Reading List
Suggested Reading
A selection of books......
On Duty with the Royals: The Inside Story of the Modern Monarchy
Dickie Arbiter is the only living royal expert to have witnessed two coronations and one of very few to have genuine first-hand experience of working directly with the immediate Royal Family.
Having been Press Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II and later Prince Charles and Princess Diana, he witnessed history as it happened from inside the Palace walls.
His first book, On Duty with the Queen, published in 2014 with permission of the royals, provided a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the British Royal Household and the relationships behind the palace gates.Now, after a seismic shift and profound transformation in the lives of so many members of the royal family, and being able to speak fully of his experiences for the first time, it is the ideal moment for a new book.
From the passing of the late Queen Elizabeth II to the reign of King Charles III, the Prince Andrew Scandal and Prince Harry’s split from the Royal Family, and amid an evolving relationship between the Royals, the media and the public, this book contextualises the current Royal landscape through the eyes of the man who knows it best.
As a trusted Palace aide and a seasoned media professional, Dickie offers rare insight into Royal life with On Duty with the Royals ― balancing protocol, humanity, and transparency. His credibility, public profile and impeccable reputation make him a powerful voice at a time when public interest in the Monarchy is at an all-time high.
(Published by Mirror Books; publication date: 10th September 2026)
Power and the Palace: How the Royals Exercise Political Influence
Covering 200 years of Royal history from Queen Victoria to King Charles, and looking forward to the future reign of King William, Power and the Palace is the gossip-laden and highly revelatory account of the relationship between the Sovereign and the Prime Minister - the real story behind The Crown.
Power and the Palace lifts the lid on the mysterious power nexus at the heart of the British state: the secretive and little understood relationship between the Monarchy and the Government. In vivid, page-turning prose, Valentine Low takes us behind the scenes of the weekly audience to uncover the ever-changing dynamic between Sovereign and Prime Minister - from the romance and flattery that bound Victoria and Benjamin Disraeli, to the personal and political gulf that separated Elizabeth II from Margaret Thatcher.
He reveals how the Monarchy has gradually ceded political power over the past two hundred years while behind closed doors fighting to keep its finances secure - ensuring the long-term survival of the institution. But it has not all been smooth sailing, and the book includes moments of dramatic tension when the relationship threatened to unravel.
Based on nearly 100 interviews with senior politicians, top civil servants, royal aides and constitutional experts, Power and the Palace rewrites our understanding of the political power of the Monarchy.
(Publisher Headline Press; published 16th July 2026)
Divide & Rule
Divide and Rule: Discover the real lives of royal women past and present with this groundbreaking, feminist analysis of the British monarchy – new for 2026
Globally famous and yet universally misunderstood – these are the complex and utterly engrossing stories of Britain's royal women behind the public façade.
Saints or sinners? Perfect princesses or difficult duchesses? Monarchy’s saviours or its destroyers?
They rank among the world’s most famous women – and the most misunderstood. Throughout history, royal women have been sanitised and sanctified by supporters, distorted and demonised by critics, pitted against each other and misrepresented by the media.
In this extraordinary portrait, journalist Catherine Mayer examines the lives of the central players and the echoes and parallels that have run throughout history. The stories of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, Victoria, Elizabeth II, Diana, Camilla, Kate and Meghan uncovered by Catherine Mayer are far more fascinating, poignant, surprising and enraging than any of the myths. Divide & Rule reveals these extraordinary women in all their complexity, charting their achievements, quirks, kindnesses, cruelties and profound influence.
Drawing on key sources, many of whom have never spoken publicly before, this book also demonstrates the ways in which history repeats itself – to the detriment not only of royal women but all of us.
(Published by HQ 18th June 2026; also available in Kindle edition and audiobook)
Kate!
The definitive portrait of Kate Middleton, the beloved and private Princess of Wales, tracing her stunning rise from working-class roots to queen-in-waiting, from #1 New York Times bestselling royal biographer Christopher Andersen.
Kate is one of the most photographed, most talked about, most written about women in the world - heiress to Princess Diana’s glamour and mystique, both wife of one future monarch and mother of another. But as the daughter of an airline attendant who grew up in public housing, Kate was not destined for this fate. She had to fight for it - and for the love of the future king.
