Lost Heirs of the Medieval Crown: The Kings and Queens Who Never Were

by J F Andrews

Overview

When William the Conqueror died in 1087 he left the throne of England to William Rufus … his second son. The result was an immediate war as Rufus’s elder brother Robert fought to gain the crown he saw as rightfully his; this conflict marked the start of 400 years of bloody disputes as the English monarchy’s line of hereditary succession was bent, twisted and finally broken when the last Plantagenet king, Richard III, fell at Bosworth in 1485.

The Anglo-Norman and Plantagenet dynasties were renowned for their internecine strife, and in Lost Heirs we will unearth the hidden stories of fratricidal brothers, usurping cousins and murderous uncles; the many kings – and the occasional queen – who should have been but never were. History is written by the winners, but every game of thrones has its losers too, and their fascinating stories bring richness and depth to what is a colorful period of history. King John would not have gained the crown had he not murdered his young nephew, who was in line to become England’s first King Arthur; Henry V would never have been at Agincourt had his father not seized the throne by usurping and killing his cousin; and as the rival houses of York and Lancaster fought bloodily over the crown during the Wars of the Roses, life suddenly became very dangerous indeed for a young boy named Edmund.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526736512
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	12/27/2019
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

J. F. Andrews is the pseudonym of a historian who has a PhD in Medieval Studies specializing in warfare and combat. Andrews has published a number of academic books and articles in the UK, the USA and France, and was one of the contributors to the Oxford Encyclopaedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology (Oxford University Press, 2010).

Andrews is also active in public engagement with history, having written several historical novels and contributed popular history articles to blogs and magazines. Andrews runs a highly regarded website offering background information on many aspects of medieval life, which is consulted by a wide range of historians, students and historical writers.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vi

List of Abbreviations viii

Introduction xii

Chapter 1 Robert Curthose and William Clito 1

Chapter 2 William Adelin and Empress Matilda 19

Chapter 3 Eustace, William and Mary of Blois 36

Chapter 4 Henry the Young King 47

Chapter 5 Arthur and Eleanor of Brittany 62

Chapter 6 Edward the Black Prince 77

Chapter 7 Edmund Mortimer 93

Chapter 8 Richard, duke of York 106

Chapter 9 Edward of Lancaster 124

Chapter 10 Edward Y Edward of Middleham and Edward of Warwick 141

Endnotes 160

Selected Further Reading 187

About the Author 191

Index 192

Editorial Reviews

"Five stars... A great read. Andrews’ writing is brisk and wry, frequently sardonic."

City Book Review

"If you like history you'll love this book - and no doubt you'll have your own opinion as to which of the heroes and villains would have made good monarchs."

Lost Cousins

"Rather informative... If you want to read an intriguing book about some mysterious men and women in history, I highly recommend you read, Lost Heirs of the Medieval Crown."

Adventures of a Tudor Nerd

"An interesting approach to the history of the English monarchy."

History of War

Authoritative, educational and extremely entertaining.

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