Royal Bastards: Illegitimate Children of the British Royal Family
Peter Beauclerk-Dewar · Roger Powell
Apr 2021 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by John Lee
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9 hr 13 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
Since 1066 when William the Conqueror took the throne, English and Scottish kings have sired at least 150 children out of wedlock. Many were acknowledged at court and founded dynasties of their own; several of today's dukedoms are descended from them. Others were only acknowledged grudgingly or not at all. In the twentieth century this trend for royals to father illegitimate children continued, but the parentage, while highly probable, has not been officially recognized. This book is a genuinely fresh approach to British kings and queens, examining their lives and times through the unfamiliar perspective of their illegitimate children. Interviewees include many of their descendants. But beyond personal narratives it also sheds light on the perennially fascinating topic of sexual habits; the links between politics, power, and patronage; the class system, scandal, and celebrity; and the different expectations we have of men and women.
About the author
Peter Beauclerk-Dewar is a direct descendent of the bastard offspring of Charles II and Nell Gwyn. He is a heraldic consultant to Christies, has previously been an editor for Burke's Peerage & Gentry, and is a fellow of the Scottish Society of Antiquaries.
John Lee has read audiobooks in almost every conceivable genre, from Charles Dickens to Patrick O'Brian, and from the very real life of Napoleon to the entirely imagined lives of sorcerers and swashbucklers. An AudioFile Golden Voice narrator, he is the winner of numerous Audie Awards and AudioFile Earphones Awards.
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