Fans of Netflix's The Crown [1] are enamoured with the British royal family. Rife with drama, tragedy, and privilege, the family cannot escape public scrutiny. But the show and tabloids don't always tell the whole story. This list of royal biographies is for fans who want to learn more and won't shy away from a nice, long book. You don't need to be a historian to learn more — this list of 15 books is full of scandal [2], heartbreak, and all you could ever want to know about British royal history. It contains more modern stories as well as older stories in royal family history, so you can dive in and get your fill of lesser-known royal stories.
Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand
Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand tell the story of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle [4]'s relationship and exit from royal life in Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family [5]. Scobie and Durand work as reporters for the royal family, which enabled them to have insider information.
My Husband and I: The Inside Story of 70 Years of the Royal Marriage by Ingrid Seward
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward details the dynamics of the widely speculated-upon relationship between Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip in My Husband and I: The Inside Story of 70 Years of the Royal Marriage [6]. The book sheds light onto their courtship, including how they met while Philip was still a Naval Lieutenant.
Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner
Anne Glenconner's memoir Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown [7] tells the true story of Princess Anne (played by Erin Doherty on The Crown). Glenconner's life story differs from the stereotypical royal trope, as she never officially became royalty, but instead, remained a lady in waiting. Now we can finally find out if her lover really became a priest!
Royal Bastards by Peter Beauclerk-Dewar and Roger Powell
Peter Beauclerk-Dewar and Roger Powell explore the illegitimate children of the royal family in Royal Bastards: Illegitimate Children of the British Royal Family [8]. The story starts in 1066 and goes from there, citing at least 150 illegitimate children of royalty.
Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe by Deborah Cadbury
As the title suggests, Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe [9] examines Queen Victoria's ploy to control who married whom in the royal family. The book is full of drama as it follows the rebellion of Queen Victoria's descendants and international affairs gone awry.
Princes at War by Deborah Cadbury
Deborah Cadbury also wrote Princes at War: The Bitter Battle Inside Britain's Royal Family in the Darkest Days of WWII [10], an account of four different princes during World War II. One of the men discussed is King George VI, who was a stutterer and subject of the award-winning film The King's Speech.
George and Marina Duke and Duchess of Kent by Christopher Warwick
Christopher Warwick wrote painstakingly of the courtship between Duke and Duchess of Kent, in George and Marina Duke and Duchess of Kent [11]. George was the Prince Harry of his time, a playboy who loved to party.
Charles I: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History
This book covers King Charles I's life, a lesser-known historical character, in the book Charles I: A Life From Beginning to End [12]. Being that Charles I was executed, this makes for an interesting read.
Behind the Throne: A Domestic History of the British Royal Household by Adrian Tinniswood
Behind the Throne: A Domestic History of the British Royal Household [13] by Adrian Tinniswood tells the insider scoop of the royal family's oftentimes scandalous domestic lives. The drama includes a king tripping over his dogs (!), alcoholism, and a patriarch kicking his son out of the house.
Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown
Craig Brown chronicles the scandal-filled life of Princess Margaret in Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret [14]. Margaret was known to party with celebrities (as fans of the The Crown know) — just one of the many fun facts you'll learn about her in this book.
Prince Eddy: The King Britain Never Had by Andrew Cook
Prince Eddy is a largely forgotten figure in British history. Prince Eddy: The King Britain Never Had [15] is riveting in its exploration of Prince Eddy's legacy, which includes speculation about Jack the Ripper and other scandals.
Behind the Palace Doors by Michael Farquhar
Michael Farquhar's Behind the Palace Doors: Five Centuries of Sex, Adventure, Vice, Treachery, and Folly from Royal Britain [16] reveals some of the biggest scandals in British royal history. You'll learn more about many different members of the royal family, as Farquhar tells stories while debunking myths.
The Little Princesses: by Marion Crawford
Marion Crawford was Queen Elizabeth's childhood nanny, and she discusses her firsthand experience in The Little Princesses: The Story of the Queen's Childhood by Her Nanny, Marion Crawford [17]. Crawford took the future queen to swimming lessons and underground trains in an attempt to familiarize her with normalcy.
Victoria the Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire by Julia Baird
Julia Baird tells the story of Queen Victoria in Victoria the Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire [18]. It tells the story of the legendary woman born fifth in line to the throne who became queen.
Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life by Sally Bedell Smith
Sally Bedell Smith documents the life of the man who broke Princess Diana's heart in Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life [19]. Read about Charles's failed marriage to Diana and his forbidden romance with Camilla in this riveting account of the next in line to the throne.