Mortal Monarchs
1,000 Years of Royal Deaths
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Mortal Monarchs
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Narrated by:
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Suzie Edge
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By:
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Suzie Edge
About this listen
A humorous deep-dive into the varied—and oft-gruesome—deaths of the king and queens of England and Scotland.
How the monarchs of England and Scotland met their deaths has been a wonderful mixture of violence, infections, overindulgence and occasional regicide. In Mortal Monarchs, medical historian Dr Suzie Edge examines 1,000 years of royal deaths to uncover the plots, accusations, rivalries and ever-present threat of poison that the kings and queens of old faced.
From the "bloody" fascinating story behind Oliver Cromwell's demise and the subsequent treatment of his corpse and whether the arrow William II caught in the chest was an accident or murder, to Henry IV's remarkable skin condition and the red-hot poker up Edward II's rear end, Mortal Monarchs captivates, grosses-out and informs.
In school, many of us learned the dates they died and who followed them, but sadly never heard the varied—and oft-gruesome—way our monarchs met their maker. Featuring original medical research, this history forms a rich record not just of how these people died, but how we thought about and treated the human body, in life and in death.
©2022 Suzie Edge (P)2022 Headline Publishing Group LtdListeners also enjoyed...
Very much enjoyed it
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This book does not hold back, providing the gory details of violent ends and disease alike, but remains sympathetic towards the monarchs themselves and what they likely experienced. I also really appreciated how these accounts were placed into their historical contexts.
I was very impressed at the balance of technical language and accessible explanations. Someone without any medical background could pick this up/listen to it and follow it easily (plus learn a few new fun words) but I imagine it would also appeal to experts. Although far from an expert on the subject myself, I have a human biology degree and something of a fascination with medical history. I worried that the book may be written using language too simple for me but, fortunately, I was proven wrong and found it really engaging throughout.
Suzie Edge also does a brilliant job narrating, as those familiar with her TikToks will know.
Tl:dr. Read/listen to this now, though maybe not whilst eating your lunch.
Highly recommend for the morbidly curious
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Fascinating!
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wow
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excellent summary
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