The Royal Line of Succession: The British Monarchy from Egbert AD 802 to Queen Elizabeth II

I purchased this copy of The Royal Line of Succession to replace an earlier one that I had obtained years ago from the bookshop at Westminster Abbey. That copy was accidently destroyed by rainwater. So it was great to find this new, beautiful, updated one! It's a very nice little book that will inform the reader about the very human line of succession of the UK. It reminds us that the Royals, despite all the glory that surrounds them, the wealth and prestige, not to mention the scandals that come to them simply because they are royalty, are regular flesh and blood people like the rest of us. In earlier times they would claim the "divine right of kings" in order to assert their authority, despite their doing things that obviously were not the "will of God". True, the British Royalty holds a position on the world stage like no other, even if the Empire they once ruled is diminished. There is no doubt that the "tight little island" holding the headquarters of their realm is still a focal point from which great influence is expressed. In case it has escaped wide notice, the Queen still holds a veto regarding which American Presidents are "invited to the palace". Still the Royals are not exempt from the pressures coming from every part of the world. The closing line of the book reminds us that they've had to fit their status to reality, along with the rest of human society: "Some of these ancient laws continue to affect the lives of those born in the royal line of succession, although, as we have seen in recent years, the royal family is adapting and changing alongside the modern world." Perhaps this is exhibited in bold perspective in the lives of Prince Harry and his American wife Megan as they seek residence in the United States. The resilience of the royal establishment, or lack of it, it revealed in that very public drama.

I bought an older copy of this booklet when I was in England in 1998. I was thrilled when I saw an updated edition. It's mostly family tree charts, with short commentary about each of the British ruling families. It includes the new baby Prince George. It also includes the Scot and Irish monarchy trees as well. I love it because I'm always wondering who is related to whom.The only thing I don't like is the way the booklet is bound. It has a tiny spine that I'm afraid will crack if I open it too wide.

This book gives a good overview of each of the Houses. The only two issues I have are 1) it would be nice to have some explanation of what the blue and red lines mean on the charts and 2)some of the charts have so much information that it would have been nice for the chart to be spread over two pages vs. consolidating it all on to one page making it hard to read.

Very small book. The family tree sections lack a key and they’re somewhat hare to follow. Not bad for the price.

It's great - nice design, useful information, but the text is just too small! It really would be much better if it was double the size - the family trees could cover a double rather than a single page, which would make it a perfect quick reference.

Great information

I was very pleased. It was very easy to follow.

This little booklet really outlines the (very confusing) lineage of the British monarchs very nicely. I am taking a class in Shakespeare, and needed to sort out how Richard III came to power. This was a great help.

Great quality

Not what I was expecting at all, the book itself is very thin only 31 pages considering it’s about the history of the monarchy I was expecting detailed facts of each monarch

If you've ever wanted to find out who ruled Britain through the ages, this is the book for you. There is no need to wade through stuffy history books, it's all neatly condensed here.

Arrived promptly and as described. Very informative on the Royal Line of Succession

Very brief, perfect for an overview which is exactly what I wanted - leaves you with a long list of 'need to know,!