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Mortal Monarchs: 1000 Years of Royal Deaths
How the monarchs of England and Scotland met their deaths has been a shocking 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.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
May 9, 2024
Very interesting, but this is very much a story of the English monarchs. Unfortunate for me, who bought the book on the strength of its claim that it told of the deaths of the Scottish monarchs, too.
October 6, 2022
I found suzie on tiktok when she first started out and been a follower ever since, she brings history to life, I love it when I hear "shall we open another coffin", and this book is so informative but also isn't academically boring! I binge read this in 1 day! Definite read if you love history and medicine!
April 21, 2024
Wow, read this faster than I thought, cool 😎
3.5 stars-4 stars in different parts of the book.
Saw this for cheap (don't remember where I heard of it.. but it was probably on goodreads) on my wishlist so figured "eh, why not?" and snatched it up 👍🏼.
This one did keep my interest.. some placed it dragged some but it didn't affect my reading experience.
Reading some of the dynamics and whatnot, yeesh! I wanted to : smack people and put them in time out, get them to a therapist, tell Jerry Springer he would have new guests coming.
I definitely would have had very high anxiety if any of the earlier monarchs were my family (or if I was one in a previous life.. hope not).
So many health issues as well...not surprising but still... one bloodline I wondered if they were just cursed
Once again, I say teach this stuff in history classes in high school. Definitely would get their attention.
Would recommend 👌 My advice, take your time with this one and let it simmer in your brain, do some research as you go.
History nerd in me is happy 😊 .
3.5 stars-4 stars in different parts of the book.
Saw this for cheap (don't remember where I heard of it.. but it was probably on goodreads) on my wishlist so figured "eh, why not?" and snatched it up 👍🏼.
This one did keep my interest.. some placed it dragged some but it didn't affect my reading experience.
Reading some of the dynamics and whatnot, yeesh! I wanted to : smack people and put them in time out, get them to a therapist, tell Jerry Springer he would have new guests coming.
I definitely would have had very high anxiety if any of the earlier monarchs were my family (or if I was one in a previous life.. hope not).
So many health issues as well...not surprising but still... one bloodline I wondered if they were just cursed
Once again, I say teach this stuff in history classes in high school. Definitely would get their attention.
Would recommend 👌 My advice, take your time with this one and let it simmer in your brain, do some research as you go.
History nerd in me is happy 😊 .
May 4, 2024
Suzie Edge is, like myself, a doctor obsessed with history and death mechanisms. This book is so well written! - both suitable for people who aren't health experts but interesting enough in manner that isn't too simplistic for doctors to learn. From cancer, gout, arrows in the eye and the ocasional regicide, many manners of death are discussed, always with an introduction of the monarch itself beforehand.
I highly recommend this fun book if you enjoy British history, medical history and curiosities.
Shall we dig another coffin? 🙈
I highly recommend this fun book if you enjoy British history, medical history and curiosities.
Shall we dig another coffin? 🙈
June 21, 2023
Royal reads project
I really enjoyed this book. I did audio format.
As an American I should prob be embarrassed that I cannot recite much of a chain of presidential names at any time in history, but I can recall all of the British monarchs in order starting with William the Norman ( I have a problem with calling someone who has not pissed me off a bastard, and he wasn’t born a conqueror). Yes I need to move across the ocean, but that takes money, and I’m currently spending all of my on stitch fix don’t judge.
Anyway I digress. I’ve never really consciously thought about their deaths as a group. Yes of course you read enough nonfiction that’s obviously covered, but I found it so informative reading a book that actually focused on each demise with symptoms, possible contractions, the various autopsies, how health problems may have truly affected births of heirs (cough, Henry VIII cough) I could go on. And even though it covers centuries it’s not at all dull or drawn out. For those of you who are British monarchy fans and lovers (so he ginger whingies this is not for you), I recommend this for sure.
I really enjoyed this book. I did audio format.
As an American I should prob be embarrassed that I cannot recite much of a chain of presidential names at any time in history, but I can recall all of the British monarchs in order starting with William the Norman ( I have a problem with calling someone who has not pissed me off a bastard, and he wasn’t born a conqueror). Yes I need to move across the ocean, but that takes money, and I’m currently spending all of my on stitch fix don’t judge.
Anyway I digress. I’ve never really consciously thought about their deaths as a group. Yes of course you read enough nonfiction that’s obviously covered, but I found it so informative reading a book that actually focused on each demise with symptoms, possible contractions, the various autopsies, how health problems may have truly affected births of heirs (cough, Henry VIII cough) I could go on. And even though it covers centuries it’s not at all dull or drawn out. For those of you who are British monarchy fans and lovers (so he ginger whingies this is not for you), I recommend this for sure.
October 12, 2023
Ok, well this is historical non-fiction as I've never read it before. Mind you, it's 1000 years of British monarchs and the way they died. Including all the gore and dirt. heads rolling, intestines leaking, hearts, brains, lungs and more malfunctioning. In explicit detail, with satire and humor, Dr. Suzie Edge has written it all down. I see this as a perfect book that you just pick up to read another death in between other things. between books, between laundry and bed, between morning and afternoon during your daily lunch break at work. Mind you, your co-workers might find you slightly odd for enjoying such a read, but I've experienced it's also a perfect topic of conversation.
Anyway, this might sound morbid, but it's my kind of guilty pleasure to read about these things and the way this book was written couldn't have been more perfect. 5 full stars. One of my faves of the year.
Anyway, this might sound morbid, but it's my kind of guilty pleasure to read about these things and the way this book was written couldn't have been more perfect. 5 full stars. One of my faves of the year.
December 5, 2024
I discovered Dr Suzie Edge on TikTok. Immediate follow - I loved her videos. And i was so excited when I learned she had a book!! Mortal Monarchs is excellent. I definitely had a hard time not skipping around - but as I actively try not to be a menace, I read it in order 😊
I openly laughed out loud at the humor and oven throughout this well written, super fascinating book. I wholeheartedly recommend!