In this illuminating portrait, master biographer Christopher Andersen chronicles Kate’s life, beginning with her humble upbringing; her off-again, on-again love story with William that catapulted her to global fame; and the 2011 “Wedding of the Century.” Throughout their marriage, Kate has proven that she is more than just a Prince’s wife - she is a leader in humanitarian work, the devoted mother of three children in the media spotlight, an unparalleled fashion icon and the universally adored face of Britain’s Monarchy.
Yet her story is more complex than the public knows. With startling new details from his inside sources, Andersen reveals the full picture: including Kate’s fight to repair William and Harry’s rift, the disintegration of her relationship with Meghan, her work to refute charges of racism leveled at the Monarchy, and her bravery in the face of cancer - her diagnosis and treatment, and the bizarre theories that swirled around her public disappearance.
Kate! is an against-all-odds romance, a glittering fairy tale, and a heart-tugging family drama within the modern Monarchy - but most of all, an inspiring saga of one woman’s grace and grit in the face of adversity.
(Published by Gallery Books 7th May 2026; also available in Kindle edition and audiobook)
Monarchy in the Modern Age: Power, Tradition, and the Survival of European Crowns
Monarchy in the Modern Age explores one of the most enduring political realities in the modern world: the survival of European crowns long after the fall of empires, revolutions and the rise of democratic government.
Rather than treating monarchy as a relic, Christopher Dill examines how royal institutions adapted, retained legitimacy, and continued to matter in modern Europe. From ceremony and symbolism to constitutional function and national identity, this book looks at why monarchy did not simply disappear - and why it still holds influence in the public imagination today.
Blending historical perspective with political analysis, Monarchy in the Modern Age considers the relationship between tradition and sovereignty, the role of continuity in times of change, and the ways European monarchies preserved relevance in an era that often claimed to move beyond them.
For readers interested in European history, political systems, royal institutions, and the long survival of old-world power, this book offers a focused look at monarchy not as a leftover of the past, but as a living structure that continues to shape the modern age.
(Independently published in hardback and paperback 10th April 2026; also available in Kindle edition)
Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion & Style
Queen Elizabeth II was one of the most stylish and instantly recognisable women of the twentieth century, and her fashions have influenced subsequent generations of fashion designers. This book explores the late Queen's unique and significant personal dress collection.
The late Queen's ensembles were seen on a global stage and designed with purpose: consciously selecting colours and deploying accessories that would serve to subtle diplomatic effect on tour, or when meeting heads of state. Queen Elizabeth II was acutely aware of the impact of her dress when performing public duties, while her unmistakable off-duty and ready-to-wear style was equally elegant and quintessentially British.
The author Caroline de Guitaut explores Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion archive in detail for the first time – from favourite childhood dresses and stylish daywear ensembles to exquisite evening gowns and uniquely tailored ceremonial dress – which documents the evolution of royal fashion during the 70 years of her reign. This book also celebrates the work of such renowned fashion designers as Sir Norman Hartnell and Sir Hardy Amies, among other designers and makers who created the wardrobe, and the unique relationship they had with the late Queen through accessories and supporting archive material, including fashion sketches, design albums and correspondence. The Queen remained a steadfast supporter of British fashion throughout her life, from the couturiers of the 1940s to the creation, in 2018, of an award in her name by the British Fashion Council.
The book includes a tribute by Dame Anna Wintour CH DBE, an essay by Amy de la Haye, Professor of Dress History and Curatorship at the London College of Fashion on the wider context of British fashion in the twentieth century, and reflections by contemporary designers, including Richard Quinn and Erdem Moralioglu.
(Published by Royal Collection Trust 26th March 2026)
Monarchy (Forms of Government: Need to Know)
Monarchies are controlled by rulers who pass down power through family lines. But monarchies have taken many forms through history.
Explore more about monarchies with content tied to the curriculum of upper-elementary and middle school students and easy-to-understand text written at a 3rd grade reading level. Dyslexia-friendly font and design make learning accessible, while a recap at the end promotes checking for understanding to aid in comprehension. It’s key social studies curriculum made approachable for all.
(Published in Library Binding format and paperback by Silver Tip Books 1st January 2026)
Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story
The instant No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, updated with exclusive new material covering the turbulent events of 2024, including the serious health challenges facing The King and Princess of Wales.
By the acclaimed royal biographer and commentator Robert Hardman, Charles III is a brilliant and intimate portrait of the new monarch that draws on unrivalled access to the Royal Family, their close friends and staff, plus previously unseen papers from the Royal Archives.
