid dynasty, by quite a long chalk, but these pages render them more vivid still. This was an age when the game was worth the candle, when a chance remark could result in a crown or the axe. Wonderful, passionate, dangerous, fascinating stuff. I couldn't put it down."--Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey "This fresh take on the Tudor dynasty is history at its best... an engaging and well-sourced account, sprinkled with provocative anecdotes that will appeal to both scholars and general readers... This compelling tale is driven by three-dimensional people and relationships, and de Lisle does a fantastic job of making them feel lived and dramatic. " -- Publishers Weekly, starred "A reliable and amply researched guide." -- Kirkus Reviews "Enjoyable, well-written... De Lisle examines the key events and characters that make the Tudor story interesting... This is a very well-done popular history ideal for general readers." -- Booklist "Six centuries after they began, the Tudors are still England's most famous family. Their story is told in full in Leanda de Lisle's Tudor, a wonderfully fluent portrait of five generations that connects the often overlooked fifteenth century Tudors with the more famous stuff. In bridging this divide, de Lisle brings an entirely fresh feel to the Tudor story, reminding us of the one thing the monarchs themselves wanted us to forget: the sheer improbability of their royal rule." --The Times (London) "Europe has produced no family saga that could match the Tudors. Rarely has that story been so well told as here." -- The Mail "De Lisle's masterful command of the facts -- great and small -- provides a complete and entertaining overview." -- The Guardian
£18.99
PublicAffairs,U.S. The White King
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£24.00
Paraclete Press The Little Flowers of Saint Francis
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£12.57
Pegasus Books The Making of a King: King Charles III and the
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£31.50
Fonthill Media Ltd Wandering Princess: Princess Helene of France,
Book SynopsisHelene was a strong-willed princess, raised in France but closely connected with the court of Queen Victoria. After the premature end to a romance with Victoria's grandson, she married into the royal family of Italy. However, Helene began extended adventuresome trips into Africa where she became a big-game hunter, explorer and travel writer, escaping from an unhappy marriage and the boredom of court life. Her travels took her around the world, but her sense of royal duty brought her back to nurse aboard a hospital ship in Libyan waters, then to an important role as head of the Italian Red Cross nurses during the First World War while her husband headed Italy's Third Army, and her two sons served in the artillery and the navy. Afterwards, her strong Italian nationalism made her an ally to Gabriele d'Annunzio and Benito Mussolini, but the disastrous Second World War saw her grandchildren interned in Austria and her older son die as a British prisoner-of-war while she continued her charitable work in Naples. When the country voted to become a republic in 1946, Helene was the only member of the royal family allowed to remain in Italy with her second 'secret' husband.
£999.99