PS Dr Edge: if you ever write a follow up that included Queen Elizabeth, may she rest in peace, I’ll be at the front of the line to purchase that updated book!
I can’t wait to start Vital Organs!
I openly laughed out loud at the humor and oven throughout this well written, super fascinating book. I wholeheartedly recommend!
PS Dr Edge: if you ever write a follow up that included Queen Elizabeth, may she rest in peace, I’ll be at the front of the line to purchase that updated book!
I can’t wait to start Vital Organs!
October 3, 2023
Easy going read going through English monarchs deaths from Harold to Elizabeth II
June 8, 2023
Oh thank goodness, I've finally finished this; a testament to my stubbornness overruling my good sense. Of course, I'd have finished it far sooner if I hadn't put it aside in exasperation of the sheer number of errors in the history, not to mention some slightly dodgy genetics. Honestly, who was this written for? You'd have to know your history in order to catch the errors, so I can only conclude it's written for those who don't care. The English is clunky, the humour is worse and seriously, the prurience in some of the entries, even after the author herself says that recorded causes of death often spoke to the monarch's life and reign, was childish. Specifically, Edward II's death by hot poker has long since been discredited and frankly, if his biographer takes some of her valuable time to leave a review essentially condemning the schoolgirl humour, then you should probably have a good hard look at yourself. But no, let's simply continue because it's, what, titillating? Ugh.
This is a book for which a good throwing from a fast moving vehicle is far too good a fate. Do yourself a favour and read a decent history. Or even a cereal box.
This is a book for which a good throwing from a fast moving vehicle is far too good a fate. Do yourself a favour and read a decent history. Or even a cereal box.
February 24, 2023
Review haiku:
An entertaining
But very lightweight hist’ry.
I wanted more heft.
An entertaining
But very lightweight hist’ry.
I wanted more heft.
January 27, 2024
History! Drama! Plots! Medical Mysteries! What's not to love? This book was right up my alley, and I kept wanting to read on to find out how the next king died. The only downside I can mention is that reading this book went slowly because I kept having to go over to Wikipedia to look up more historical information. Thanks to this book I have now acquired the completely useless skill of being able to name all English monarchs from Edward the Confessor up 'til now in chronological order. That might come in handy as a party trick one day ...
By the way, I couldn't properly update my reading progress because Goodreads claims this book has only 256 pages whereas my copy clearly had 312 pages ...
By the way, I couldn't properly update my reading progress because Goodreads claims this book has only 256 pages whereas my copy clearly had 312 pages ...
January 6, 2024
Mortal Monarchs: 1000 years of royal deaths by Dr. Suzie Edge is refreshing and easy to read. Dr. Edge is a molecular cell biologist who has worked in clinical medicine in a variety of medical specialties. She adds a wonderful bit of humor into the nonfiction biography she has written, along with a healthy dose of medicine. I highly recommend it to you if you enjoy science and history.
May 6, 2023
interesting read for those interested in history with a (big) bit of macabre and death
June 5, 2024
Overall: 2.75 stars
Eh, this was fine. It's a quick, breezy read that takes a cheeky stance with history, but I sometimes felt like the author was trying a little too hard to be funny and "modern" (I don't think anyone needs comparisons to viral tweets to understand how an in-person rumor mill might work, even in the medieval period). I also thought the author was sometimes being deliberately gross just for "cool" points. Okay, we get it: bodies make corpse juices. Repeating this fact over and over again in gory detail isn't, in my opinion, treating the fact of bodies with frankness and honesty. It's just being a little juvenile. YMMV.
What I did enjoy was the author's point (obvious, if you think about it, but still interesting) that the deaths of monarchs reflect the common deaths of their time periods and the risks of those time periods (medieval beheadings and dysentery morphing into modern strokes and heart attacks). There's also some interesting little tidbits here, and if you enjoy both the British monarchy and morbid history, you'll probably have some fun here. Just don't expect anything revolutionary.
Eh, this was fine. It's a quick, breezy read that takes a cheeky stance with history, but I sometimes felt like the author was trying a little too hard to be funny and "modern" (I don't think anyone needs comparisons to viral tweets to understand how an in-person rumor mill might work, even in the medieval period). I also thought the author was sometimes being deliberately gross just for "cool" points. Okay, we get it: bodies make corpse juices. Repeating this fact over and over again in gory detail isn't, in my opinion, treating the fact of bodies with frankness and honesty. It's just being a little juvenile. YMMV.
What I did enjoy was the author's point (obvious, if you think about it, but still interesting) that the deaths of monarchs reflect the common deaths of their time periods and the risks of those time periods (medieval beheadings and dysentery morphing into modern strokes and heart attacks). There's also some interesting little tidbits here, and if you enjoy both the British monarchy and morbid history, you'll probably have some fun here. Just don't expect anything revolutionary.
November 25, 2022
Don’t listen to this while you are eating - the details can get quite graphic. That aside, great fun. Suzie Edge, who excellently reads her own book, takes each king from William I through George VI and explains in detail how they died - with some extras like Henry VIII’s wives thrown in. Generally, biographies don’t go into medicinal detail about the subject’s demise, so this was quite interesting. Edge takes on some myths of kingly deaths as well. Interestedly Richard III, found under a carpark, is the king we know the most about, because modern science was able to look carefully at his remains.
May 3, 2023
This book was interesting at times, and did commit the cardinal historical sin of speculating on specific medical causes of death, but was enjoyable overall.
The format did become a little repetitive, but the added context of the reigns and the discussion of the link between the story of the monarchs’ deaths and their reigns, such as the likely link between Edward II’s possible homosexuality and his death by hot poker, made for some interesting moments.
The format did become a little repetitive, but the added context of the reigns and the discussion of the link between the story of the monarchs’ deaths and their reigns, such as the likely link between Edward II’s possible homosexuality and his death by hot poker, made for some interesting moments.
November 7, 2024
Mortal Monarchs - 1000 Years of Royal Deaths by Suzie Edge gives the reader a short overview of the deaths of 48 monarchs in England and Scotland over the last 1000 years. Beginning with the demise of Harold Godwinson in 1066 and concluding with the death of George VI in 1952, a chapter is devoted to each monarch.