With damaging headlines unleashed by the Sussexes, political crises and questions about the future of the monarchy, Charles III had no shortage of challenges when he started his reign. The Royal Family then faced a double blow in 2024 when the King and the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer, the news shocking the nation.
The dramatic story is uncovered here, along with the vital role played by Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and others. From the emotional days following the death of Elizabeth II to the pageantry of the coronation, from the truth about the King’s relationship with Prince William and Prince Harry and the way he has coped with his illness to his first steps on the world stage, Hardman takes us behind the pomp and ceremony to reveal Charles the man as well as the monarch.
Authoritative and richly insightful, Charles III is the definitive account of a king determined to maximize "the time God grants me" – and enjoy it.
(Hardback published by Macmillan 7th November 2024; paperback published by Pan 28th August 2025; also available in Kindle edition and audio book)
"This glorious book reveals the real Charles III. Hardman’s magisterial biography, full of detail about the King, the Queen and the Sussexes alike, will become a historical document" – Simon Heffer, The Telegraph
"Scoops aplenty are here . . . An irresistible insider account of momentous royal events" – Melanie Reid, The Times
"Fascinating . . . the book everyone is talking about" – Daily Mail
A Voyage Around the Queen
Sunday Times bestselling biography of Queen Elizabeth II, from the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize
From one of the funniest writers of our time, the award-winning author of One Two Three Four and Ma'am Darling turns his attention to Queen Elizabeth II in an unforgettable and fascinating biography.
Queen Elizabeth II was famous for longer than anyone who has ever lived. For close to a century, she inhabited the psyche of a nation.
Combining biography, essays, cultural history, dream diaries, travelogue and satire, the bestselling and award-winning author of Ma'am Darling and One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time presents a kaleidoscopic portrait of this most public yet private of sovereigns.
(Publisher Fourth Estate; published 29th August 2024)
The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy
The dramatic story of the new king's evolution over the past year from Prince of Wales to King Charles III, from one of the most acclaimed royal biographers writing today.
No British monarch has had a tougher act to follow.
Now, after seventy years of waiting and preparation, King Charles III is not just the head of the most famous family in the world. He is the custodian of a thousand-year-old institution which must redefine its place in the digital age while others insist on rewriting the past. With unrivaled access to The King, The Royal Family and the court, leading royal authority Robert Hardman brings us the inside story on the most pivotal and challenging year for the Monarchy in living memory.
From the death of Elizabeth II through to the ancient spectacle of the Coronation, from the rise of a new Prince and Princess of Wales to the latest "truth bombs" from the Sussexes, this is the story of the making of a Monarch.
(Published by Penguin Books - hardback only - 18th January 2024)
"A stunning, intimate recapitulation of The King's first year. Readers are treated to a fast-paced inside view of royal life's intricacies. With Mr Hardman's sources and experience - he interviewed The King several times when Charles turned 60 and produced a BBC documentary on The King's first year - The Making of a King is an up-close-and-personal look at a world most readers will never directly experience." - The Washington Times
A Defence of Monarchy: Catholics under a Protestant King
The death of Queen Elizabeth II and the ceremonies surrounding her funeral and the Coronation of her son King Charles III, raised many questions for the tens of millions who followed these events online.
What is the meaning and function of a Monarchy and its rituals in the modern world? And how should Catholics, in particular, view the record of a Queen who appeared to preside over the de-Christianization of her own country?
Such are the questions this book sets out to answer. It examines the place of the Monarchy in the interplay of tradition and modernity; the meaning and development of the coronation rites; the constitutional and legislative roles of British monarchs; and how the Monarchy is seen in America and the rest of the English-speaking world.
Ultimately, this timely, and perhaps provocative, work makes the case for the Monarchy as a repository of Catholic tradition; a politically neutral focus of unity; and the symbolic interface between the Nation and God.
(Published by Angelico Press: hardback 5th December 2023; paperback 6th December 2023)
Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind The Crown
The gripping account of how the Royal family really operates from the man who has spent years studying them in his role as Royal correspondent for The Times. Valentine Low asks the important questions: who really runs the show and, as Charles III begins his reign, what will happen next?
Throughout history, the British Monarchy has relied on its courtiers - the trusted advisers in the King or Queen's inner circle - to ensure its survival as a family, an ancient institution and a pillar of the constitution. Today, as ever, a vast team of people hidden from view steers the Royal Family's path between public duty and private life. Queen Elizabeth II, after a remarkable 70 years of service, saw the final seasons of her reign without her husband Philip to guide her. Meanwhile, newly ascended Charles seeks to define what his future as King, and that of his court, will be.
