Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy
By (author) Kenneth J. Panton
Publication date:
24 February 2011Length of book:
722 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressISBN-13: 9780810857797
The monarch is the United Kingdom's head of state, exercising powers that are circumscribed by common law, convention, and statute law. Nowadays, many of the sovereign's functions are ceremonial but in the past the balance between ceremony and decision-making was very different. The foundations of the modern monarchy were laid more than a millennium ago, in Anglo-Saxon and Celtic Britain, so its modern form is a stage in an evolution that has been shaped by attitudes towards divorce, the changing role of women, the democratization of society, dynastic intermarriage, financial demands, religious convictions, struggles for economic and political power, and territorial aggrandizement.
Covering some of the most famous figures in world history, including William the Conqueror, Henry VIII, and Queens Victoria, Elizabeth I, and Elizabeth II, the Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy provides a chronology starting with the year 495 and continuing to the present day, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and other aspects of British culture, society, economy, and politics. This book is a must for anyone interested in the British monarchy.
Covering some of the most famous figures in world history, including William the Conqueror, Henry VIII, and Queens Victoria, Elizabeth I, and Elizabeth II, the Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy provides a chronology starting with the year 495 and continuing to the present day, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and other aspects of British culture, society, economy, and politics. This book is a must for anyone interested in the British monarchy.
The British monarchy stretches back into the dim past of recorded history, and a dictionary covering the subject would by necessity be lengthy. Indeed, this dictionary is exactly that, but every detail, entry, and page deserve the space accorded them because the author's goal is comprehensiveness, which he most assuredly reaches. Cogency, partnered with thorough coverage, is the calling card here. Expectedly, every sovereign in the history of both the English and Scottish monarchies is given a biographical treatment, from one or two paragraphs—such as for King Eadwig (ca. 941–959) and King Ceawlin (ca. 536–593)—to, as in the cases of King Henry VIII and Queen Victoria, for instance, a two-page presentation. Lesser members of the various royal dynasties earn an entry if, as with the current House of Windsor, they have contemporary interest or, with older dynasties (Tudor, Stuart, etc.), have left some mark on history. In these portraits, the author cites important information about the individual's life, and in most instances, he interjects a kernel of insight into character and personal significance. Of course, events and places affiliated with monarchical history occupy much space; the 1701 Act of Settlement, for instance, is cited for its immediate and long-lasting effects, as is Linlithgow Palace, in Scotland, placed in its historical context. Likewise, readers will find an incisive explanation of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 as well as a historical view of Westminster Abbey. Most helpful after all is said and done is the inclusion of “theoretical” concepts associated with the monarchy: such terms as Civil list, Heir (or heiress) presumptive, and Princess Royal. The author's Familiarity with these terms, definitions of which are not as clearly explained in other sources, contributes to a greatly impressive understanding of the British monarchy's practices and principles. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.