Sovereign Ladies: Sex, Sacifice, and Power

By Maureen Waller

This book covers the lives of the six queens regnant of England: Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II.

I knew very little about Mary II (of William and Mary) and Anne, sisters and daughters of James II.

It's a good overview if you are interested in such things, but I knew more about Mary I and Elizabeth I from both my non-fiction and historical fiction reading than was covered in this volume. I doubt a whole book about just Mary II and Anne would be all that interesting, but it was interesting to learn more about them. I didn't know that Anne would be pregnant more than 15 times, yet die leaving no surviving children.

With the exception of Elizabeth I, there seems to have been an ordinariness about all of them that belies their birth into royalty. As each the monarchy steadily lost power -- only the first two queens were absolute rulers -- the rise of pageantry in direct relation to the decline in real power is one of the most interesting things about a modern monarchy.

I recommend "Sex with Kings which is about royal mistresses.