Discover incredible facts about every king and queen of Britain from 1066 to the present day, and uncover the truth behind royal scandals, conflicts and triumphs. From the bloody battles of Hastings, Bosworth and Agincourt, to the treacherous political courts of the Tudors and Stuarts, trace the turbulent history of Britain’s royal bloodline from its beginnings right up to the present day, with the current queen, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history. Featuring: The birth of the British monarchy - Discover how the union of England and Scotland shaped the modern monarchy. Key historic events - From the Battle of Hastings to the Gunpowder Plot, find out about landmark events. Every king and queen since 1066 - In-depth guides, from William the Conqueror, through to Elizabeth II. Inspiring leaders - Learn about history's best leaders, including Henry VII and Elizabeth I.
Welcome to ALL ABOUT HISTORY Book of BRITISH ROYALS
All About History Book of British Royals
The birth of the British monarchy • Discover how the union of England and Scotland shaped the line of succession and the modern British monarchy
Treaty of Union • How England and Scotland united to form Great Britain and the British monarchy
Monarchs of a united Great Britain
1066-1087 William I • From the illegitimate son of a duke to the holder of the English crown, William I conquered detractors, kings and even the odds to become one of Britain’s most memorable rulers
Life in the time of William I
Timeline
1087-1100 William II • The ruddy-cheeked king who history remembers as a forcible soldier, a hard-hearted ruler and loathed by his highly-taxed subjects
Life in the time of William II
1100-1135 Henry I • Despite proclaiming himself king while his brother’s body was still warm, Henry I proved himself a worthy monarch
Life in the time of Henry I
1135-1154 King Stephen • King Stephen’s usurpation tore the country apart with a 19-year civil war. But with little gained and Henry I’s succession restored, was it worth it?
Life in the time of King Stephen
1154-1189 Henry II • Fiery yet shrewd, the first of the Plantagenet kings helped rebuild a tattered realm while defying rulers, popes and even his own heirs
Life in the time of Henry II
1189-1199 Richard I • Born to royalty but educated in the charnel gutter of war, Richard embodied the religious fanaticism of the time in his quest to claim the fabled Holy Land
Crusaders
Battle of Arsuf 7 September 1191 • A major battle in the Third Crusade, Arsuf saw Richard and Saladin face off
Muslims
Lionheart’s crusade • The Third Crusade faced challenges even before reaching the Holy Land
Anatomy of a Templar knight • The key kit and weapons carried by the most elite of Christian warriors
1199–1216 King John • Reviled and revered in equal measure, King John I of England remains one of history’s most provocative rulers. But was he as ‘bad’ as his enduring moniker suggests?
The best and worst of British kings and queens
King John’s road to ruin
Magna Carta: The abridged version • Don’t have time to read all 63 clauses of the Magna Carta? Well, worry not because we’ve extracted the main points for you. These easy-to-digest snippets will give you everything you need to know about the ground-breaking charter
1216-1272 Henry III • How a boy king whose reign was plagued by rebellion went on to become one of England’s longest-reigning monarchs
Life in the time of Henry III
1272-1307 Edward I • Conqueror of Scotland and Wales and unlikely father of democracy, Edward I was the savage warrior king who laid down the bloody foundations of the United...