Behind the Throne: A Domestic History of the British Royal Household - Tapa dura

"A lively, engaging, and endlessly fascinating account of life behind closed doors at the English court. Exploring five centuries of royal service--from Elizabeth I to her modern day namesake--this is a must-read for all fans of British royal history."--Tracy Borman, author of The Private Lives of the Tudors

"Meticulously researched, rich in detail and hugely entertaining, Behind The Throne is an evocative feast of royal history, from the first Elizabeth to the present, at its page-turning best. From a master historian and story-teller, it is an absolute must for anyone interested in the British monarchy, past and present, and for any self-respecting history lover. A book I only wish I had written, I cannot recommend it highly enough."--Christopher Warwick, royal biographer and historian

"Tinniswood's riveting overview of 500 years of the men and women who made the monarchy shows what has changed - and what hasn't. From the courtiers who handled foreign diplomats for James I to the chauffeurs who drove Edward VII, the first royal motorist, the delight is in the detail."--Sarah Gristwood, author of Game of Queens and Elizabeth: The Queen and the Crown

"Behind the Throne is so much fun it's almost a guilty pleasure. Adrian Tinniswood provides an utterly fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the British monarchy, from the realities of the royal chamber pot to bedchamber politics."--Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire

"Both fun and scholarly, this is a back-stage, back-stairs, sometimes backside history of England that focuses on the seamy-side of power, the sights you weren't intended to see and the stories you weren't supposed to hear. Savor it like a good gossip column."--David Starkey, author of Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne and Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

"Shrewdly observed and engagingly written...A cracking read, packed full of stories which Tinniswood relates with verve and wit."--Spectator (UK)

"Tinniswood (The Long Weekend) explores the inner workings of the well-oiled machine that is the household, servants, and monarchy of Britain...A masterpiece of history that reads like a novel; a true delight."--Library Journal (starred review)

"[Tinniswood] amply, entertainingly, compellingly succeeds in making the case that when it comes to British royalty, it takes a village to make a monarch."--New York Journal of Books

"Fascinating...Never overly deferential, but humorous and distantly respectful. Our royals are human beings after all...Behind the Throne is a wonderfully entertaining account of life through five centuries of royal households."--Sunday Times

"Behind the Throne, erudite and amusing, bulges with colourful scenes of barely managed chaos at court."--Times

An upstairs/downstairs history of the British royal court, from the Middle Ages to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II

Monarchs: they're just like us. They entertain their friends and eat and worry about money. Henry VIII tripped over his dogs. George II threw his son out of the house. James I had to cut back on the alcohol bills.

In Behind the Throne, historian Adrian Tinniswood uncovers the reality of five centuries of life at the English court, taking the reader on a remarkable journey from one Queen Elizabeth to another and exploring life as it was lived by clerks and courtiers and clowns and crowned heads: the power struggles and petty rivalries, the tension between duty and desire, the practicalities of cooking dinner for thousands and of ensuring the king always won when he played a game of tennis.

A masterful and witty social history of five centuries of royal life, Behind the Throne offers a grand tour of England's grandest households.