Listening on audiobook, the chapters vary from approx 4-15 minutes in duration, and I found them to be just the right length. However, as I realised just how many deaths the author needed to cover, the repetitive format did start to become a little tedious. Fortunately the short chapters meant I could return to the book every now and again for another monarch's bloody passing from consumption, sweating sickness, dysentery or war wounds.
The author is a medical doctor and historian and when listening to the chapter dedicated to King Henry V who died of dysentery in 1492, I learned more about how the body expels a pathogen through either vomiting or diarrhoea.
"Diarrhoea is the body's way of getting rid of bacteria causing problems within the gut by emptying out toxins or poisons fast. For faeces to leave the body in a hurry, we cannot just rely on the action of peristalsis, the normal push/pull movement of the gut tubes that move the human waste along. If you still need more of a push, then the abdominal muscles will help by contracting. They squeeze as hard as they can to push out faecal matter fast. That is why it hurts. It can also be worryingly dehydrating as water is pulled into the gut to help dilute and remove the offending bacteria." Chapter 17
This was a huge revelation to me. Firstly, I had no idea that water is pulled into the gut from around the body, which is what causes the dehydration symptoms of headache and so on. Secondly, I had no clue that the water was pulled into the gut in order to dilute the offending bacteria and ease its passage. I guess I never gave much thought to where the water came from or why it was there, but next time - let's hope it's far into the future - I'll be more informed.
Fortunately, Mortal Monarchs was published during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and so it doesn't include her death in 2022. This does date the book now that Charles III is King, but as a royalist, I don't feel the book is lacking. I think it'd be strange to read an updated version where her cause of death was included and discussed in this manner.
Mortal Monarchs will appeal to trivia and history buffs and I just wish I could retain all of the monarchs names in order and the dates and means of their passing.
Having read Vital Organs: A History of the World's Most Famous Body Parts and History Stinks!: Poo Through the Ages , I continue to learn from Dr Suzie Edge, so I'm looking forward to the release of History Stinks!: Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time in 2025. I can't imagine what I'll learn about the human body but I'll be sure to let you know!
Listening on audiobook, the chapters vary from approx 4-15 minutes in duration, and I found them to be just the right length. However, as I realised just how many deaths the author needed to cover, the repetitive format did start to become a little tedious. Fortunately the short chapters meant I could return to the book every now and again for another monarch's bloody passing from consumption, sweating sickness, dysentery or war wounds.
The author is a medical doctor and historian and when listening to the chapter dedicated to King Henry V who died of dysentery in 1492, I learned more about how the body expels a pathogen through either vomiting or diarrhoea.
"Diarrhoea is the body's way of getting rid of bacteria causing problems within the gut by emptying out toxins or poisons fast. For faeces to leave the body in a hurry, we cannot just rely on the action of peristalsis, the normal push/pull movement of the gut tubes that move the human waste along. If you still need more of a push, then the abdominal muscles will help by contracting. They squeeze as hard as they can to push out faecal matter fast. That is why it hurts. It can also be worryingly dehydrating as water is pulled into the gut to help dilute and remove the offending bacteria." Chapter 17
This was a huge revelation to me. Firstly, I had no idea that water is pulled into the gut from around the body, which is what causes the dehydration symptoms of headache and so on. Secondly, I had no clue that the water was pulled into the gut in order to dilute the offending bacteria and ease its passage. I guess I never gave much thought to where the water came from or why it was there, but next time - let's hope it's far into the future - I'll be more informed.
Fortunately, Mortal Monarchs was published during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and so it doesn't include her death in 2022. This does date the book now that Charles III is King, but as a royalist, I don't feel the book is lacking. I think it'd be strange to read an updated version where her cause of death was included and discussed in this manner.
Mortal Monarchs will appeal to trivia and history buffs and I just wish I could retain all of the monarchs names in order and the dates and means of their passing.
Having read Vital Organs: A History of the World's Most Famous Body Parts and History Stinks!: Poo Through the Ages , I continue to learn from Dr Suzie Edge, so I'm looking forward to the release of History Stinks!: Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time in 2025. I can't imagine what I'll learn about the human body but I'll be sure to let you know!
March 9, 2025
Another 5 star non-fiction read about deaths and diseases!
Because of the power outages due to ex-TC Alfred, I was able to finish this book, thankfully (maybe?).
It was a very easy read, especially for someone with no background information on the British monarchy. Literally it was my first read of the monarchy ever. The author made it super easy to follow, albeit challenging at times as everyone had the same name (Richard, Henry, George, Edward etc)
I really enjoyed this book. I wouldn’t say that it has made me wanting to look more into British monarchies, but it definitely helped me see the intrigue in learning about them.
Because of the power outages due to ex-TC Alfred, I was able to finish this book, thankfully (maybe?).
It was a very easy read, especially for someone with no background information on the British monarchy. Literally it was my first read of the monarchy ever. The author made it super easy to follow, albeit challenging at times as everyone had the same name (Richard, Henry, George, Edward etc)
I really enjoyed this book. I wouldn’t say that it has made me wanting to look more into British monarchies, but it definitely helped me see the intrigue in learning about them.
March 5, 2024
Suzie is one of my fave follows on TikTok, and listening to her voice for the whole audiobook was great!
I’m glad I also bought the ebook to refer back to though; it’s a great resource.
If you have a teenager who needs to learn some British history, this is a delightfully entertaining way to learn about the monarchy! Definitely recommended.
I’m glad I also bought the ebook to refer back to though; it’s a great resource.
If you have a teenager who needs to learn some British history, this is a delightfully entertaining way to learn about the monarchy! Definitely recommended.
August 12, 2024
3.5 stars! objectively a very good, well written, easy to read book
subjectively, it was more medical than i thought (my fault for not reading more about it LOL), and as the least STEM person ever, this made it a bit more difficult for me to dive into
still very interesting overall with good pacing
subjectively, it was more medical than i thought (my fault for not reading more about it LOL), and as the least STEM person ever, this made it a bit more difficult for me to dive into
still very interesting overall with good pacing
January 26, 2023
I enjoyed the audiobook quite a bit.