The question of who is entrusted to guide the Royals has never been more vital, and yet the task those courtiers face has never been more challenging. With a cloud hanging over Prince Andrew as well as Harry and Meghan's departure from royal life, the complex relationship between modern courtiers and royal principals has been exposed to global scrutiny. As the new Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate - equipped with a very 21st century approach to press and public relations - now hold the responsibility of making an ancient institution relevant for the decades to come.
Courtiers reveals an ever-changing system of complex characters, shifting values and ideas over what the future of the institution should be. This is the story of how the Monarchy really works, at a pivotal moment in its history.
(Published by Headline Book Publishing: hardback 6th October 2022 and paperback - featuring a brand new chapter on King Charles III and his Coronation - 6th July 2023; also available in Kindle edition and audio book)
The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown
In The New Royals, journalist Katie Nicholl provides a nuanced look at Elizabeth's remarkable and unrivalled reign, with new stories from Palace courtiers and aides, documentarians, and family members. She examines King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's decades in waiting and beyond-where "The Firm" is headed as William and Kate present the modern faces of an ancient institution.
(Published by Hachetts Books: hardback 4th October 2022; paperback 7th September 2023; also available in Kindle edition and audiobook)
The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy: European Monarchies Compared (Hart Studies in Comparative Public Law)
How much power does a monarch really have? How much autonomy do they enjoy? Who regulates the size of the royal family, their finances, the rules of succession? These are some of the questions considered in this edited collection on the monarchies of Europe.
The book is written by experts from Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK. It considers the constitutional and political role of monarchy, its powers and functions, how it is defined and regulated, the laws of succession and royal finances, relations with the media, the popularity of the monarchy and why it endures.
No new political theory on this topic has been developed since Bagehot wrote about the monarchy in The English Constitution (1867). The same is true of the other European monarchies. 150 years on, with their formal powers greatly reduced, how has this ancient, hereditary institution managed to survive and what is a modern monarch’s role? What theory can be derived about the role of monarchy in advanced democracies, and what lessons can the different European monarchies learn from each other?
The public look to the Monarchy to represent continuity, stability and tradition, but also want it to be modern, to reflect modern values and be a focus for national identity. The whole institution is shot through with contradictions, myths and misunderstandings. This book should lead to a more realistic debate about our expectations of the Monarchy, its role and its future.
(Published by Hart Publishing: hardback 17th September 2020; paperback 17th March 2022; also available in Kindle edition)
On Power: The Natural History of Its Growth
Documenting the process by which government and controlling majorities have grown increasingly powerful and tyrannical, Bertrand de Jouvenel demonstrates how democracies have failed to limit the powers of government. This development Jouvenel traces all the way back to the days of royal absolutism which established the large administrative bureacracies and thus laid the foundation of the modern omnipotent state.
On Power is an important work that Professor Angelo M. Petroni of the Luigi Einaudi Centre for Research in Torino, Italy, has said is "...simply a book that no serious scholar of political science or political philosophy can afford to ignore."
(Published by Liberty Fund 1993 in both hardback & paperback; later hardback edition published by Forgotten Books 21st April 2018 & paperback edition published by Sothis Press 26th September 2023)
The Royal Houses of Europe - Series of Genealogical Books
These books provide a full royal genealogy laid out in inter-connected royal family trees of the Royal Houses of Europe. They cover the reigning monarchies of Europe, the great imperial dynasties and, the former monarchies of Europe.
They include the British Royal House, now the House of Windsor, from Queen Victoria and the dynasties of Stuart, Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The dynasties of Hohenzollern, Romanov, Habsburg, Bourbon and Bonaparte have separate books on each, together with the Monarchies of Scandinavia, the Benelux, Iberia, Italy and the Balkans.
(Published by Royal Houses of Europe)
Discounts are available for CMA supporters. For information on these, contact The Royal Houses of Europe below:
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Our Times
At the time of publication, Queen Elizabeth II had lived through the Abdication, the Blitz and World War II, the sex and scandals of the swinging sixties, the Cold War and the nuclear threat and the Fall of the Berlin Wall. She had known 11 US Presidents; including JFK and Ronald Reagan, and other world leaders like Nelson Mandela and Pope John XXII. Her Prime Ministers had ranged from Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher to David Cameron, the last only ten years older than her grandson. Her own family experiences - a mixture of happiness and crisis, weddings and divorces, and, in the case of Diana, violent death - were lived in the glare of tabloid headlines.
