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Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II

byTracy Borman

Tracy Borman surveys the British monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II, following how the crown adapted through conquest, civil war, reformation, revolution, empire, democracy, and mass media. Rulers, spouses, heirs, advisers, and opponents reveal changes in royal authority and public expectation. The book balances personalities with institutions, explaining how ceremony and symbolism preserved influence as direct political power declined. Borman shows that monarchy survived not through timeless tradition but through repeated reinvention, and that its history offers a continuous lens on the formation and contradictions of the British state.

Publisher

Atlantic Monthly Press

Publication date

Dec 07, 2021

Format

Print edition

Pages

—

ISBN

9780802159106