May 19, 2024
Many men died of dysentery. Overwhelmingly so.
June 29, 2025
Been a bit obsessed with Suzie’s TikTok’s for ages, so this was a nice lil change to my normal reads (probably a weird way to speak about a book explaining the way every monarch in history died ☠️)
February 13, 2025
I follow Suze Edge on TikTok because I love everything British and royalty so I was excited for this book. A little dry in places but I love her humor and enjoyed reading about royal deaths.
April 20, 2024
I'll admit I do not know as much about the history of British monarchs as some people. I certainly know how they died, after reading this. I wish there had been a chart in my edition, because after the many, many Edward/Mary/Henry/Elizabeth/George entries, you kind of lose track of who you're reading about. (Would it kill them to pick a different name?) I will say after reading this, you kind of get an idea of why the current Windsor/Mountbatten family is bat-shit crazy.
Disclaimer: if you have a weak stomach I recommend not reading this or at the very least, not reading it during dinnertime. The author is very fond of words like leaking, dripping, etc.
Disclaimer: if you have a weak stomach I recommend not reading this or at the very least, not reading it during dinnertime. The author is very fond of words like leaking, dripping, etc.
January 22, 2023
Riveting combination of history and science - just don't eat while reading (you've been warned).
This was absolutely fascinating stuff. Sequential look at every monarch (and occasional spouses/family members when appropriate) we've had in England since 1066 and a VERY graphic description of their (likely) death.
So it's a biology fan's dream - a description of just what that arrow really would have done to our Conqueror. Or what happens when a body becomes bloated with feasting bacteria. What syphilis, strokes, heart attacks, pokers applied to the body - what they'd do system by system to cause death.
So it's very educational. And I loved the fact we get the context, of the reign in question in each case. I actually wanted MORE detail of their ruling years in many cases, but this information is available elsewhere of course. The point of the book is to look at how each died.
And interestingly, I took from this the point that the reported death of each is what the chroniclers WANTED us to think about both the deaths and the lives of the people who ruled us. Those who weren't liked were, coincidentally, historically remembered for grisly or morally 'just' deaths:
"how the King died is always about more that what really killed him."
This is witty, with a lot of in-jokes and references, chock full of accurate and engrossing medical detail, and reminds us that we are all mortal, whoever we are, and that our kings and queens exemplify the population in the range and indignity of their demises. What matters is what came before, a good lesson for us all.
I have already shown my copy to plenty of friends, and it's one I'll want to read again and er, re-digest.
This was absolutely fascinating stuff. Sequential look at every monarch (and occasional spouses/family members when appropriate) we've had in England since 1066 and a VERY graphic description of their (likely) death.
So it's a biology fan's dream - a description of just what that arrow really would have done to our Conqueror. Or what happens when a body becomes bloated with feasting bacteria. What syphilis, strokes, heart attacks, pokers applied to the body - what they'd do system by system to cause death.
So it's very educational. And I loved the fact we get the context, of the reign in question in each case. I actually wanted MORE detail of their ruling years in many cases, but this information is available elsewhere of course. The point of the book is to look at how each died.
And interestingly, I took from this the point that the reported death of each is what the chroniclers WANTED us to think about both the deaths and the lives of the people who ruled us. Those who weren't liked were, coincidentally, historically remembered for grisly or morally 'just' deaths:
"how the King died is always about more that what really killed him."
This is witty, with a lot of in-jokes and references, chock full of accurate and engrossing medical detail, and reminds us that we are all mortal, whoever we are, and that our kings and queens exemplify the population in the range and indignity of their demises. What matters is what came before, a good lesson for us all.
I have already shown my copy to plenty of friends, and it's one I'll want to read again and er, re-digest.
July 7, 2025
"It's time to re-evaluate how our monarchs died with a modern understanding of medicine and genetics, and in some cases shed new light on the stories of the kings and queens of England and Scotland."
In Mortal Monarchs, Dr Suzie Edge explores the deaths of English and Scottish monarchs from Harold Godwinson, who died in 1066 in battle, to Elizabeth II, who died in 2022 of old age. Edge discusses how the way a monarch died reflects their time and how the way we remember them and talk about their deaths reflects what we think of them: popular kings and queens' deaths are described with dignity, while bad monarchs get horror stories of pus, leaking fluids and other gross stuff repeated about them.
Mortal Monarchs was not quite as big a hit with me as Edge's other book Vital Organs was because around half of this book is focused on medieval kings and I am not, though not for a lack of trying, a medieval history girlie. I also don't know too much about the monarchs of the first 500 or so years discussed, so the stories of their deaths began to blur together. This is not Edge's fault, it's more due to the fact that I am just not that intrigued by medieval monarchical history. But, I want to emphasise, the book was never boring or uninteresting – it just got more interesting, for me, once we got to the Tudors, Stewarts and the Georgians.
I liked what Edge set out to do in this book and I think she did so well. She portrays these royal figures who are so often portrayed as larger-than-life, so high above the rest of us puny peasants, as flesh-and-blood human beings who can get ill, get better, survive and die just like everyone else. It is important to remember that even though kings and queens have always had more power, protection, wealth and possibilities, they have always been human. But because they were humans on top of the social pyramid, they had access to help many people didn't, thus, this book is also a history of the development of medicine and healthcare. Royals always got, apart from those who were dethroned, assassinated or killed (Edward II was killed, though not by a red hot poker, and Richard II was most likely either starved or starved himself) or straight-up officially executed (just one monarch was unlucky enough to had their head chopped off – Charles I), the best possible care. Their deaths also mirror their time: hundreds of years ago, most monarchs died of illnesses like smallpox, dysentry, TB and so on, or in battle or other violent wounds, while later on, as times became more stable and royal poisonings went out of fashion, royals began to die, a bit before their subjects, of what kills most people these days, aka lifestyle-based illnesses, like lung cancers and issues, heart failure, obesity-based complications and simple old age.
