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Kings and Queens

The acclaimed account of 1200 years of the British monarchy - a must-read for anyone with an interest in British history

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About this listen

 The ultimate guide to every British monarch there's ever been: 64 profiles by 64 different historians, politicians and journalists compiled by leading political commentator Iain Dale

'We all know about Queen Victoria, Edward VIII and Queen Elizabeth II, but how much do we really know about other monarchs? Yes, we know William the Conqueror beat King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. We know George III was mad, but what else do we know about his 60 year long reign? We know Henry VIII famously had six wives, but do we know much more about him, other than he was very fat?'

The British monarchy is one of the oldest in the world - dating so far back that even its origins are the subject of debate. Was William the Conqueror the first king of England, or was it Alfred the Great? In this third instalment of the series that began with The Prime Ministers and The Presidents, Iain Dale charts this long history of the English and British monarchy, with 64 essays by journalists, historians and politicians on every individual to have sat on the throne, as well as some who didn't.

From Alfred the Great to Charles III, each essay examines the monarch, their role and what they tell us about British history. Why has the British monarchy, unlike so many others, endured? Kings and Queens will attempt to answer this question, and many others, providing valuable insight into British history and how Britain is ruled today.©2023 Iain Dale Europe Great Britain Politicians Politics & Activism Royalty England Monarchy Tudor
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Very good book for beginners in gaining knowledge about British monarchs. Chapters written by ladies were definitely better than those written by men.
Good place to start if you have interest in British monarchs.

I disliked few things: I simply skipped through Henry VIII chapter. Author made every effort NOT to talk about actual monarch (??). Was it written by Brexiteer?

I didn't like the fact that it wasn't actually mentioned that Victoria's and Albert's parents were actually siblings(!!). It was only said they were cousins.

Narration was indeed poor, with last 20 minutes of Victoria's chatter seemed to have been recorded late at night with narrator dragged out of bed :)

Overall I enjoyed listening to it.

Interesting, good for beginners.

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This book could have been dry because of its list nature however , this royal history enthusiast was enthralled, informed, moved and entertained . Highly recommend. Keep up the good work Mr Dale .

Excellent and wide ranging

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Has a person that enjoys history I really enjoyed this book about english in british monarchs It was well written and read.

I'm very interesting book

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Another great historical list of the greats from Iain Dale and his contributors. This is a great audiobook to dip in and out of if you want to listen to a specific sovereign. 5 Stars.

Another fantastic historical book

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Is Iain Dale dyslexic? Whatever the answer, he must never narrate again. He CANNOT READ. Worst narrator out of almost 100 titles I have listened to. Why does he narrate these books? Has nobody told him? It is BIZARRE. I’m a really relaxed, happy, go-lucky guy, however this narrator, Iain Dale is a total joke. This is Audible. Not some Micky Mouse set up. Absolutely shocking & weird & insane. Somebody please tell him. Put us ALL out of our misery.

AWFUL narration

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