'The Royal Palaces of London' brings together the stories of these buildings and the characters, events and art that have filled their grand spaces and intimate corners from the Norman Conquest to modern times.
This book reveals the stories, events and colourful characters that make up the Tower of London's long and varied history, from its Roman origins to the present day.
An in-depth look at the British monarchy that’s “a superb synthesis of historical analysis, politics, and top-notch royal gossip” (Kirkus Reviews). Since William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, crossed the English Channel in 1066 to defeat King Harold II and unite England’s various kingdoms, forty-one kings and queens have sat on Britain’s throne. “Shining examples of royal power and majesty alongside a rogue’s gallery of weak, lazy, or evil monarchs,” as Tracy Borman describes them in her sparkling chronicle, Crown & Sceptre. Ironically, during very few of these 955 years has the throne’s occupant been unambiguously English—whether Norman French, the Welsh-born Tudors, the Scottish Stuarts, and the Hanoverians and their German successors to the present day. Acknowledging the intrinsic fascination with British royalty, Borman lifts the veil to reveal the remarkable characters and personalities who have ruled and, since the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, more ceremonially reigned. It is a crucial distinction explaining the staying power of the monarchy as the royal family has evolved and adapted to the needs and opinions of its people, avoiding the storms of rebellion that brought many of Europe’s royals to an abrupt end. Richard II; Henry VIII; Elizabeth I; George III; Victoria; Elizabeth II: their names evoke eras and the dramatic events Borman recounts. She is equally attuned to the fabric of monarchy: royal palaces; the way monarchs have been portrayed in art, on coins, in the media; the ceremony and pageantry surrounding the crown. Elizabeth II is already one of the longest reigning monarchs in history. Crown & Sceptre is a fitting tribute to her remarkable longevity and that of the magnificent institution she represents. “Crown & Sceptre brings us in short, vivid chapters from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth herself, much of it constituting a dark record of bumping off adversaries, rivals and spouses, confiscating vast estates and military invasions…. [A] lucid, character-rich book.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune “Borman’s deep understanding of English royalty shines.” —Chris Schluep, Amazon Editors’ Picks, The Best History Books of February 2022
Hampton Court Palace, to the south-west of London, is one of the most famous and magnificent buildings in Britain. The original palace was begun by Cardinal Wolsey, but it soon attracted the attention of his Tudor king and became the centre of royal and political life for the next 200 years. In this new, lavishly illustrated history, the stories of the people who have inhabited the palace over the last five centuries take centre stage. Here Henry VIII and most of his six wives held court, Shakespeare and his players performed, and Charles I escaped arrest after his defeat in the Civil War. William III and Mary II introduced French court etiquette, and Georgian kings and princes argued violently amid the splendid interiors. Alongside the royal residents, there have been equally fascinating characters among courtiers and servants. Queen Victoria opened the palace to the public in the nineteenth century, and since then millions of visitors have been drawn to Hampton Court by its grandeur, its beauty and the many intriguing stories of those great and small who once lived here.
It is easy to take our most important historic monuments for granted, and there is a commonly-held view that we know everything about them. Archaeology, however, has the capacity to surprise us by revealing new, unexpected aspects of even the most familiar sites. So it was at the Tower of London, when Historic Royal Palaces established the Tower Environs Scheme in the mid 1990s to improve the area around the castle and provide it with a setting worthy of its status as a World Heritage Site. The idea of reflooding the moat was one of the most exciting proposals under consideration, and a major programme of archaeological and technical investigations was undertaken to assess its feasibility. This led in 1995 to the very unexpected discovery of top-quality stonework at the bottom of a small trench in the moat. The discovery was difficult to interpret, so a much larger excavation took place during 1996-7, revealing previously unknown parts of the Tower's 13th-century defences. This report provides a full description and analysis of the remarkable discoveries, representing a major advance in our understanding of Henry III's expansion of the castle. Many other interesting aspects of the moat's development and environment are also described, and there are extensive entries on artefacts such as a wickerwork fish trap - and the fish trapped inside it.
A fun pop-up celebration of royal animals through the ages, packed full of facts, flaps and surprising stories - the perfect gift for animal lovers and history fans of all ages! Dogs, cats, monkeys and rats - there's something for everyone in this fascinating pop-up history of royal animals. From the Royal Menagerie of the 1200s to Queen Elizabeth II's corgis, this beautifully illustrated interactive book is packed with fun facts and sensational stories. Did you know that William III died after an unfortunate meeting with a mischievous mole? And that Queen Victoria used to dress her dog, Dash up in a scarlet jacket and blue trousers? Published in conjunction with Historic Royal Palaces, this is a book to treasure for royal enthusiasts, animal fans and history lovers everywhere. Book Features: " Published in association with Historic Royal Palaces, in consultation with their experts. " An ideal gift format perfect for displays and windows - a brilliant souvenir. " With five fact-packed pop-up spreads, this follows on from previous titles Pop-Up Kings and Queens and Pop-Up Crown Jewels.
The story of the Stuart dynasty is a breathless soap opera played out in just a hundred years in an array of buildings that span Europe from Scotland, via Denmark, Holland and Spain to England.
"As England's largest castle and premier royal residence, Windsor Castle is of outstanding importance: historically, architecturally, artistically and in the life of the nation. This authoritative history of the Castle, the first to be published in 100 years, draws upon new research and primary sources to present a general account of Windsor Castle and its immediate environs from around AD700 to the present day, setting this iconic building against the background of wider social, political and cultural events in the life of the monarchy and the nation. Not only is the book richly illustrated with historical drawings, watercolours and photographs from the Royal Collection and elsewhere, it also includes newly commissioned photography and 3D reconstructions of the Castle at key points in its development, showing how this historic site has changed and evolved over 13 centuries."--