Edge's other central theme in the book is to due with how we remember monarchs and talk about their deaths, and the moralising attached to the stories of their deaths. Whenever you read about a particularly gruesome or icky death of a monarch, you can be quite certain that you are meant to feel disgusted. Gruesome and disgusting stories are attached to disliked or hated monarchs – kings like William the Conqueror, Edward II or Richard III – while liked and respected monarchs are often given either peaceful or heroic deaths. Edward the Confessor died of a peaceful illness and that's how he is remembered, while George II, much disliked in England, is remembered for having an episode while on the toilet. Henry V most likely died of something butt-related (dysentry or cancer or some such sickness) but the butt-ful nature of his death is downplayed in favour of a the simple diagnosis of "infection" because, well, butt-sicknesses are not a good way for a respected warrior king to go. It was fascinating to see how stories of deaths were twisted, emphasised and repeated and embellished to the point of obscuring the truth completely in service of a moral agenda. The most famous killing of a monarch in Britain, Edward II being killed with a red hot poker up the arse, is, for example, most likely not true – it became a popular story because it was seen as a fitting end to a bad monarch who was also rumoured (though I would say he clearly was) to be gay (known back then as the horrid sin of sodomy).
Many aspects of the stories of these monarchs' lives and deaths still feels relevant and modern. It is no longer considered in good taste to spread rumours of exploding corpses and so on to poke fun at a passed on individual, but I'd say we still like to see bad people go through bad deaths, as if dying itself was not bad enough. And it still hurts us especially deeply if a good, beloved person, even if we don't personally know them, dies a "bad" death. When it comes to illnesses, I noticed how we have, throughout history it seems, associated certain types of illnesses and physiological differences to moral values. Many kings and queens who had physical deformities were seen as morally corrupt – Henry IV, for example, had a noticeable skin condition and it was theorised it was God's punishment. Richard III is a fun example of this because for the longest time so-called Ricardians, up until 2012 when his body was found underneath a car park, claimed stories of his crooked back was just malignant gossip meant to make him seem evil. But, the truth is, he had a painful scoliosis. His back was bent. I can imagine that, when he lived, his deformity was seen as a moral failing. And in some of these stories, if the person didn't have anything "wrong" with them, someone came up with a deformity just to highlight their lack of morality: Anne Boleyn was said to have had six fingers, which linked her to contemporary narratives about witches. Fatness and over-eating is also still today linked in many people's minds to moral weakness and lack of self-control, and it seemed kings who indulged themselves and were fat were often depicted as gluttonous tyrants (sure, some where asshats, but their fatness had nothing to do with it). Henry I's death seemingly by overeating lampreys is a prime example of this. Even in modern media, this link between villainy and fatness is visible (see, for example, the way Baron Harkonnen was depicted in the new Dune films).
It also becomes clear when reading this book that people have always loved gossip and conspiracy theories when it comes to figures in power. The more a royal was disliked, the wilder the stories told about them. But even the ones who were respected had to endure weird slander and rumours – for example, Elizabeth I was suspected, by some, to actually be a man (transvestigation has a long, unpleasant history), presumably because of her refusal to marry and have children which was seen as a woman's most important job. Even Elizabeth II's death sparked rumours and theories online: Was she actually in the coffin? Was she secretly cremated like her sister? Did she die way earlier than was reported? Perhaps the biggest mystery of British monarchical history is the deaths (or did they die?) of the princes in the Tower, the boys of Edward IV. People still debate whether they died in the Tower or not, and while I am inclined to believe they did die, I think it says something lovely about our collective need to find a better, kinder alternative that we still try to come up with ways they could've escaped and lived.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in medical history or history of death, or to fans of British royal history who are bored with your typical biographies, military histories and so on. Dr Suzie Edge brings a fresh point of view to a very thoroughly researched topic. The result is a refreshing, amusing (despite its grim topic) and easy-to-read popular history book.
Here are some interesting facts I learned:
- All that is left of William the Conqueror is his thigh bone, found in 1960, which survived many lootings and reburials of the king's corpse and even the digging up of royal remains during the French Revolution.
- Henry I holds the record for most known children of any monarch – he had two legitimate kids and at least 22 illegitimate children. He was even worse than Charlie boy.
- No part of Richard the Lionheart was buried in England.
- Richard II loved his wife Anne quite a bit: it is said that during her funeral, he beat an Earl with a stick for arriving too late and leaving too early.
- Georgians and Victorians had a thing for opening royal coffins and graves and poking and prodding the remains. Sure, we got a lot of cool information because of this, but also, it's a bit sus to open a grave and then poke a corpse in the eye.
- Henry VII's marriage to a Yorkish princess ended the War of the Roses, a familial decades-long squabble between Yorkists and Lancastrians. I was so happy when I got to his chapter: the War of the Roses and trying to make sense of the family connections were giving me a headache.
- Some have estimated that around one in seven of all people who have ever lived died of tuberculosis.
- Catherine of Aragon's heart was black when she died, most likely due to a heart cancer. The people of the time saw it was a sign of how her husband's betrayal had broken her heart. Very poetic.
- When Henry Frederick (James I/VI's son and heir) was lowered into the ground, a naked man started running around the funeral claiming he was the prince's ghost.
- When, in 1813, Charles I's body was discovered, the royal surgeon took the neck bone exhibiting axe marks and paraded it around at dinners and even made something of a salt shaker out of it. Victoria later demanded it was returned to the body.
- Mary II was James II/VII's daughter with a commoner, Anne Hyde.
- William III is said to have slept in a cot next to his wife's sickbed, worn a lock of her hair close to his heart until his own death eight years later and even to have considered abdicating when he lost his wife. It seems he loved her, genuinely.
- It is said that Charles II apologised on his deathbed for taking so long to die. Could be true, or it could be just a story that reflects his reputation as the Merry Monarch.
- The last of the British monarchs to personally lead an army was George II.
- George V launched the Windsor name to distance the British royal house from its close ties to Germany during World War I. His death is also something of a sore spot: he was either euthanised or murdered by his doctor, depends on who you ask.