More than 2 billion people watched the wedding of her grandson Prince William to Catherine Middleton in 2010, shortly before The Queen made the first State Visit to Ireland by a British Monarch for 100 years. Our world changed more in her lifetime than in any of her predecessors' yet The Queen remained a calm presence at the centre, earning the respect of monarchists and republicans alike. One may well ask how has she done it?
(Hardback published by Viking 6th December 2011; paperback published by Penguin 10th May 2012; also available in Kindle edition and audio CD)
The Diamond Queen: Elizabeth II and Her People
With the flair for narrative and the meticulous research that readers have come to expect, Andrew Marr turns his attention to the Monarch - and to the Monarchy - chronicling The Queen's pivotal role at the centre of the state, which is largely hidden from the public gaze, and making a strong case for the institution itself. Arranged thematically, rather than chronologically, Marr dissects The Queen's political relationships, crucially those with her Prime Ministers; he examines her role as Head of the Commonwealth and her deep commitment to the Commonwealth of Nations; he looks at the drastic changes in the media since her accession in 1952 and how the Monarchy - and the Monarch - have had to adapt as a result.
Indeed, he argues that under her watchful eye the Monarchy has been thoroughly modernised and made as fit for purpose in the 21st century as it was when she came to the throne and a 'new Elizabethan age' was ushered in.
(Hardback published by Macmillan: 27th October 2011; paperback published by Picador 14th April 2022; also available in Kindle edition)
Not in Front of the Corgis
The Windsors are England s most famous family, but what are they really like when they re out of the public gaze? Behind closed doors in every Royal residence, from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House, there are two families one upstairs and one down and nobody knows a Royal quite like a Royal servant, intimately acquainted as they are with every quirk, foible and eccentricity. And there are a fair few! This is the inside story of the Royal Family through the eyes of those who know them best, a sneak peek behind the ermine-trimmed curtains to reveal what they really get up to in their spare time. Are they just like us? Or are they are a world apart? Here are the answers to everything we ve ever wondered about the Royals: which programmes does the Queen watch on TV? What music did the Queen Mother listen to? Who can drive and who can t? What is it like to attend a dinner party thrown by Charles and Camilla? Who are the most popular (and most unpopular!) Royals to work for and why? Not in Front of the Corgis is the real Upstairs Downstairs a unique and fascinating collection of all the secrets you ever wanted to know about the Royal Family.
(Published by The Robson Press: hardback 10th October 2011; paperback 10th October 2012; also available in Kindle edition)
Young Prince Philip: His Turbulent Early Life
A revelatory and racy biography of the early life of Prince Philip.
Married for more than sixty years to the most famous woman in the world, Prince Philip was the longest-serving Royal Consort in British history. Yet, while he was one of the most recognisable figures in public life, his origins remained curiously shrouded in obscurity.
In Young Prince Philip, the first to focus exclusively on his life before the Coronation, Philip Eade recounts The Prince's extraordinary upbringing in Greece, France, Nazi Germany and Britain where he inhabited a notably colourful mileau yet was beset by continual turbulence and a succession of family tragedies.
This revealing book examines the formative psychological effects of having a mother who was born deaf and was committed to a psychiatric clinic when Philip was nine and a father who was so traumatised by his treatment at the hands of Greek revolutionaries that he later left his young son to be brought up by his wife's family, the Milford-Havens and Mountbattens just when Philip needed him most.
Remarkably, there emerged from this unsettled background a character of singular vitality and dash - self-confident, capable, famously opinionated and desvastatingly handsome. Girls fell at his feet, and the Princess who would become his wife was smitten from the age of thirteen. Yet, alongside the considerable charm and intelligence, the young Prince was also prone to volcanic outbursts and to putting his foot in it. Detractors percieved in his behaviour emotional short-comings, a legacy of his traumatic childhood, which would have profound consequences for his family and the future of the Monarchy.
Containing new material from interviews, archives and film footage, Young Prince Philip is the most complete and compelling account yet of his storm-tossed early life.
(Hardback published by HarperPress 9th June 2011; paperback published by William The 4th 31st March 2022; also available in Kindle edition and audiobook)
Crown and Country: A History of England through the Monarchy
From one of our finest historians comes an outstanding exploration of the British Monarchy, from the retreat of the Romans up until the modern day. This compendium volume of two earlier books is fully revised and updated.
