‘… because I cannot in person be in your presence, I send you the thing which comes nearest that is possible; that is to say, my picture, and the whole device, which you already know of, set in bracelets, wishing myself in their place when it pleaseth you.’

Henry VIII in a letter to Anne Boleyn, 1528

This selection of intimate letters of England’s kings is sure to intrigue anyone with an interest in the personal lives of some of England’s most powerful men. It begins with Henry VII (1457– 1509) and ends with William IV (1765–1837), and provides the reader with an illuminating insight into their lives.

From Henry VIII’s declaration of love to Anne Boleyn to James II’s sarcastic letter to his perfidious son-in-law, William of Orange, these letters show the people behind the crown, allowing history to assume a remarkably human face.