National Portrait Gallery History of The Kings and Queens of Great Britain

Starting with Celtic Britain before the Roman invasion, David Williamson takes us through the establishment of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, the coming of Christianity and unification of England, to the Norman Conquest in 1066. The subsequent dynastic struggles of Angevins and Plantagenets heralded the great age of English kingship, under the Tudors and Stuarts – a period as compelling as any in the country’s history – before the Hanoverians ushered in the modern age and the royalty of today.
The author draws on his deep knowledge of history to paint a vivid and sensitive portrait of each monarch, dealing afresh with the controversies that surround them. His text is enlivened with anecdotes and complemented by a rich selection of images, largely chosen from the wealth of the National Portrait Gallery’s collections, and by clear family trees.