The Monarchy is one of Britain's most revered institutions - but also one of its most tumultuous. In Crown and Country, David Starkey charts its rollercoaster history from the earliest times to the present; from the courtly love of the Middle Ages, throughout the turbulent reign of the Tudors, to the chaos of the Civil War.
Starkey brings this tempestuous story up-to-date in this complete history, guiding us through the Abdication Crisis to the dissolution of the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. He draws upon the rank and romance in light of the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William and brings to life a cast of colourful characters and some riveting stories. Crown and Country is both a brilliant overview of the Monarchy and a vivdly iconoclastic protrait of British culture, politics and nationhood.
(Published by HarperPress: hardback 30th September 2010; paperback 29th September 2011; also available in Kindle edition and audiobook)
The Queen: Elizabeth II and the Monarchy
An updated edition of Ben Pimlott's magisterial biography of The Queen; "...there is no better biography of Elizabeth II," according to Prof Peter Hennessy (Queen Mary College, University of London).
The Royal Family have been through a tumultuous decade but, with the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Philip's 90th birthday and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, there is a renewed interest and appreciation of our Monarchy. The Queen is an in depth look at the woman at the centre of it all and is the only biography to take Elizabeth II seriously as the subject of historical biography, or to examine the influences that formed her and the ideas she represents.
Ben Pimlott (described by Andrew Marr in The Independent as "...the best writer of political biography now writing") treats the Head of State to the rigourous and objective scrutiny he applied to major political personalities, using a wide range of sources including interviews, diaries and letters, and papers in the Royal Archives.
The Queen looks at the social, political and psychological aspects of his subject in detail, as well as at the changing role of Monarchy in the British Constitution. In the process, the book dispays all the author's formidable analytical and narrative skills and provides a gripping yet sensitive account of one of the most publicised - yet least known - figures of our time. It is vital reading for all those who care about public in life in Britain - past, present and to come.
(Hardback published by Harper Collins 19th November 2001; paperback published by HarperPress 10th May 2012; also available in Kindle edition)
The English Constitution
"An ancient and ever-altering constitution is like an old man who still wears, with attached fondness, clothes in the fashion of his youth: what you see of him is the same; what you do not see is wholly altered."
First published in 1867, Walter Bagehot's The English Constitution is the best account of the history and working of the British political system ever written. As arguments raged in mid-Victorian Britain about giving the working man the vote, and democracies overseas were pitched into despotism and civil war, Bagehot took a long, cool look at the 'dignified' and 'efficient' elements which made the English system the envy of the world. His anaylsis of the Monarchy, the role of the Prime Minister and the cabinet, and comparisons with the American presidential system are astute and timeless, and pertinent to current discussions surrounding devolution and electoral reform.
Combining the wit of a journalist with the wisdom of a man of letters steeped in evolutionary ideas and historical knowledge, Bagehot produced a book which is always thoughtful, often funny and seldom dull. This edition reproduces Bagehot's original 1867 work in full, and introduces the reader to the dramatic political events that surround its publication.
(Published by Oxford Paperbacks 8th February 2001; hardback edition published by Anson Street Press 28th March 2025; also available in Kindle edition)
Dignified and Efficient: The British Monarchy in the Twentieth Century
In a series of moving portraits of the monarchs and their advisors, Charles Douglas-Home and Saul Kelly examine the tasks with which recent crowned heads have been troubled, and the virtues that enabled them, by and large, to act for the common good. Incisive, evocative and informed by a magisterial vision of the scope of political power, this work offers a persuasive answer to the critics of Monarchy and an account of a unique form of government that will give confidence and inspiration to the British people, as they enter a new century of shifting powers and uncertain prospects.
(Published by Claridge Press 1st January 2000)
Lines of Succession Handbook: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe
Lines of Succession... presents a comprehensive account of both the heraldic and the genealogical history of European Royalty and is fully illustrated throughout. Beginning with heraldry in the fifteenth century, the two experts who collabourated to make the book present the heraldic shields as well as the genealogy of all the Royal families of Europe, past and present. The genealogical tables provide detailed family trees, country by country. The coat-of-arms representing the various matrimonial alliances show how heraldic devices evolved and developed from simple symbols to complex quarterings. Additional tables highlight the most important historical events involving dynastic succession. The text describes the historical background to each Royal family tree, and shows how such events are reflected in the makeup of the Royal coat-of-arms.
