English Royalty Biographies

Henry VII was not destined to be the well-known (or perhaps better described as infamous) king that his son was after him, but his place in history remains important. With his victory over Richard III in 1485, Henry brought England out of the Middle Ages and ushered it into the modern era. His reign ended decades of bloody civil wars and provided the wealth and stability necessary for commerce and art to thrive in England. When Henry’s son, Henry VIII, ascended the throne in 1509, it marked England’s first uncontested transfer of power in almost 90 years.

James I of England and VI of Scotland was the first king to rule both countries. He was faced with division between his realms and caught between the religious wars of the Reformation. Spending most of his reign at odds with the religious and parliamentary powers around him, James did little to unite his people. Unable to take a firm stand on critical issues, he spent his life avoiding them.

King Edward VI, the only legitimate male heir of King Henry VIII, took his seat on the throne at the age of nine. His life would come to an end when he was only 15 years old, but the mark he would come to leave on England’s history has endured to this day. Edward VI led his country into a new age where the Church of England was no longer tied to the Catholic Church. Putting his efforts into spreading Protestantism throughout all of England, he continued his father’s work of freeing England from the Holy Roman Empire’s grasp.

Charles II of England remains one of the most easily identifiable and best known of England’s monarchs. Deprived of his throne following the execution of his father, he contended with hardship and exile before achieving a peaceful restoration and the beginning of what would be remembered as a colorful period of English history. His reign also led to the creation of the two-party system that would shape English and later British politics for centuries to come.

Charles I is one of the most instantly recognizable of the English monarchs. During his reign, the relationship between king and Parliament changed radically, with revolutionary results. A man of deeply held convictions whose refusal to compromise brought about conflict and civil war, King Charles I almost destroyed the English monarchy forever.

William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, permanently changing the landscape of the English countryside and the course of English history. No one debates his importance; whether the influence was good or bad is a much more involved conversation. To understand English history over time, it is important to understand the transition from Anglo-Saxon history of the country to the Anglo-Norman control that existed until approximately the 15th century.

It is nearly impossible for words alone to demonstrate the true beauty of Princess Diana, both inside and out. She was an individual who knew exactly what her life mission was. Shе іntеntіоnаllу аnd аuthеntісаllу lеvеrаgеd hеr роwеr аnd сеlеbrіtу status to not only іnfluеnсе оthеrѕ іn a роѕіtіvе wау but to rеаllу hеlр thе саuѕеѕ that wеrе meaningful tо her.

The Queen of Great Britain and Ireland for 63 years, Queen Victoria’s life was one of magnificent proportions. Victoria’s childhood was difficult and lonely, but from the time she took the throne aged just 18, she blossomed into a powerful woman, both frivolous and formidable. In her later years, Victoria struggled to find balance between her wish to live a very private life as a widow and her duty to live the very public life of a queen and later empress.

When people think of the British Royal family, and more specifically where they live, the first image that often pops into mind is that of stately Buckingham Palace, with its changing of the guard and the occasional royal coach leaving or entering. Others may think of the royal country estate of Windsor Castle, a favorite of both Britain's longest-reigning and second longest-reigning monarchs.

Few mixtures are as toxic as absolute power and insanity. When nothing stands between a leader's delusion whims and seeing them carried them out, all sorts of bizarre outcomes are possible. Whatever their background, these rulers show that dynastic politics made sure that a rightful heir always got on the throne - despite that heir's mental condition - and that power can destroy a mind worse than any mental illness.

Queen Mary I ruled England and its territories for only five years, from 1553 to 1558, yet she has been remembered for nearly 500 years as Bloody Mary, the Catholic oppressor of a Protestant country. The truth, as usual, is more complicated than the myth. Mary grew up in a era of religious and political turmoil. Mary's life was shaped by her experience of this, and by the twisted family politics of her father, Henry VIII.

Cleopatra was a descendant of Ptolemy I Soter, a general who served the legendary Macedonian king Alexander the Great. She reigned over Egypt for nearly 21 years, and she first stepped onto the throne when she was just 18 years old. Her life was full of challenges and treacherous events, but she proved to be one of the most important figures in ancient history. Most historians who wrote about her were heavily influenced by the Romans, who had managed to erase her side of the story. In this audiobook, you will discover the truth about the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt.

England's first Queen Elizabeth gave her name to an age. Inheriting a bankrupt, famished, and powerless country, she healed its religious rifts, replenished its treasury, redefined diplomatic guile, defeated the Spanish Armada, and inspired a new flowering of English culture. Her father, Henry VIII, beheaded her mother, Anne Boleyn, and Elizabeth was declared a bastard. As Henry kept marrying and discarding wives, she had to be adroit and canny to avoid being snared in the schemes of courtiers plotting to win the crown.

Tsarina Catherine the Great, German-born ruler of Russia: Life and work in a short biography! Everything you need to know, brief and concise. Infotainment, education and entertainment at its best!

This collection of audiobooks will help you understand a crucial part of the history of English monarchy. For each king or queen, you will find a detailed description of the style of his or herreign and his or her political achievements, narrated in a lively way. Portraits of Henry V, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Richard III and Elisabeth I.

In his ambition to provide a male heir to the throne, Henry VIII married six times. Divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, caused England’s break from the Catholic Church in Rome. He went on to divorce Anne of Cleves and behead Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard for infidelities. Jane Seymour died and Catherine Parr survived Henry. Henry VIII’s Wives: History in an Hour will introduce you to these six entirely diverse and captivating personalities and the events that propelled them to their individual fates.

History for busy people. Listen to a succinct account of the life and reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in just one hour. Elizabeth II is the longest lived and, after Queen Victoria, second longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. From her coronation in 1953 to her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, Queen Elizabeth II has stood on the world stage as the figurehead for Britain.

Saint Louis: A King's Obsession with Relics, Magic, and Spells is a richly detailed exploration of the life and reign of King Louis IX of France, a monarch whose legacy is steeped in both sanctity and the supernatural. This book delves into the hidden aspects of Louis IX’s life, revealing a ruler driven not only by his devout Christian faith but also by an insatiable hunger for mystical knowledge. King Louis IX, canonized as Saint Louis after his death, is often remembered for his piety.

England has had no shortage of influential monarchs, but only Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria had their nation's age literally named after them. Both the Elizabethan era and Victorian era have come to symbolize a golden age of peace and progress in every aspect of British life, with the long reigns of both queens also providing stability.

King Louis XIV, French Sun King: Life and work in a short biography! Everything you need to know, brief and concise. Infotainment, education and entertainment at its best.