The first book in an unusual genre for Alexandra Marinina - popular history.A witty new look at historical characters familiar from favorite novels and films.A picturesque panorama of English history from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II. The life of the rulers of England is colorfully described as a fascinating psychological series: in the style of a drama, thriller or comedy, depending on the roles played by famous personalities.• Why it was early for Queen Victoria to marry at 17, but Queen Matilda at 12 years old - just right?• Who gave the order to kill the young heirs of King Edward the Fourth: their own treacherous uncle Richard (the future King Richard the Third), as Shakespeare was sure, or the stray French prince Jasper Tudor (the uncle of the future King Henry the Seventh and the conqueror Richard), according to the novelist Philippa Gregory?• Why did the lascivious Henry the Eighth deprive one of Anna, his wife, of his life, such a scoundrel, and another Anna, a maiden, when he saw her a portrait by the great Holbein, he decided to take it as his fourth wife, but when he met him live, he quickly divorced and ... no, he didn’t go to the monastery, but married for the fifth time - to Catherine, but he also executed that out of habit?• How could King George the Fifth be born a "half-breed German" Saxe-Coburg, and die a "full-blooded Englishman" Windsor?Well, and a lot of intriguing questions and answers that will help in the most comfortable and exciting way readers to put everything on the shelves in history. And enjoy your favorite historical series and writings, understanding everything and not getting confused: who ruled for whom, who had to whom, who offended whom to death, and who just ate a siskin.“What I write is - by no means is it a textbook or even a teaching aid; you cannot study history from this text! But you can understand what curious twists and turns constantly happened in the life of monarchs, become interested in something, dig a little deeper ... And in the end, put in your head what is required, but with pleasure, and not from under pressure. –