England / Britain

8 Best Books About the Royal Family in 2026

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A stack of plain cloth-bound hardcover history books about kings and queens on a library reading table with a green banker's lamp

The short answer

Start with Williamson's National Portrait Gallery history or Fraser's edited lives. Then pick an era: Jones on the Plantagenets, Meyer on the Tudors, Baird on Victoria, Bedell Smith on Elizabeth II.

Last updated September 2026

Contents12

Our top 8 picks

  1. 1Best short overviewThe National Portrait Gallery History of the Kings and Queens of EnglandView at eBayRead our analysis
  2. 2Best edited referenceThe Lives of the Kings and Queens of EnglandView at eBayRead our analysis
  3. 3Best on the medieval kingsThe Plantagenets by Dan JonesView at eBayRead our analysis
  4. 4Best on the Wars of the RosesThe Wars of the Roses by Dan JonesView at eBayRead our analysis
  5. 5Best single history of the TudorsThe Tudors by G. J. MeyerView at eBayRead our analysis
  6. 6Best on the six queensThe Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia FraserView at eBayRead our analysis
  7. 7Best biography of VictoriaVictoria: The Queen by Julia BairdView at eBayRead our analysis
  8. 8Best on Elizabeth IIElizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell SmithView at eBayRead our analysis

Books about the royal family range from gossip to serious history. This list sticks to histories and biographies by named authors. Together they cover every era of the English and British monarchy, from William I to Elizabeth II. Each pick gives the author, the publisher of the edition we link, and what the book covers. This page is part of our England royal family guide.

TL;DR: For one book that covers every monarch, choose Williamson's National Portrait Gallery history or Fraser's edited lives. Then go deeper by era. Read Dan Jones on the Plantagenets and the Wars of the Roses. Read G. J. Meyer on the Tudors and Fraser on Henry VIII's wives. Finish with Baird on Victoria and Bedell Smith on Elizabeth II.

David Williamson was co-editor of Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage, says the National Portrait Gallery. His book pairs each monarch with portraits from the Gallery's collection.

#2. The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England: best edited reference

Antonia Fraser edited this collection. Each monarch gets a short chapter by a specialist. It pairs well with the English monarchs list on this site.

#3. The Plantagenets: best on the medieval kings

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones

Our verdict:

Best on the medieval kings

Best for readers who want the Angevin and Plantagenet kings as one gripping narrative.

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Keep in mind: it is narrative history, so readers who want footnoted debate may prefer an academic study.

Dan Jones follows the dynasty from Henry II to Richard II. The Penguin Random House paperback appeared in 2014. The dynasty itself is set out on the House of Plantagenet page.

#4. The Wars of the Roses: best on the fall of the Plantagenets

The Wars of the Roses by Dan Jones

Our verdict:

Best on the Wars of the Roses

Best for readers who want the Lancaster and York struggle explained from the start.

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Keep in mind: it ends with the Tudors taking power, so read Meyer next.

Jones's sequel covers the fall of the Plantagenets and the rise of the Tudors. The Penguin paperback runs to 416 pages.

#5. The Tudors: best single history of the dynasty

The Tudors by G. J. Meyer

Our verdict:

Best single history of the Tudors

Best for readers who want all five Tudor monarchs in one book.

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Keep in mind: at over 600 pages it is a commitment.

G. J. Meyer covers the dynasty from Henry VII to Elizabeth I. The Penguin Random House paperback runs to 672 pages. For the family tree and dates, see the House of Tudor page.

#6. The Wives of Henry VIII: best on the six queens

Antonia Fraser's book gives each queen her own section. In Britain it was published as The Six Wives of Henry VIII. The Vintage paperback runs to 544 pages. The order and fates of the six are on the Henry VIII's wives page. For more books on the dynasty, see our Tudor books list.

#7. Victoria: The Queen: best biography of Victoria

Victoria: The Queen by Julia Baird

Our verdict:

Best biography of Victoria

Best for readers who want Victoria's private life and her 63-year reign together.

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Keep in mind: it is a biography, so the wider empire gets less space.

Julia Baird's biography draws on Victoria's letters and journals. Penguin Random House published the paperback in 2017.

#8. Elizabeth the Queen: best on Elizabeth II

Sally Bedell Smith's biography covers Elizabeth II's life to 2012. The Penguin Random House paperback runs to 720 pages.

Factors to consider when choosing books about the royal family

  • Overview or era. An overview gives you every monarch in order. An era book gives you the people and the politics. Most readers want one of each.
  • Narrative or reference. Jones and Meyer tell a story from start to finish. Williamson and Fraser's edited lives work better for looking a monarch up.
  • Publication date. Older books miss newer research and recent reigns. Check the first publication date against the period you need.
  • Length. Several picks run past 500 pages. A shorter overview is a gentler start.
  • Named sources. Good royal history names its sources. Be wary of books that lean on unnamed insiders.

For more on one dynasty, our Tudor books list covers Henry VII to Elizabeth I in more depth.

How we picked these books about the royal family

We wanted a shelf that covers the whole succession without gaps or repeats. Every pick is a history or biography by a named author. Each edition matches its publisher's own page. We left out novels, picture books and books built on anonymous gossip.

We have not ranked the books against each other on quality. The order follows history. It runs from the overviews to the Middle Ages and on to the present day. Publication details come from the publishers' pages, linked in the sources below.

How to read the royal family in order

Start with an overview so the names and dates stick. Then read by era. A good order is Williamson or Fraser first.

Next come Jones on the Plantagenets and the Wars of the Roses. Then read Meyer and Fraser on the Tudors. Baird and Bedell Smith take you into the modern monarchy.

Two things are worth knowing as you read. Popular histories sometimes give firmer dates than the sources allow, mostly before 1300. And counts of monarchs differ. This site counts 42 since 1066, leaving out Empress Matilda and Lady Jane Grey. The reasons are on the England royal family page.

Verdict: the best books about the royal family

For most readers, the best books about the royal family are one overview plus one book per era. Williamson and Fraser give the whole line of monarchs. Jones, Meyer, Baird and Bedell Smith give the depth. Together, these eight books cover the monarchy from 1066 to the later years of Elizabeth II.

Sources checked for this page

Questions people also ask

What is the best single book about the royal family?

For the whole line of English and British monarchs in one volume, start with David Williamson's National Portrait Gallery history or Antonia Fraser's The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England. Both give a short life of each monarch.

Are these books about the royal family suitable for beginners?

Yes. Dan Jones and G. J. Meyer write narrative history for general readers. The two overviews are the easiest place to start if you want the whole succession first.

Do any of these books cover the modern royal family?

Sally Bedell Smith's Elizabeth the Queen covers Elizabeth II's life and reign. For the House of Windsor since 1917, pair it with this site's House of Windsor page.