In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate a historic milestone: 60 years as Britain's Queen and the constitutional monarch of the globespanning British Commonwealth. Join TIME as we explore the turbulent life and times of Elizabeth and the royal House of Windsor. Here is a chronicle of war and sacrifice...of a throne abdicated for love...of the late, beloved People's Princess, Diana...and of the next generation of British monarchs, king-in-waiting Prince Charles and wife Camilla...and Prince William and his wife, the former Kate Middleton, whose 2011 marriage began a fresh new chapter in the annals of the House of Windsor.
Fascinating and authoritative of Britain's royal families from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I to Queen Victoria, by leading popular historian Alison Weir 'George III is alleged to have married secretly, on 17th April, 1759, a Quakeress called Hannah Lightfoot. If George III did make such a marriage...then his subsequent marriage to Queen Charlotte was bigamous, and every monarch of Britain since has been a usurper, the rightful heirs of George III being his children by Hannah Lightfoot...' Britain's Royal Families provides in one volume, complete genealogical details of all members of the royal houses of England, Scotland and Great Britain - from 800AD to the present. Drawing on countless authorities, both ancient and modern, Alison Weir explores the crown and royal family tree in unprecedented depth and provides a comprehensive guide to the heritage of today's royal family – with fascinating insight and often scandalous secrets. 'Staggeringly useful... combines solid information with tantalising appetisers.’ Mail on Sunday
Every year over 5000 royal engagements take place around the world, from the Queen's famous summer garden parties to the mysterious world of the Privy Council and high-profile overseas tours. But little is widely known about the inner workings of the institution that lies at the very heart of the British nation. For the first time ever, The Monarchy takes the reader behind the scenes, meeting the people that keep the royal machine running like clockwork. With unprecedented access to the key players and organizations involved, The Monarchy follows the working life of the Queen over the course of a whole year, both home and abroad. Ever wondered who opens the Queen's mail, who pays the bills, or even how the royals follow the score in the Ashes? Alongside such trivial matters sit weightier concerns, such as audiences with the Prime Minister, the formal honouring of bravery and excellence, and the sensitive issue of the royal response at times of controversy or crisis. Accompanying a major BBC1 television series, The Monarchy provides a fascinating insight into the public and private lives of this most familiar of families. Written by the Daily Mail's, Robert Hardman, and lavishly illustrated with exclusive colour photographs, this book will appeal both to avid royal-watchers and anyone fascinated in the history and heritage of the United Kingdom.
To talk about royalty is to talk of many things: privilege, equality, nationality, morality, family life, parenting, divorce, the media and more. Important themes and issues flow through the seemingly trivial everyday chatter about royalty. Now with a new preface, Talking of the Royal Family was the first serious full-length study of royalty to emerge from this rhetorical perspective and remains relevant today.
The Royal Family of the United Kingdom is one of the most instantly recognized institutions in the world. Since the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned in 1952, it has undergone a huge amount of cultural and social change, but over the course of many decades the Royal Family has continued to play an important role in British society. The Royal Family Operations Manual, written by royal expert and correspondent Robert Jobson, offers a complete examination of a very British institution, looking behind the scenes at the current heirs of a kingdom that has been ruled nearly uninterruptedly by a monarch since 774AD. Chapters include explanations of the: Windsor bloodline, family tree and personalities Their royal residences, palaces and country retreats Military connections Charity work Annual engagements Royal finances, including facts and statistics on personal incomes, state salaries and business interests Births, marriages and deaths State ceremonies, such as the opening of parliament, the Christmas address, trooping the colours and the elaborate hosting of foreign dignitaries. The book also includes throughout fascinating behind the scenes details on staff, domestic rituals, personalities, pets, family gatherings and other inside information. Lavishly illustrated with photographs of the people, places and events of the past 150 years, this book makes a fitting celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign as she nears 70 years on the throne.
With Prince William and his wife Kate these days, we hang on each and every one of their doings: They go out, they take a walk, they see the queen, they take in a horse race, they play Scrabble-we pay attention. But LIFE deals with the big events, as we have done in a series of recent books on the history of the English Royals, on Queen Elizabeth II upon the occasion of her Jubilee, on the 50th anniversary of Lady Diana's birth and, of course, on the wedding of the Cambridges. Now we return to the story with this special commemorative volume, published quickly upon the birth of Will and Kate's first child. We visit, in words and pictures, previous royal births of note, dating to Queen Victoria and even before. In a special section, we look at the young family of Elizabeth II, when Charles was in knee pants. We detail Will and Kate's happy marriage so far: the honeymoon, the Olympics, the travels around the world, the exciting days leading up to the birth of their baby. When LIFE first came on the American scene in 1936, we knew this-the Royals-was one of our stories. It still is.
The nephew of Prince Rainier and Charles Higham, the bestselling author of The Duchess of Windsor, tell what really went on behind the glittering fairy tale walls of the palace. Brimming with scandal, romance, and treachery, this is a shocking memoir complete with candid photos.
