Since 1066 when William the Conqueror (alias William the Bastard) took the throne, English and Scottish kings have sired at least 150 children out of wedlock. Many were acknowedged at court and founded dynasties of their own - several of today's dukedoms are descended from them. Others were only acknowledged grudgingly or not at all. In the twentieth century this trend for royals to father illegitimate children continued, but the parentage, while highly probably, has not been officially re...

The current Prince of Wales, our future King, has married his mistress and she will become, barring an accident, our next Queen Consort. This is a unique situation and one that is unlikely to be repeated. Of course, only seventy years ago, his great uncle was in a not dissimilar predicament which cost him his throne. Royal Sex shows how a certain number of key aristocratic families appear to have cornered the market in providing our monarchs with mistresses over successive centuries. The p...

Imagine if you were able to tune up your body when it felt sluggish and unresponsive and maintain it generally the way you do your car. Your body and your car function similarly in that they need air, fuel, and spark. There is one other thing that they should have in common, and that is maintenance. Sadly, and for reasons quite sinister, we are not given the opportunity or any encouragement to maintain our bodies. We have entrusted our health to people who actually do not want us to be hea...

Since 1066 when William the Conqueror took the throne, English and Scottish kings have sired at least 150 children out of wedlock. Many were acknowledged at court and founded dynasties of their own; several of today's dukedoms are descended from them. Others were only acknowledged grudgingly or not at all. In the twentieth century this trend for royals to father illegitimate children continued, but the parentage, while highly probable, has not been officially recognized. This book is a gen...

Which 'ill-prepared' monarch was on the English throne at the turn of the last millenium? How many English monarchs have been crowned on St George's Day? When, how and why did England 'lose' eleven days? Monarchs, Murders and Mistresses answers these questions and many more, presenting a royal event for each day of the calendar year in vivid detail with close-ups of the personalities involved. The book reveals the recurring occupational difficulties faced by the r...

Anne Boleyn was the most controversial and scandalous woman ever to sit on the throne of England. From her early days at the imposing Hever Castle in Kent, to the glittering courts of Paris and London, Anne caused a stir wherever she went. Alluring but not beautiful, Annes wit and poise won her numerous admirers at the English court, and caught the roving eye of King Henry.Anne was determined to shape her own destiny, first through a secret engagement to Henry Percy, the heir of th...

“A vivid, entertaining and often comical portrait of life at court.” —Wall Street Journal“Compelling. . . . The rhythm of court life at Windsor or Balmoral is the backdrop to a rich human drama, a story of people existing in uneasy intimacy with the royal family.” — Daily Telegraph (London)Based on the letters and diaries of six members of Queen Victoria's household, Serving Victoria offers unique insight into the queen and her court. Seen through the eyes of her servants—i...

Jane Seymour is often portrayed as meek and mild and as the most successful, but one of the least significant, of Henry VIIIs wives. The real Jane was a very different character, demure and submissive yet with a ruthless streak as Anne Boleyn was being tried for treason, Jane was choosing her wedding dress. From the lowliest origins of any of Henrys wives her rise shows an ambition every bit as great as Annes.Elizabeth Norton tells the thrilling life of a country girl from rural Wil...

The sixth wife of Henry VIII was also the most married queen of England, outliving three husbands before finally marrying for love. Catherine Parr was enjoying her freedom after her first two arranged marriages when she caught the attention of the elderly Henry VIII.She was the most reluctant of all Henrys wives, offering to become his mistress rather than submit herself to the dangers of becoming Henrys queen. This only served to increase Henrys enthusiasm for the young widow and ...

Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort had nine children who despite their very different characters, remained a close-knit family. Inevitably, as they married into European royal families their loyalties were divided and their lives dominated by political controversy. This is not only the story of their lives in terms of world impact, but also of their own personal achievements, their individual contributions to public life in Britain and overseas and in their roles as...

Spanning 500 years of British history, a revealing look at the secret lives of some great (and not-so-great) Britons, courtesy of one of the world’s most engaging royal historiansBeleaguered by scandal, betrayed by faithless spouses, bedeviled by ambitious children, the kings and queens of Great Britain have been many things, but they have never been dull. Some sacrificed everything for love, while others met a cruel fate at the edge of an axman’s blade. From the t...

With a new royal baby we witness fundamental changes in the succession laws, but then rules governing the royal weddings and the succession to the throne have always been shifting. So what is marriage and who decides? What special rules govern royal marriage and when did they come into force? How have royal marriages affected history? Were the 'Princes in the Tower' illegitimate? Did Henry VIII really have six wives? Was Queen Victoria 'Mrs Brown'? How were royal consorts ...