Royalty History

Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, given the title the "most Catholic monarchs" by the Pope during their reign over Spain, are often blamed for some of the greatest atrocities in history. Remembered primarily for commissioning Christopher Columbus's historical voyage to the New World in 1492, they have been assigned blame for the results of the Spanish Conquest, particularly the catastrophes that befell the Native Americans of the New World.

This collection of audiobooks will help you understand a crucial part of the history of French monarchy. For each king, you will find a detailed description of the style of his reign and his political achievements narrated in a lively way. Portraits of Henri IV, Louis XI, Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVIII.

France's most famous king, and Europe's longest serving, Louis XIV (1638-1715) is often viewed today as a symbol of royal extravagance and splendor. Reigning for over 72 years, the legacy of the "Sun King" is remembered for the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the patronizing of arts and theater, and the apocryphal quote "l'Etat c'est moi" (I am the State).

The History of France: from Louis II to Louis XVIII: Understand a crucial part of the history of French monarchy, with this collection of portraits of some of the most spectacular rulers of France. This catalog lists the kings named Louis, from Louis II (877-879), a king whose wisdom was greater than his authority, to Louis XVIII who reigned during the Restauration of the French Monarchy after the fall of Emperor Napoleon. For each one of these Kings, you will find a detailed description of the style of his reign and his political achievements.

Louis XIV dit Louis le Grand ou le Roi-Soleil (1638-1715), est un roi de France et de Navarre. Né Louis-Dieudonné, il monte sur le trône de France au décès de son père Louis XIII, le 14 mai 1643, quelques mois avant son cinquième anniversaire. Il est le 64e roi de France, le 44e roi de Navarre et le troisième roi de France issu de la dynastie des Bourbons.

Once there was a boy named Arthur who had a wizard for a teacher. Arthur wanted to be a knight like his brother. Arthur tried to learn how to be kind and humble and clever...but sometimes he forgot. He did not know that he would ride to war when enemies invaded his country. He did not know that he would, one day, pull a sacred sword from a stone. He did not know that, one day, he would be king. This is the story of the first part of Arthur's life.

Princess Diana had a whirlwind of a life, or in the words of Sir Elton John, she “lived her life like a candle in the wind”. After her marriage to Prince Charles, she became not just a princess but a global icon. Diana could draw crowds by the thousands, but despite her rising popularity, she couldn’t keep her marriage together. Not many have had the kind of life that Princess Diana led, but to be sure, this was no fairy tale with a happy ending. This book tells the tragic story of the life of Princess Diana, from beginning to end.

Do you know the main difference between the diet of a Tudor nobleman and that of a peasant? What was it that changed Henry VIII from an active and pleasant young man into a vastly overweight tyrant? What did a gong farmer do? And what was the purpose of a whipping boy? In this excellent audiobook, narrator Jason Zenobia answers all these questions and more as he talks us through over 100 amazing facts about the Tudors.

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history’s most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' British Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of Great Britain’s most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

Queen Elizabeth I was one of England's most influential rulers. Hers was an age when the arts, commerce, and trade flourished. It was the epoch of gallantry and great, enduring literature. It was also an age of wars and military conflicts. In the end, Queen Elizabeth I helped change the entire structure of female leadership and would go on to improve upon Henry VIII's successes.

Over 450 years after his reign, Henry VIII is still the most famous and recognizable king of England, but it's for all the wrong reasons. He is best remembered today for his gluttony and multiple marriages, particularly for beheading some of his wives. It is somewhat fitting that his most decisive act came as a result of a marital mishap. Sharply at odds with the Catholic Church, Henry VIII ultimately broke with the Church and established the Church of England, which forever altered the religious history of England, the social hierarchy of the nation, and its empire.

From his earliest years, Prince William has been a photographer's dream come true in the same way his mother had been. While he is not necessarily known for his mother's media savvy, he is well liked by the media, and he is able, consciously or incidentally, to capitalize on this advantage. At the same time, from polo to charities, William is thoroughly his father Charles' son as a Windsor prince.

William the First, who was also called William the Conqueror, and in some cases, William the Bastard, was the first Norman emperor of England, ruling from 1066 till his death in 1087. Around this time, many wars and battles were waged over the kingdom and distribution of territories in Europe. France, the Anglo-Saxons, and Scandinavian troops were engaged in raids, struggles, and battles to claim their lands and gains. I invite you to learn more about this first king of England, who lived almost 1,000 years ago.

Loyal subjects, watch out! Some of history's royal leaders were just as vicious as they were powerful. These kings and queens stole, tortured, and murdered. Listen to this audiobook to discover the gruesome ways these rulers terrorized their enemies, their own people, and even their own blood.

The bar was high after the glorious reign of the Sun King. Louis XV, his successor, had a difficult time driving the country through religious disputes, intellectual shifts and economical hardness. This eventually led to a steep economic decline, which played an important role in the reaction of the French people against the monarchy, and eventually gave way to the French Revolution.

Célebre Rey de la Baja Edad Media, conquistador de Mallorca, Valencia y Murcia, Aragón, Barcelona y otros feudos, es considerado uno de los fundadores de la nacionalidad catalana y uno de los hombres responsables del avance militar y expansión de Aragón.

Louis Philippe (1773-1850) is France's first "constitutional monarch", having being properly elected by the National Assembly. He lived through the French Revolution, during which he saw his brother and sister-in-law, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, guillotined by extreme revolutionaries. Then, Napoleon Bonaparte seized the throne, declared himself emperor, and began the conquest of Europe; after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, France welcomed Louis Philippe back as an elected King.

François Ier (1494-1547), est sacré roi de France le 25 janvier 1515 dans la cathédrale de Reims. Il règne jusqu'à sa mort en 1547. Fils de Charles d'Angoulême et de Louise de Savoie, il appartient à la branche de Valois-Angoulême de la dynastie capétienne. François Ier est considéré comme le monarque emblématique de la période de la Renaissance française.

En una época convulsionada y oscura, apareció en el reino de Aragón hacia el siglo XIII la figura de un rey singular, culto, equitativo, valeroso, y conocido tanto como por su generosidad, como por su extrema justeza e inteligencia: Jaime II.

Les Mérovingiens sont la dynastie qui régna sur une très grande partie de la France et de la Belgique actuelles, ainsi que sur une partie de l'Allemagne et de la Suisse, du Ve siècle jusqu'au milieu du VIIIe siècle. Cette lignée est issue des peuples de Francs saliens qui étaient établis au Ve siècle dans les régions de Cambrai et de Tournai, en Belgique (Childéric Ier).