A Companion to the Royal Heritage

This book is more than a biography of kings and queens; it is an encyclopaedic work on every aspect of monarchy in Britain from semi-legendary times to the present day. With over a thousand entries and two hundred illustrations, the Companion covers not only the historical aspects of royalty but also the traditions that have evolved around it, from Maundy Money to the Coronation Ceremony, and from the royal insignia to the Orders of Chivalry.

Arranged in an A-Z format, the Companion includes biographical essays on each of the forty-two kings and queens who have ruled since the Norman Conquest, details of the royal lines in Scotland before the Act of Union, the background to the royal houses of Britain and the consorts, largely foreign, who have married into the monarchy. It also deals with royal pretenders such as Monmouth, Simnel and the Old and Young Pretenders, with commoners who have had an influence on the monarchy - whether as lovers, mistresses or advisers - and with campaigns and battles in which monarchs took an active part. Royal scandals, ceremonies, households, tombs and the insignia of royalty complete this book.