Crown & sceptre - Tracy Borman

A stunning tour de force and a remarkable achievement.- Alison Weir

This is Our Island Story for the modern age. - Charles Spencer

'Not just a brilliant compendium of biographies, but the biography of an institution: a marvellous read' - Tom Holland


'This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle'
(William Shakespeare, Richard II)

With 1000 years of royal history from 1066 to
the present day, Domesday Book to Magna Carta the
Field of Cloth of Gold to King Charles' accession,
Crown & Sceptre is an unparalleled exploration of
the British monarchy. From Sunday Times bestselling author and joint Chief
Curator of Historic Royal Palaces Tracy Borman,
comes a fresh, engaging and authoritative account of
the crown's tumultuous history - including a chapter on
King Charles III.

Impeccably researched, Crown & Sceptre explores in gripping detail how this iconic institution
has survived the storms of rebellion, revolution and war
that brought most of the world's other monarchies to an
abrupt and bloody end. It is a story of ruthless dynastic
battles, political and social leadership, usurpation and
abdication, all set against a backdrop of dazzling
ceremony and pageantry.

"Crown and Sceptre shows an astonishing command of a thousand years of the British monarchy, its traditions, roles and realities beyond the pageantry and romance. Beautifully crafted, insightful, and a genuine pleasure to read, it underscores the royal heritage at the heart of a nation." - Lauren Mackay

"Crown and Sceptre" combines an eminently accessible narrative with a lucid scholarly lens. Tracy Borman skilfully unravels the trials and triumphs of this ever-shifting institution. By charting both the majesty and mechanics of monarchy, we get a vivid understanding of why its glittering gears shifted over time, and by whom the levers of change were pulled. A triumph.' - Owen Emmerson, Curator at Hever Castle

'Tracy Borman's passion for the British monarch and the crown is infectious and compelling!' - Estelle Paranque

'Borman embraces a huge task' - Gerard DeGroot, The Times

Enlightening, gripping and skilfully composed, Tracy Borman navigates the twists and turns of the British monarchy with an expert hand. A pacy narrative that's simply bursting with colour and intrigue, Crown and Sceptre is both powerful and compulsively readable. A masterpiece. - Nicola Tallis