A Century of Royalty (Shire Century Of)

The British royal family has endured remarkably in a remarkable, tumultuous century from 1910-2010 when many of the crown heads of Europe faced revolution and exile. Through a constitutional crisis, abdication, divorces, tragic deaths and unseemly scandals, the British royal family has shown an instinct for survival, tapping into the pulse of public sentiment, making necessary adjustments, modernizing and reinventing itself to remain the respected, admired and beloved symbol of British history and heritage.

This book chronicles a century of British royalty and features the story a nation witnessed as a compelling family saga of tragedy, fallibility and triumph like no other: the abdication of Edward VIII to be with the woman he loved, Mrs. Wallis Simpson; the now-commonplace royal infidelities and divorces and the public backlash and eventual recovery of public sympathy for Queen Elizabeth II following the death of Princess Diana. Through it all, the dutiful dedication to crown and country, unblinking stoicism, and absolute resolve of Queen Elizabeth II has guided the nation for five decades, culminating in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations where Britain put on display the pomp and splendor which are the envy of the world. The book also uniquely captures the streetview of how the people responded to news of and from the royals from spontaneous celebrations in pubs to a gathering around radios and televisions in times of trouble. This collection takes you into the moment as it happened and is the most intimately revealing photographic study of the British monarchy as a family, and as an extended family in its relationship with its subjects.