In Mortal Monarchs, Dr Suzie Edge explores the deaths of English and Scottish monarchs from Harold Godwinson, who died in 1066 in battle, to Elizabeth II, who died in 2022 of old age. Edge discusses how the way a monarch died reflects their time and how the way we remember them and talk about their deaths reflects what we think of them: popular kings and queens' deaths are described with dignity, while bad monarchs get horror stories of pus, leaking fluids and other gross stuff repeated about them.
Mortal Monarchs was not quite as big a hit with me as Edge's other book Vital Organs was because around half of this book is focused on medieval kings and I am not, though not for a lack of trying, a medieval history girlie. I also don't know too much about the monarchs of the first 500 or so years discussed, so the stories of their deaths began to blur together. This is not Edge's fault, it's more due to the fact that I am just not that intrigued by medieval monarchical history. But, I want to emphasise, the book was never boring or uninteresting – it just got more interesting, for me, once we got to the Tudors, Stewarts and the Georgians.
I liked what Edge set out to do in this book and I think she did so well. She portrays these royal figures who are so often portrayed as larger-than-life, so high above the rest of us puny peasants, as flesh-and-blood human beings who can get ill, get better, survive and die just like everyone else. It is important to remember that even though kings and queens have always had more power, protection, wealth and possibilities, they have always been human. But because they were humans on top of the social pyramid, they had access to help many people didn't, thus, this book is also a history of the development of medicine and healthcare. Royals always got, apart from those who were dethroned, assassinated or killed (Edward II was killed, though not by a red hot poker, and Richard II was most likely either starved or starved himself) or straight-up officially executed (just one monarch was unlucky enough to had their head chopped off – Charles I), the best possible care. Their deaths also mirror their time: hundreds of years ago, most monarchs died of illnesses like smallpox, dysentry, TB and so on, or in battle or other violent wounds, while later on, as times became more stable and royal poisonings went out of fashion, royals began to die, a bit before their subjects, of what kills most people these days, aka lifestyle-based illnesses, like lung cancers and issues, heart failure, obesity-based complications and simple old age.
Edge's other central theme in the book is to due with how we remember monarchs and talk about their deaths, and the moralising attached to the stories of their deaths. Whenever you read about a particularly gruesome or icky death of a monarch, you can be quite certain that you are meant to feel disgusted. Gruesome and disgusting stories are attached to disliked or hated monarchs – kings like William the Conqueror, Edward II or Richard III – while liked and respected monarchs are often given either peaceful or heroic deaths. Edward the Confessor died of a peaceful illness and that's how he is remembered, while George II, much disliked in England, is remembered for having an episode while on the toilet. Henry V most likely died of something butt-related (dysentry or cancer or some such sickness) but the butt-ful nature of his death is downplayed in favour of a the simple diagnosis of "infection" because, well, butt-sicknesses are not a good way for a respected warrior king to go. It was fascinating to see how stories of deaths were twisted, emphasised and repeated and embellished to the point of obscuring the truth completely in service of a moral agenda. The most famous killing of a monarch in Britain, Edward II being killed with a red hot poker up the arse, is, for example, most likely not true – it became a popular story because it was seen as a fitting end to a bad monarch who was also rumoured (though I would say he clearly was) to be gay (known back then as the horrid sin of sodomy).
Many aspects of the stories of these monarchs' lives and deaths still feels relevant and modern. It is no longer considered in good taste to spread rumours of exploding corpses and so on to poke fun at a passed on individual, but I'd say we still like to see bad people go through bad deaths, as if dying itself was not bad enough. And it still hurts us especially deeply if a good, beloved person, even if we don't personally know them, dies a "bad" death. When it comes to illnesses, I noticed how we have, throughout history it seems, associated certain types of illnesses and physiological differences to moral values. Many kings and queens who had physical deformities were seen as morally corrupt – Henry IV, for example, had a noticeable skin condition and it was theorised it was God's punishment. Richard III is a fun example of this because for the longest time so-called Ricardians, up until 2012 when his body was found underneath a car park, claimed stories of his crooked back was just malignant gossip meant to make him seem evil. But, the truth is, he had a painful scoliosis. His back was bent. I can imagine that, when he lived, his deformity was seen as a moral failing. And in some of these stories, if the person didn't have anything "wrong" with them, someone came up with a deformity just to highlight their lack of morality: Anne Boleyn was said to have had six fingers, which linked her to contemporary narratives about witches. Fatness and over-eating is also still today linked in many people's minds to moral weakness and lack of self-control, and it seemed kings who indulged themselves and were fat were often depicted as gluttonous tyrants (sure, some where asshats, but their fatness had nothing to do with it). Henry I's death seemingly by overeating lampreys is a prime example of this. Even in modern media, this link between villainy and fatness is visible (see, for example, the way Baron Harkonnen was depicted in the new Dune films).
It also becomes clear when reading this book that people have always loved gossip and conspiracy theories when it comes to figures in power. The more a royal was disliked, the wilder the stories told about them. But even the ones who were respected had to endure weird slander and rumours – for example, Elizabeth I was suspected, by some, to actually be a man (transvestigation has a long, unpleasant history), presumably because of her refusal to marry and have children which was seen as a woman's most important job. Even Elizabeth II's death sparked rumours and theories online: Was she actually in the coffin? Was she secretly cremated like her sister? Did she die way earlier than was reported? Perhaps the biggest mystery of British monarchical history is the deaths (or did they die?) of the princes in the Tower, the boys of Edward IV. People still debate whether they died in the Tower or not, and while I am inclined to believe they did die, I think it says something lovely about our collective need to find a better, kinder alternative that we still try to come up with ways they could've escaped and lived.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in medical history or history of death, or to fans of British royal history who are bored with your typical biographies, military histories and so on. Dr Suzie Edge brings a fresh point of view to a very thoroughly researched topic. The result is a refreshing, amusing (despite its grim topic) and easy-to-read popular history book.
