British Monarchs in novels

[Fiona]

The kings and queens of England (and to a lesser extent of Scotland) are always a popular subject for historical fiction. So I though it might be fun to create a list that matches up as many of them as possible to at least one novel. The monarch doesn't have to be the main character but should play a prominent role.

Looking forward to your lovely suggestions (especially anything for the Anglo-Saxons or Scots). Edited to add suggestions

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ENGLISH KINGS - Anglo-Saxon

Alfred the Great 871-899
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

Edward the Elder 899-925
Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell

Athelstan 925-940
Edmund the Magnificent 940-946
Eadred 946-955
Eadwig All-Fair 955-959
Edgar the Peaceable 959-975
Edward the Martyr 975-978

AEthelred the Unready 979-1016
Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell

Cnut (Canute) 1016-1035
Harold Harefoot 1035-1040
Hardicnut 1040-1042

Edward the Confessor 1042-1066
The Cunning of the Dove by Alfred Duggan

Harold Godwinson 1066
I Am the Chosen King by Helen Hollick

ENGLISH KINGS - Norman/Plantagenet

William I (The Conqueror) 1066-1087
The Bastard King by Jean Plaidy

William II 1087-1100

Henry I 1100-1135
The Lion of Justice and The Passionate Enemies by Jean Plaidy

Stephen of Blois 1135-1154
When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman

Henry II 1154-1189
The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick
Time and Chance and Devil's Brood by Sharon Kay Penman
The Plantagenet Prelude and The Revolt of the Eaglets by Jean Plaidy

Richard I (Lionheart) 1189-1199
Lionheart and A King's Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman
The Heart of the Lion by Jean Plaidy

John 1199-1216
The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Prince of Darkness and The Battle of the Queens by Jean Plaidy

Henry III 1216-1272

Edward I (Longshanks) 1272-1307
Hammer of the Scots by Jean Plaidy

Edward II 1307-1327
Isabella: Braveheart of France by Colin Falconer
The Follies of the King and Passage to Pontefract by Jean Plaidy

Edward III 1327-1377 / Richard II 1377-1399
Katherine by Anya Seyton

Henry IV 1399-1413
The Star of Lancaster by Jean Plaidy

Henry V 1413-1422
Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell

Henry VI 1422-1461
The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou by Susan Higginbotham
Epitaph for Three Women and Red Rose of Anjou by Jean Plaidy

Edward IV 1461-1483
The Sun in Splendour by Jean Plaidy
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Edward V 1483

Richard III 1483-1485
The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman

ENGLISH MONARCHS - Tudor

Henry VII 1485-1509
Uneasy Lies the Head by Jean Plaidy

Henry VIII 1509-1547
Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hillary Mantel
The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George
The Tudor Saga by Jean Plaidy

Edward VI 1547-1553

Mary I (Bloody Mary) 1553-1558
In the Shadow of the Crown by Jean Plaidy

Elizabeth I 1558-1603
Elizabeth I by Margaret George
Queen of This Realm by Jean Plaidy
Elizabeth trilogy by Margaret Irwin

SCOTTISH MONARCHS

Kenneth I MacAlpin 843–858
Kenneth by Nigel Tranter
Kenneth's Queen by Anna Chant

Donald I 858–862
Constantine I 862–877
Aed (Aodh) 877–878
Eochaid and Giric 878–889
Donald II 889–900
Constantine II 900–943
Malcolm I 943–954
Indulf 954–962
Dub 962–966
Culen 966–971
Kenneth II 971–995
Constantine III 995–997
Kenneth III 997–1005
Malcolm II 1005–34
Duncan I 1034–40

Macbeth 1040–57
King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett

Lulach 1057–58

Malcolm III Canmore 1058–93
Margaret the Queen by Nigel Tranter

Donald Bane (Donalbane) 1093–94 and 1094–97
Duncan II 1093–94
Edgar 1097–1107

Alexander I 1107–24 / David I 1124–53
David the Prince by Nigel Tranter

Malcolm IV 1153–65
William I the Lion 1165–1214

Alexander II 1214–49
Sword of State by Nigel Tranter

Alexander III 1249–86
Margaret, Maid of Norway 1286–90
John de Balliol 1292–96

Robert I the Bruce 1306–29
The Bruce Trilogy by N. Gemini Sasson

David II 1329–71
Robert II 1371–90

Robert III 1390–1406
The Stewart Trilogy: Lords of Misrule / A Folly of Princes / The Captive Crown by Nigel Tranter

James I 1406–37
Lion Let Loose by Nigel Tranter
The World, the Flesh and the Devil by Reay Tannahill

James II 1437–60
The Lion's Whelp by Nigel Tranter

James III 1460–88

James IV 1488–1513
After Flodden by Rosemary Goring

James V 1513–42
James V series by Nigel Tranter

Mary, Queen of Scots 1542–67
Fatal Majesty: A Novel of Mary, Queen of Scots by Reay Tannahill
Mary Stuart series by Jean Plaidy

ENGLISH/SCOTTISH MONARCHS - Stuart

James I/VI 1603-1625
The Lady of the Tower by Elizabeth St.John
The Murder in the Tower by Jean Plaidy

Charles I 1625-1649
By Love Divided by Elizabeth St.John


COMMONWEALTH
Oliver Cromwell 1649-1658
Richard Cromwell 1658-1659

ENGLISH/SCOTTISH MONARCHS - Stuart (Restored)

