The Royal Stuarts

The Stuarts ruled for over 300 years in Scotland and for a century as the Royal Family of Britain and Ireland. Their reign extended from the late Medieval period well into the Enlightenment. They were leading actors in the foremost political dramas of British history—the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Union of the Crowns, the English Civil War and the Restoration.

Drawing on the accounts of historians past and present, as well as the works of great novelists and playwrights, author Allan Massie tells the complete, nuanced story of the Stuart family, documenting their path from the salt marshes of Brittany to the thrones of Scotland and England and eventually to exile. In a series of sharply drawn, colorfully detailed character sketches, The Royal Stuarts brings to life 15 kings, queens and stewards: figures like Mary, Queen of Scots, Charles I and Bonnie Prince Charlie—uncovering a family of strong affections and fierce rivalries. Some were brave and capable, some weak and foolish, but running through virtually all of them, like a genetic inheritance, were strains of obstinacy, charm and an ability to attract and retain loyalty.

Before the first Stuart monarch occupied the British throne, of course, the family—then known as Stewart, the surname deriving from their historical status as stewards—ruled Scotland for centuries. Of Gaelic blood and Norman culture, the clan began its Scots dynasty with Robert II in 1371. James I, the “Poet King” of Scotland, asserted the rule of law over the rule of men, though his subsequent conduct undercut his ideals and led to his brutal assassination. James IV came to power in 1488 and personified the intellectual blossoming of the Renaissance. Mary Stuart’s gallantry, courage and dignity, in the face of death at Elizabeth’s order, made her the stuff of legend. Mary’s son, James VI and I, succeeded Elizabeth, uniting the kingdoms of England and Scotland under one monarch, and commissioning perhaps the greatest ever English translation of the Bible. The royal line ended in 1714 with the death of Queen Anne, yet Jacobites persisted in their attempts to reclaim the throne well into the mid-18th century.

In this fascinating and intimate portrait of the Stuarts, Massie takes us deep into one of history’s bloodiest and most tumultuous reigns. Exploring the family’s lineage from the first Stuart king to the last, The Royal Stuarts is a panoramic popular history of this most controversial and divisive of royal families. Told with panache and pace, adventurous and opinionated, this is the gripping true story of backstabbing, betrayal and ambition gone awry, steeped in blood, guts and gore, scandal, intrigue, murder and revenge. History buffs and aficionados of British royalty will find themselves engrossed.