(Hardback published by Little, Brown & Co 5th August 1999; also by Barnes & Noble 1st January 2002; paperback published by Grange Books Ltd 15th September 2002)
The British Monarchs
A record of Britain's kings and queens who have ruled all, or part of, Britain covering more than 1000 monarchs and 2000 years of history. It includes the host of tribal and Saxon rulers prior to 1066, as well as famous monarchs such as Richard III, Elizabeth I and Charles II; and all the rulers of Scotland and Wales. It provides full details of all the rulers' wives, consorts, pretenders, usurpers and regents, as well as powerful nobles and dignitaries. There is also a listing of royal records such as who are the most, the least, the shortest, the largest, the richest, the poorest and a geographical guide to where all Britain's monarchs lived and died, including their palaces, estates and resting places.
(Published by Robinson Publishing 29th October 1998)
Oliver Cromwell: King in all but name, 1653-1658
Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector (1653-1658) is frequently described as king in all but name without explaining exactly what this means. This book aims to correct that omission by demonstrating precisely in what way Cromwell's rule was a monarchical regime in the generally accepted sense of the term. The author challenges many widely held views about Cromwell, resulting in a portrayal of the man and his regime which is far removed from the stereotypical image of the Protector.
(Published by Sutton Publishing Ltd 1st October 1997)
The Monarchy and the Constitution
In the increasingly questioning world of the 1990s, the role of the Monarchy in a democracy is again under scrutiny. Its critics argue that the Monarchy is a profoundly conservative institution which serves to inhibit social change; that it has outlived its usefulness; that it symbolises and reinforces deference and hierarchy; and that its radical refrom is, therefore, long overdue. Rejecting these arguments, Vernon Bogdanor makes a powerful case for the positive role that Monarchy plays in modern democratic politics. Ranging across law, politics and history, he argues that, far from undermining democracy, the Monarchy sustains and strengthens democratic institutions; that Constitutional Monarchy is a form of government that ensures not conservatism but legitimacy. The first serious examination of the political role of the Monarchy to appear in many years, this book will make fascinating reading for all those interested in the Monarchy and the future of British politics.
(Hardback published by Oxford University Press 9th November 1995; paperback published by OUP USA 12th February 1998; also available in Kindle edition)
Debrett's Kings and Queens of Britain
This is the companion work to Debrett's Kings and Queens of Europe and provides a complete and personal survey of the monarchs of England from the early Celtic and Saxon kings to the House of Windsor. It includes additional charts and notes on the independent monarchs of Scotland, Wales and Ireland during the same period.
(Published by Webb & Bower: 1991)
The Royal Encyclopaedia: Authorised Book of the Royal Family
This book provides the reader with an inside view of the modern Royal Family. Containing facts about members of the Royal Family, their duties, palaces, collections of art, protocol, constitution, ceremonies, the Royal Household and the Royal offices, this book should appeal to anyone interested in the Royal Family. Granted access to the files and archives of the Royal household, the editors of this book have compiled an array of information under a total of two hundred alphebetical entries. The book includes information such as the correct way to address a member of the Royal Family and Princess Eugenie's birthdate. Accompanying the text are over five hundred photographs.
(Published by Macmillan: 1991)
George VI
Acceding to the throne upon his brother's abdication, George VI was immediately confronted with the turmoil in European politics leading up to World War II, then the war itself, followed by a period of austerity, social transformation and loss of Empire. George was unprepared for kingship, suffering from a stammer which could make public occasions very painful for him. Moreover, he had grown up in the shadow of his brother, a man who had been idolised as no Royal Prince had been before or since. However, this biography shows that, although George was not born to be king, he died a great one.
(Hardback published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson 30th October 1989; paperback published by Penguin 27th November 2011; also available in Kindle edition)
The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy
This illustrated account of the British Monarchy presents a history of the individual kings and queens from Anglo-Saxon times to the present. From the Dark Ages of the fifth century, this study follows the emergence of recognisable kingdoms in Scotland, Wales and England; the continental role of English monarchs from William the Conqueror to King John; and the refocussing of royal power in Britain from the thirteenth century with the extension of English rule to Wales, the consolidation of the Scottish kingdom and the forging of a new relationship between monarch and nation. Ralph Griffiths explains how key traditions have evolved - the right of succession, coronations and marriages, oaths of loyalty and military service, the granting of lands and titles, and the propagation of a powerful image of royalty.