Charles II 1660-1685
Restoration by Rose Tremain
The Wandering Prince by Jean Plaidy

James II/VII 1685-1688
The Countess and the King: A Novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James II by Susan Holloway Scott

William III 1689-1702 / Mary II 1689-1694 / Anne 1702-1714
Royal Sisters: The Story of the Daughters of James II and Courting Her Highness by Jean Plaidy

BRITISH MONARCHS - Hanover

George I 1714-1727
The Princess of Celle by Jean Plaidy

George II 1727-1760
Queen in Waiting and Caroline, the Queen by Jean Plaidy

George III 1760-1820
The Prince and the Quakeress and The Third George by Jean Plaidy

George IV 1820-1830
Perdita's Prince, Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill, and Indiscretions of the Queen by Jean Plaidy

William IV 1830-1837
Goddess of the Green Room by Jean Plaidy

Victoria 1837-1901
Victoria by Daisy Goodwin
Victoria Victorious: The Story of Queen Victoria by Jean Plaidy

BRITISH MONARCHS - Saxe-Coburg/Windsor
Edward VII 1901-1910
George V 1910-1936

Edward VIII 1936-1936
Gone with the Windsors by Laurie Graham

George VI 1936-1952
Elizabeth II 1952 - present

[Liz]

I suggest Jean Plaidy's WONDERFUL novels, below (I hope I did all the research correctly; they're listed by series and I only listed the main monarchs involved, not necessarily who they are about based on your list above):

Georgian Saga Series:

George I:
The Princess of Celle

George II:
Queen in Waiting
Caroline, the Queen

George III:
The Prince and the Quakeress
The Third George
The Regent's Daughter
Victoria in the Wings

George IV:
Perdita's Prince
Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill
Indiscretions of the Queen
Goddess of the Green Room

Mary, Queen of Scots Quartet:

Mary, Queen of Scots:
Royal Road to Fotheringay
The Captive Queen of Scots
The Fair Devil of Scotland

The Norman Trilogy:

William I:
The Bastard King

Henry I:
The Lion of Justice
The Passionate Enemies

The Plantagenet Series:

Henry II and Eleanor:
The Plantagenet Prelude
The Revolt of the Eaglets
The Queen from Provence

Richard I:
The Heart of the Lion

John of England:
Prince of Darkness
The Battle of the Queens

Edward I:
Hammer of the Scots / Edward Longshanks

Edward II:
The Follies of the King

Edward III:
The Vow on the Heron
Passage to Pontefract

Henry IV:
The Star of Lancaster

Henry VI:
Epitaph for Three Women
Red Rose of Anjou

Edward IV:
The Sun in Splendour

Queen Victoria Quartet:

Queen Victoria:
Captive of Kensington Palace
The Queen and Lord M
The Queen's Husband
The Widow of Windsor

The Queens of England Series:

Henry IV / Henrietta Maria:
Myself, My Enemy / Loyal in Love

Elizabeth I:
Queen of this Realm

Victoria:
Victoria, Victorious

Anne Boleyn / Henry VII:
The Lady in the Tower

Eleanor of Aquitaine:
The Courts of Love

Mary Tudor:
In the Shadow of the Crown

Henry V / Henry VI:
The Queen's Secret

Edward IV / Richard:
The Reluctant Queen

Charles II:
The Pleasures of Love / The Merry Monarch's Wife
William's Wife / The Queen's Devotion

The Stuart Saga:

James I:
The Murder in the Tower

Charles II:
The Wandering Prince
A Health Unto His Majesty
Here Lies Our Sovereign Lord
The Three Crowns

James II:
The Haunted Sisters / Royal Sisters

William of Orange:
The Queen's Favourites / Courting Her Highness

The Tudors:

Henry VII:
Uneasy Lies the Head / To Hold the Crown

Henry VIII / Katharine of Aragon:
Katharine, the Virgin Widow
The Shadow of the Pomegranate

Henry VIII / Anne Boleyn:
The King's Secret Matter
Murder Most Royal

Henry VIII:
St. Thomas's Eve / The King's Confidante

Henry VIII / Katharine Howard:
A Rose Without a Thorn

Henry VIII / Catherine Parr:
The Sixth Wife

Henry VIII and his sisters:
Thistle and the Rose
Mary, Queen of France

Phillip II:
The Spanish Bridegroom / For a Queen's Love

Elizabeth I:
Gay Lord Robert / A Favorite of the Queen

She also has more about other monarch series but not British. Hope you enjoy! I'll have more suggestions later but for now I'm done! *phew :)

[Agnes]

Wow. What a wonderful list! Thank you. :))

[Eileen]

Richard I - Sharon Kay Penman has a couple of books:
and

I enjoyed A King's Ransom more than Lionheart, although I learned a lot about lovely Sicily from Lionheart.

[Eileen]

James I and Charles I - Elizabeth St. John's novels:

and


Nice perspective from an era not often novelized.

[Deirdre]

Margaret Irwin's Elizabeth trilogy: Young Bess, Elizabeth Captive Princess and Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain are hands down the best books about Elizabeth I that I have read.

[Robin]

Alison Weir is a British writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens, and of historical fiction.
The Six Wives of Henry VIII

[Margaret]

What brilliant reading suggestions!