In the centuries since William the Conqueror defeated King Harold II and united England's various kingdoms, more than 40 kings and queens have sat on Britain's throne, few of whom have been unambiguously English. Acknowledging the worldwide fascination with British royalty, Tracy Borman scans the millennium and singles out such rulers as Richard II, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, George III, Victoria, and Elizabeth II. Borman also discusses royal palaces; how monarchs have been portrayed in art and the media; and the pageantry surrounding the crown.