These themes are taken up in John Cannon's account of the Monarchy from Henry VIII. He also discusses the changes that followed the loss of the throne in the Civil Wars and the development of mixed monarchy as the Hanoverians combined personal rule with government by Parliament. The final chapter describes the emergence of the constitutional role of the Crown in Queen Victoria's reign and the enduring basis that this has given the symbolic and popular monarchy of today. Alongside the story of power and government, the authors explore the many ways in which monarchs and the image of royalty have shaped social and cultural history as landowners, builders, sportsmen, patrons of the arts and the focus of court life, whether idealised or profane.
(Hardback published by Oxford University Press 1st September 1988; paperback published by Oxford Paperbacks 1st November 2000)
Debrett's Kings and Queens of Europe
An excellent beginners book on the royal houses of Europe which provides an easy to understand overview of the various ruling familes and the key individuals within them. The work is arranged geographically and proceeds from West to East across the Continent; starting from Iberia and stretching across the Balkan states. The book provides brief accounts of the various rulers under discussion, a wonderful collection of illustrations and relatively easy to follow genealogical tables.
This work does not include discussion of the British Royal Family - a separate companion book provides a particular focus on the United Kingdom.
(Published by Webb & Bower: 1988)
Monarchs, Rulers, Dynasties and Kingdoms of the World
Subtitled "An Encyclopaedic Guide to more than 13,000 Rulers and 1000 Dynasties from 3000BC to the 20th Century", Tapsell's work seeks to consolidate a comprehensive guide to kings, queens, sultans and emperors all in one volume. It includes many dynasties that are rarely described except in advanced studies of individual countries or regions. It provides a good reference for those seeking to find the main rulers of a particular part of the world at various times.
(Published by Thames & Hudson Ltd: hardback 21st March 1983; paperback 16th April 1984)
Majesty: Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor
What is it like to have a private audience with The Queen? To take tea or go on tour with her? To stay in one of her homes? What principles guided her as she chose Britain's Prime Ministers in 1957 and 1963? What has been her role in crises like the Suez, the Three Day Week and the dismissal of Australia's Prime Minister Gough Whitman? How does she feel about her sister? Her husband? Who are her friends?
Majesty is the world-wide best-selling biography of Queen Elizabeth II, one of the most prominent, yet also one of the least known personalities in the world. Majesty is also the portrait of an institution-monarchy - which it is fashionable to ignore but which thrives in constitutional form, as healthily as ever. A fascinating and fitting tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's quarter of a century on the throne.
(Published by Hutchinson: 1977; other editions also available)
When the Queen Was Crowned
This is an excellent book for anyone, interested in the Sovereignty of the British People, to read.
Brian Barker's work sets out clearly and comprehensively every aspect of the pomp and ceremony surrounding the ritual of a Royal Coronation. Although focussing specifically upon the example of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Barker uses this narrative as a means to deconstruct the various aspects of the what is at once a deeply solemn religious ritual, while also being an occasion of high-pagentry, to explore the historical roots and significance of the coronation as a ceremony.
Straddling the notions of constitutionality and legitimate monarchy, Barker presents us with an image of a ceremony and a Queen which rests at the very heart of Britain's unique system of government.
(Published by Routledge & Kegan Paul: 1976)
Sovereignty: An Inquiry into Political Good
'Who decides? Who is the Sovereign? What is a good act?' In quest of answers to these vitally important questions, Bertrand de Jouvenel examines successively the nature and history of authority, the political good, the sovereign and liberty. His concern is with "...prospects for individual liberty in democratic societies in which sovereignty purportedly resides in the whole of the body politic." His objective is a definition and understanding of the "...canons of conduct for the public authority of a dynamic society." He writes for "...whoever would exercise the duties of a citizen."
Sovereignty is the sequel to Jouvenel's widely acclaimed On Power and was orginally published in 1955.
(Hardback published by University of Chicago Press 1st January 1959; paperback published by Liberty Fund April 1998 and also Cambridge University Press 26th January 2012)
The Work Of The Queen
Written by the former Arundel Herald Extraordinary, Morrah's work has been described as a thorough and comprehensive account of the day-to-day work and duties which befall the modern British monarch. Examining the mundane and practical tasks of constitutional head-of-state with detail, the work highlights the oft unseen nature, variety and weight of the matters that call for the Monarch's personal decisions.
(Published by William Kimber 1st January 1958)