Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards: Who's Who in the English Monarchy From Egbert to Elizabeth II

By David Hilliam

Who invented the 'House of Windsor' as a royal name? Who founded Westminster Abbey? Which king had twenty-one illegitimate children? David Halliam answers all these questions and more. Here is a continuous history of the English monarchy, showing how the nine dynasties rose and fell.
The book describes the most memorable features of the life and times of each king or queen - from Egbert, crowned in 802 and considered the first king of England, to Queen Elizabeth II - as well as recording the extraordinary lives of their queens, consorts, mistresses and bastard children. It also tells the story of the Saxons, describes what has happened to the monarchs' mortal remains, and relates many lively incidents of royal history that rarely appear in the text books.
Read of the saintly Edward the Confessor, who is believed to have refused to consummate his marriage; of the rumbustious Henry VIII, given to beheading those who displeased him; of the 'little gentleman in black velvet', who caused the death of William III; and of Queen Victoria's strange servant, the 'Munshi', Queen Emma, who endured a trial by ordeal; and Anne Boleyn, widely suspected of being a witch.
A complete list of the monarchs' reigns and a genealogical table showing the royal descent down thirty-seven generations from Egbert to Elizabeth II adds to the volume's reference value.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The History Press
• Release date: Aug 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9780752469058

David Hilliam

David Hilliam gave over 400 talks and wrote over 200 articles in local and national publications. His 18 books include the popular Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards and Monarchs, Murders and Mistresses (The History Press)

Reviews for Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards

[n.w.moors-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

If you don't know British history or anything about the English monarchy, this is an amusing introduction. However, there are so many errors that the reader shouldn't take anything at face value. For example, Roger Mortimer was first buried at Grey Friars in Coventry, not London, then moved to Wigmore Abbey where his wife Joan was buried next to him later, not Isabella of France who is buried in Grey Friars in London.There are many anecdotes which have not a shred of truth, and others of dubious merit. While my copy was an updated version, it still doesn't have the correct burial for Richard III or the findings that the discovery of his body revealed from 2012. It's a shame because this could be a good primer if the numerous errors were corrected.

[meggyweg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My review is for the 1998 edition.This is certainly comprehensive, more so than most other books on English royalty: unlike them, this book talks about pre-Norman kings and queens, as well as the spouses, notable mistresses and bastard children of royalty. Points for that. I did, however, see several (relatively minor) inaccuracies, such as the old canard that Henry VIII died of syphilis. Perhaps these were corrected in future editions, I don't know.

[soliloquies · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable read giving brief information on the English monarchy and their burial sites - something which is often overlooked in more 'serious' books.