Product Description

This book includes sex, power, mystery and blood - gripping, untold stories about the British monarchy and their unofficial offspring. Since 1066 when William the Conqueror (alias William the Bastard) took the throne, English and Scottish kings have sired at least 150 children out of wedlock. Many were acknowledged at court and founded dynasties of their own - several of today's dukedoms are descended from them. Others were only acknowledged grudgingly or not at all. In the 20th century this trend for Royals to father illegitimate children continued, but the parentage, while highly probable, has not been officially recognised.This book - split into four sections: Tudor, Stuart, Hanoverian and, perhaps most fascinating, Royal Loose Ends - is a genuinely fresh approach to British kings and queens, examining their lives and times through the unfamiliar perspective of their illegitimate children. Interviewees include many of their descendants. But beyond personal narratives it also sheds light on the perennially fascinating topic of sexual habits; the links between politics, power and patronage; the class system, scandal and celebrity; and the different expectations we have of men and women.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97102 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
Roger Powell has been a professional genealogist for over 40 years. He was until his recent retirement a senior editor at Burke's Peerage and Gentry and Director of Debretts Ancestory Research. He was also a research assitant at the Royal College of Heralds. He is also related to the Duke of Monmouth, another bastard son of Charles II. He lives in Northamptonshire.Peter Beauclerk-Dewar is a direct decendent of the bastard offspring of Charles II and Nell Gwyn. He is a heraldic consultant to Christies, has previously been an editor for Burke's Peerage & Gentry, and is a fellow of the Scottish Society of Antiquaries. He also a JP and a trustee of the Institute of Heraldic & Genealogical Studies at the University of Kent. He lives in London.

Customer Reviews

On the wrong side of the blanket - royal love children
Royal love children are a great subject. Here since the time of Edward IV the life of the royal love children is explored. Some of these children had a real political significance or played a respected role at the royal court, some were just a bloody nuisance. Today many name of the peerage and members of the Royal Family are descendants of the these royal bastards or nicer called natural children.

This excellent books deal with the recognized bastards and those were the situation is not as clear cut. But even in the first category not all is so easy: some even recognized royal bastards might not be the off-spring of the king. On each of the royal love children one is finding a little biography. This part I think it is ok, but not particularly interesting. Far better is the part on those alleged royal children. Here it seems that the author has done his own research and this is pretty interesting to read.

Of course, one learns a lot about the royal mistresses too.

All in all, a great book especially if one starts to look for the first time into the matter of royal bastards. I enjoyed it very much.

Interesting
Who knew that the blood of King Charles II still runs in several members of the present day British Royal Family.