Mortal Monarchs

1,000 Years of Royal Deaths

By: Suzie Edge

Narrated by: Suzie Edge

A humorous deep-dive into the varied—and oft-gruesome—deaths of the king and queens of England and Scotland.

How the monarchs of England and Scotland met their deaths has been a wonderful mixture of violence, infections, overindulgence and occasional regicide. In Mortal Monarchs, medical historian Dr Suzie Edge examines 1,000 years of royal deaths to uncover the plots, accusations, rivalries and ever-present threat of poison that the kings and queens of old faced.

From the "bloody" fascinating story behind Oliver Cromwell's demise and the subsequent treatment of his corpse and whether the arrow William II caught in the chest was an accident or murder, to Henry IV's remarkable skin condition and the red-hot poker up Edward II's rear end, Mortal Monarchs captivates, grosses-out and informs.

In school, many of us learned the dates they died and who followed them, but sadly never heard the varied—and oft-gruesome—way our monarchs met their maker. Featuring original medical research, this history forms a rich record not just of how these people died, but how we thought about and treated the human body, in life and in death.

©2022 Suzie Edge (P)2022 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Fun book despite the topic!

I am a fan of Dr. Edge and really enjoyed her signature narration! I liked the book itself and definitely learned a few things! One thing to note: this book is an overview of the deaths of British monarchs. As such, the hallmarks of each reign is touched upon but not in great detail.

Very fascinating!

If you love horrible history, science, and English monarchs, this is the book for you. Without going off too deeply into each monarch’s reign (otherwise it would be a very long book) the author still gives enough details on how they lived, ruled, and died. I can’t wait for her next book!! She writes and narrates so that history comes to life, and adds enough humour to make you wish the book would not end.

Thoroughly interesting from beginning to end

I greatly enjoyed this unique look at history and am looking forward to starting Dr. Edge's next book!

Outstanding

I was riveted by the stories and wonderful reading by the author. This book is a treasure. Highly recommend.

Great Read.!

This was a very interesting book. I follow Suzie on Tik Tok and I find her to be very interesting and very informative. I look forward to reading more books from her.

Royal Insiders Dream Book…

Dr. Edge offers a real insiders look into royal lives! Incredibly fascinating subject matter.
History, under a different lens, is a fresh perspective on how these leaders passed away and a new understanding of medical practices, disasters and triumphs during the not so modern era of medicine. Dr. Edge reads and provides a professional view. Very articulate and pleasant listen. Proper inflection and tamber of her reading provides excitement and reverence for the subject matter. It’s as if you are sitting at the dinner table with her or sitting outside on the porch swing just talking to your incredibly smart friend.
I thoroughly enjoyed the read and have listened more than once, every time gleaning some new kernel of information I missed the time before. She gives a technical, yet common knowledge approach to her subject matter not leaving the listener confused and frustrated trying to understand medical jargon.
Wonderfully different aspect to history and medicine. Thank you Dr. Edge!

Excellent information, well produced and performed. A great read!

I’m a morbid soul and this book perfectly suited my interest in history as well as my rather morbid curiosity. The narrator as an Impeccable grasp of pace and clarity, the perfect storyteller. I will be recommending this to my likeminded historically ghoulish friends!!

Loved it!!! Such a great listen!

This book was so interesting. Not only do you understand how they passed but it’s also very helpful to understand the line of secession.

Brilliant and Informative

I was sad upon finishing this book and I'm desperate for more like it. I love the in-depth and interesting dichotomy of historical facts and scientific details. I really enjoyed her medical perspective and the scientific WHY behind facts we've heard and taken for granted. It was a thought provoking piece and I'm suggesting it to everyone I know!

Interesting. Well narrated.

Perfect length chapters for the car. Well read. Well researched. Never a dull chapter. Great!