The monarchy is one of Britain`s most venerable and revered institutions - but also one of its most tumultuous. In this substantially revised, updated and expanded volume, David Starkey charts its roller-coaster history from earliest times to the present. From the courtly love of the Middle Ages, through the turbulent reign of the Tudors, to the chaos of the Civil War that first unseated and then beheaded a king. Starkey brings this tempestuous story up to the present, guiding us confidently through the Abdication Crisis to the dissolution of the marriage between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. A new introductory chapter looks at the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, as well as many notorious royal marriages of earlier times. Rank and romance have played an important part in the story of monarchy down the ages. Bringing to life a cast of colorful characters and some great stories, this is both an in-depth examination of the monarchy and a