Here are some interesting facts I learned:
- All that is left of William the Conqueror is his thigh bone, found in 1960, which survived many lootings and reburials of the king's corpse and even the digging up of royal remains during the French Revolution.
- Henry I holds the record for most known children of any monarch – he had two legitimate kids and at least 22 illegitimate children. He was even worse than Charlie boy.
- No part of Richard the Lionheart was buried in England.
- Richard II loved his wife Anne quite a bit: it is said that during her funeral, he beat an Earl with a stick for arriving too late and leaving too early.
- Georgians and Victorians had a thing for opening royal coffins and graves and poking and prodding the remains. Sure, we got a lot of cool information because of this, but also, it's a bit sus to open a grave and then poke a corpse in the eye.
- Henry VII's marriage to a Yorkish princess ended the War of the Roses, a familial decades-long squabble between Yorkists and Lancastrians. I was so happy when I got to his chapter: the War of the Roses and trying to make sense of the family connections were giving me a headache.
- Some have estimated that around one in seven of all people who have ever lived died of tuberculosis.
- Catherine of Aragon's heart was black when she died, most likely due to a heart cancer. The people of the time saw it was a sign of how her husband's betrayal had broken her heart. Very poetic.
- When Henry Frederick (James I/VI's son and heir) was lowered into the ground, a naked man started running around the funeral claiming he was the prince's ghost.
- When, in 1813, Charles I's body was discovered, the royal surgeon took the neck bone exhibiting axe marks and paraded it around at dinners and even made something of a salt shaker out of it. Victoria later demanded it was returned to the body.
- Mary II was James II/VII's daughter with a commoner, Anne Hyde.
- William III is said to have slept in a cot next to his wife's sickbed, worn a lock of her hair close to his heart until his own death eight years later and even to have considered abdicating when he lost his wife. It seems he loved her, genuinely.
- It is said that Charles II apologised on his deathbed for taking so long to die. Could be true, or it could be just a story that reflects his reputation as the Merry Monarch.
- The last of the British monarchs to personally lead an army was George II.
- George V launched the Windsor name to distance the British royal house from its close ties to Germany during World War I. His death is also something of a sore spot: he was either euthanised or murdered by his doctor, depends on who you ask.
November 18, 2025
Suzie Edge’s Mortal Monarchs: 1000 Years of Royal Deaths is a study of how English and, following the accession of the Stuarts, British monarchs have died since the Battle of Hastings in 1066. After giving a very brief recap of their life and reign, Edge provides a breakdown of how each monarch – and a few extras, like Eleanor of Aquitaine, Edward the Black Prince and the six wives of Henry VIII – might have died and what would have been going on in their bodies at this moment. This treads similar ground to Clifford Brewer’s The Death of Kings: A Medical History of the Kings and Queens of England but is more recently written and from the perspective of a physician, not a surgeon, as well as being rather less sensationalist.
Obviously, this is not for the squeamish. If you don’t want to know in detail how someone gets infected salmonella or what it does to the body, or what happens inside the body during a stroke or a beheading, best not pick this up.
Also, this isn’t really for those who like history to be very serious and respectful. Edge’s tone is light, often humorous, and irreverent. It reveals the monarchs as thoroughly human, subject to same issues of the body as the rest of us.
I really enjoyed this. I debated reading this in full since my interest is mainly in the medieval monarchs but this was such an interesting, addictive read that I flew through the entire book in no time. Edge’s recaps of each monarch’s life are very brief but they work so well to make you engaged in their story. I can “well actually” and “ah… it’s a bit more complicated than that” in response to some of the recaps relating to those figures I’m familiar with but on the other hand, Mortal Monarchs is not the place to expect detailed and complex readings of these monarchs’ reigns and with such a wide-ranging work, these sorts of slips and simplifications are to be expected.
With her discussions of each figure’s deaths, I could again quibble with those I’m familiar with – in particular with the death of Edward, the Black Prince. Edge goes for the typical diagnosis of dysentery while David Green’s article on the Prince’s death points out that (as Edge later acknowledges) that the dysentery comes on quickly and kills fast, while the Prince lived with his illness for nine years. Green also points out that few contemporary sources that provide any detail of his illness, only Thomas Walsingham’s “Scandalous Chronicle” provides detail, describing the Prince suffering with an almost-monthly “discharge of both semen and blood [which] rendered him so weak on many an occasion his attendants very often thought he had died” – which suggests something very different to dysentery.
Somewhat controversially, Edge discusses the ways in which monarchs were said to have died but probably didn’t. Some have taken particular umbrage to the inclusion of the infamous but almost certainly untrue story Edward II was murdered via a hot poker being inserted into his rectum. Edge is clear that this is a myth, explains why this story developed (the rumours/allegations that Edward had sexual relationships with other men), and even leaves open the door to the theory that Edward II was not killed in 1327. Her handling of the myth is therefore careful – and the inclusion of the story is, in a word, inevitable. This is a book for the morbidly curious about how monarchs die and the hot poker story is infamous. It would be weird if Edge didn’t discuss the hot poker story. And, in a book that explains what goes on in the body to cause a stroke or what exactly happened when Henry VI’s skull was fractured or the Princes in the Tower were smothered, it is unremarkable that Edge explained how exactly this very strange method of murder could have worked.
The one complaint I have in terms of Edge’s tone is that sometimes the humour seemed to miss the monarch and hit the disease. At some points it felt as though, rather than poking fun at, say, King John for being, well, King John, Edge was instead using the fact he died from dysentery to make fun of him, meaning that people reading it who have suffered from dysentery or other digestive complaints could feel the sting of the joke.
It was also odd to be reading this in 2025, as the book ends on the note of Elizabeth II’s continued survival! Even odder, the paperback edition has been updated to include discussion of Elizabeth II’s death but the Kindle edition hasn’t.
Obviously, there are things I would change about this book or wish could have been stronger and having picked up on some issues in the discussions of the monarchs I’m most familiar with, I’m cautious about Edge’s discussion of monarchs I’m less familiar with. On the whole, however, this was a delight to read.
