Queens and Kings

Lucy Worsley

£25.00

No one has lived and breathed the monarchy quite like Lucy Worsley. For over twenty years, she worked as Chief Curator in some of Britain’s most splendid palaces – and now she is ready to throw open the doors and welcome us in. In this book, Lucy takes us on a journey through some of our most turbulent and significant moments in history. From the Council Chamber in which Henry VIII decided to break from the Pope to lunch with the late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, from encounters with the Tower of London’s Ravenmaster to the depths of Queen Victoria’s wardrobe, Lucy shares how she grew to know the queens and kings, courtiers and servants who lived in these buildings before her. She traces their footsteps through the corridors and cloisters, the courtyards and kitchens and breathes new life into moments of great joy and consequence – as well as tales of intrigue which lurked in the shadows of regal splendour.

Pre-order

Publish Date: 03/09/2026
ISBN: 9781399748407 Category: Tags: , ,

Description

THE BRAND-NEW BOOK FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR LUCY WORSLEY: AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW

'What a glorious, glorious book, full of brilliant detail and behind-the-scenes wit and humour.'
KATE MOSSE

'A history of the British monarchy that only Lucy Worsley could have written: as puckish as it is scholarly, and informed throughout by the experience of having actually lived in a palace.
TOM HOLLAND

'Warm, insightful, and full of heart, Worsley has distilled a lifetime of experience into this crowning achievement of a book.'
HALLIE RUBENHOLD

When it comes to royal history, Lucy Worsley holds all the cards

Lucy Worsley has lived and breathed royal history for more than twenty years. As Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, she worked in some of Britain's most famous royal sites, from Hampton Court to the Tower of London, and even lived in one of them herself. Now she takes us behind closed doors to reveal some of the monarchy's best-kept secrets.

In Queens and Kings, Lucy brings to life the rulers who have shaped Britain over the last thousand years, from Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II. What emerges is a royal world far stranger, funnier and more surprising than we might think: of intimate love letters, phantom pregnancies, unruly pet monkeys and fatal betrayals. Venturing through haunted staircases and into private bedchambers, she finds the details that make history feel gloriously human.

With her trademark warmth and incisive scholarship, Lucy explores the full splendour, scandal and sorrow of royal life. The result is a wildly engaging history of the monarchy from one of our most beloved historians.

Additional information

Dimensions 240 × 156 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Hardback

Pages

400

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

941.0099 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K