The Oxford Illustrated History of the British MonarchyThis is the most authoritative account ever published of that most envied of British institutions: the monarchy. With over 400 illustrations - no less than one third of them in colour - it tells the full story of the monarchy, presenting a vivid picture not only of the lives of individualkings and queens, but also of the monarchy as a political and social force from Anglo-Saxon times to the present. The story begins in the fifth century; progressing through the Dark Ages, Ralph Griffiths describes the emergence of recognizable kingdoms in Scotland, Wales, and England. He then goes on to discuss the continental role of English monarchs from William the Conqueror to King John, and the refocusingof 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. He also explains the way in which key traditions evolved, including 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. John Cannon takes up the story from the reign of Henry VIII, and continues the exploration of these crucial themes. Guiding the reader through the governing monarchy of the Tudors and Stuarts and the changes that followed the loss of the throne in the Civil Wars, he goes on to look at theHanoverians and the combination of personal rule and government by Parliament. Finally, he describes the emergence of the constitutional role of the crown in Queen Victoria's reign, and the enduring basis this has bestowed upon today's popular symbolic monarchy. Alongside this colourful and eventful tale of power and government, the book also looks at the many ways in which our social and cultural history has been shaped by monarchs and the image of royalty - as landowners, builders, sportsmen and women, patrons of the arts, and as the focus of court life,whether idealized or profane. The main account is interspersed with individual panels which focus in vivid detail on each monarch and on key general themes, such as the peerage, chivalry, and coronation rituals. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout, and the text is accompanied by a comprehensive body of reference material, including colour maps, an illustrated section on royal residences and tombs, a consolidated list of monarchs, genealogies, suggestions for further reading, and a fullindex. |
Contents
Diverse Origins c 4001016 | 1 |
The Age of Empires 10161216 | 82 |
Monarch and Nation 12161509 | 176 |
Copyright | |
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Æthelred Æthelred II Anglo-Norman Anglo-Saxon Anne archbishop army became bishops British Isles brother buried Canterbury Castle Catholic ceremony Charles Christian Chronicle Church claim Cnut Commons conquest coronation court Cromwell crown daughter death declared defeat Deheubarth died dominions dynasty earl early Edward Edward III Edward the Confessor eldest Elizabeth empire English kings English monarchy father forced France French George George III Gwynedd heir Henry II's Henry VI Henry VIII Henry's House III's Ireland Irish James James's John king of England king's kingdom kingship land later Middle Ages London Lord Majesty the Queen Margaret marriage married Mary Mercia ministers Museum National nobles Norman Normandy Northumbria palace Parliament political portrait Prince of Wales Princess realm reign Richard Richard II royal family ruler Scotland Scots Scottish kings subjects succession successor survived throne took Tudor twelfth century Victoria Viking Welsh Wessex Westminster Abbey wife William Windsor wrote