Obviously, this is not for the squeamish. If you don’t want to know in detail how someone gets infected salmonella or what it does to the body, or what happens inside the body during a stroke or a beheading, best not pick this up.
Also, this isn’t really for those who like history to be very serious and respectful. Edge’s tone is light, often humorous, and irreverent. It reveals the monarchs as thoroughly human, subject to same issues of the body as the rest of us.
I really enjoyed this. I debated reading this in full since my interest is mainly in the medieval monarchs but this was such an interesting, addictive read that I flew through the entire book in no time. Edge’s recaps of each monarch’s life are very brief but they work so well to make you engaged in their story. I can “well actually” and “ah… it’s a bit more complicated than that” in response to some of the recaps relating to those figures I’m familiar with but on the other hand, Mortal Monarchs is not the place to expect detailed and complex readings of these monarchs’ reigns and with such a wide-ranging work, these sorts of slips and simplifications are to be expected.
With her discussions of each figure’s deaths, I could again quibble with those I’m familiar with – in particular with the death of Edward, the Black Prince. Edge goes for the typical diagnosis of dysentery while David Green’s article on the Prince’s death points out that (as Edge later acknowledges) that the dysentery comes on quickly and kills fast, while the Prince lived with his illness for nine years. Green also points out that few contemporary sources that provide any detail of his illness, only Thomas Walsingham’s “Scandalous Chronicle” provides detail, describing the Prince suffering with an almost-monthly “discharge of both semen and blood [which] rendered him so weak on many an occasion his attendants very often thought he had died” – which suggests something very different to dysentery.
Somewhat controversially, Edge discusses the ways in which monarchs were said to have died but probably didn’t. Some have taken particular umbrage to the inclusion of the infamous but almost certainly untrue story Edward II was murdered via a hot poker being inserted into his rectum. Edge is clear that this is a myth, explains why this story developed (the rumours/allegations that Edward had sexual relationships with other men), and even leaves open the door to the theory that Edward II was not killed in 1327. Her handling of the myth is therefore careful – and the inclusion of the story is, in a word, inevitable. This is a book for the morbidly curious about how monarchs die and the hot poker story is infamous. It would be weird if Edge didn’t discuss the hot poker story. And, in a book that explains what goes on in the body to cause a stroke or what exactly happened when Henry VI’s skull was fractured or the Princes in the Tower were smothered, it is unremarkable that Edge explained how exactly this very strange method of murder could have worked.
The one complaint I have in terms of Edge’s tone is that sometimes the humour seemed to miss the monarch and hit the disease. At some points it felt as though, rather than poking fun at, say, King John for being, well, King John, Edge was instead using the fact he died from dysentery to make fun of him, meaning that people reading it who have suffered from dysentery or other digestive complaints could feel the sting of the joke.
It was also odd to be reading this in 2025, as the book ends on the note of Elizabeth II’s continued survival! Even odder, the paperback edition has been updated to include discussion of Elizabeth II’s death but the Kindle edition hasn’t.
Obviously, there are things I would change about this book or wish could have been stronger and having picked up on some issues in the discussions of the monarchs I’m most familiar with, I’m cautious about Edge’s discussion of monarchs I’m less familiar with. On the whole, however, this was a delight to read.
June 10, 2025
mortal monarchs [1] by Suzie Edge tracked the deaths of the past millennium of monarchs who ruled over the British isles. In addition to all of the kings and queens, some others, like the six wives of Henry VIII, were also covered. Chapters were short, with the final page on Elizabeth II being only page 312. The front cover illustration certainly made the subject matter intriguing, as beheadings were not uncommon in the first six centuries of the last millennium for doing away with inconvenient royals. The very first years of royal deaths, though, were more likely as a result of dysentery or battle injury. Thus the same reasons for death, over and over, made the beginning of the book a dull read. With already short chapters telling much the same story, I grew bored, until the monarchs started demanding their rivals or wives have their heads chopped off.
Edge is a doctor who spent part of each chapter analyzing the physiological processes that each royal body underwent at the point of death. So for deaths caused by dysentery, she wrote about a lot of diarrhea. From heart attacks to just plain old age, all were analyzed from the medical point of view. I have a weak stomach for blood and gore and at times I found her descriptions of royal decapitations to be so off-putting I didn’t want to turn the page. Court documents recorded the circumstances of these ordered decapitations, and how successful each blow of the axe was each time the blade struck skin. The author did have a sense of humour, thankfully, and injected amusing asides when writing about kingly autopsies or queenly rivalries that could have come straight out of a soap opera.
During the nineteenth century there was a trend to open the coffins of kings and queens and poke around inside. Edge reported on the states of decay and adipocere for each monarch. Sometimes the contents of these coffins were pilfered for souvenirs and icons.
modern monarchs was a short read told in a pop historical narrative by a doctor who only changed tone when writing about disease and death. In these postmortems Edge opted for a more academic tone. I found that the pace slowed down whenever she used lengthy medical terminology. Scientific terms were always in italics, which are difficult to read in a cursive font.
[1] Of course there’s a footnote. The title is entirely in lowercase on the formal title page and is in lowercase on the header of each page thereafter. The subtitle is not included on the formal title page.
September 3, 2024
I enjoyed this as an audio book, which was great aside from the narrator pronouncing certain words so oddly that I had to take notes (and no - I don't think it's just British pronunciation to say "cervical" as "sir-VIKE-ell").
This book reminded me of Mary Roach's book about cadavers -- it was dryly funny and very scientific. The author is a medical doctor and as she dives into the historical and cultural representations of a monarch's death, poses questions about what might have actually happened, and how that person would have experienced the possible wave(s) of symptoms related to their condition.
It's a fascinating and opinionated history - well worth the time.
This book reminded me of Mary Roach's book about cadavers -- it was dryly funny and very scientific. The author is a medical doctor and as she dives into the historical and cultural representations of a monarch's death, poses questions about what might have actually happened, and how that person would have experienced the possible wave(s) of symptoms related to their condition.
It's a fascinating and opinionated history - well worth the time.
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