Here is an insight into just a handful of royal must-read books which have been recently released or will be appearing in our bookshops and online in the very near future.

The New Royal Family: Prince George, William and Kate, the Next Generation, Robert Jobson and Arthur Edwards – Released in August 2013

Written by NBC’s royal correspondent, this new release looks at the close relationship between Prince William and Catherine. This is an account of the couple’s romance, from their first meeting in university at St Andrews, all the way up to the announcement of the Duchess’ pregnancy late last year and the much anticipated birth of their first child. With the help of beautiful photographs from Arthur Edwards MBE, this book allows readers an insight into the royal couple’s early romance, how they began married life in North Wales and the day that Prince George’s first appearance was broadcasted to the world.

Monarchy: Past, Present…and Future?, Christopher Lee – Release date: 30 October 2013

In this new release, Christopher Lee discusses what may lies in store for the future of our monarchy. With the recent birth of Prince George, many have debated whether the succession should skip a generation and allow Prince William to succeed to the throne, creating a younger royal family at its core. Lee brings up many issues facing the monarchy in coming years, including the debate surrounding Scottish independence, the position of the monarch as the Head of the Church, and the pressures of the work load upon the Queen. Lee’s main argument is focused on whether our monarchy can continue to flourish, or will the succession to the crown one day be discarded.

Kate: The Biography, Marcia Moody – Released in July 2013

In recent years, the public’s affection for the royal family has become greater than ever before; with many naming the Duchess of Cambridge as one of the main reasons for this spread in popularity. This biography looks solely at Catherine and how she has captured the nation. Moody begins by looking at Catherine’s birth, her family history and her school days. The biography goes on to look at Kate’s experiences at university and her romance with Prince William – which was kept out of the public eye for much of the beginning of their relationship. Moody highlights how Kate has moved almost effortlessly into the spotlight, from once being the girlfriend of Prince William, to becoming the wife and mother of future heirs to the throne. Containing sixteen pages of photographs, this is certainly a perfect book for any admirers of the Duchess of Cambridge.

Henry VIII: The Charismatic King Who Reformed a Nation, Kathy Elgin – Release date: 15 October 2013

It is without doubt that Henry VIII is one of, or possibly the, most written about English monarch. Even with an extensive amount of literature available at readers’ fingertips, there is a constant demand for new research into the infamous king. In this book, Elgin will look at an overview of Henry’s life and time as king. Many will be aware that Henry was never supposed to be king. As a child he was behind his older brother Arthur in the line of succession. Henry was given an education not of a future monarch; it was more informal and he was brought up in a much more feminine world with the company of his sisters and mother. Elgin argues whether this learning environment  influenced Henry’s later attitudes towards kingship and governance. This biographical study will reinforce readers’ views of Henry’s affairs and marriages, his position as a political and religious leader and his attitude towards imperial expansion and glory in war. This book will be another one to add to the collection for any Tudor-fan.

Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten, Lady Pamela Hicks – Release date: 7 November 2013

This is the second published set of memoirs by Lady Pamela Hicks, the daughter of Lord Louis and Edwina Mountbatten, and the first cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh. In these memoirs, Lady Pamela describes her childhood and growing up whilst living in India when her father held the last Viceroy position there. This book allows an intimate insight into Lady Pamela’s time as a lady-in-waiting to the Queen when she was on her Commonwealth tour in 1952 as Princess Elizabeth.  Lady Pamela was there to witness Princess Elizabeth learning of her father’s death and her new position as monarch. This memoir has already had extremely positive reviews from the likes of The Mail on Sunday, Tatler and The Daily Telegraph.

The Woodvilles: The Wars of the Roses and England’s Most Infamous Family, Susan Higginbotham – Release date: 8 October 2013

Higginbotham is known for her fictional portrayals of fifteenth and sixteenth century court life. After the BBC television production of Philippa Gregory’s ‘The White Queen’ over the summer, it has surely left many viewers longing to find out more about the notorious Woodville family. In this book, the year is 1461. The handsome young king, Edward IV, has gone against his advisors’ wishes and married a woman of much lower birth; Elizabeth Woodville. This new queen’s family are suddenly pulled into the dramatic events of the Wars of the Roses. The outcome of this bloody dynastic struggle will go on to determine all of their fates. This fictional book will be extremely helpful for readers who wish to get their heads around all of the Woodville family members (there certainly were a lot of them) whilst understanding how individual members influenced and shaped the monarchy in this period.

Alfred: Queen Victoria’s Second Son, John Van der Kiste – Release date: 31 October 2013

This release is a revised edition of John Van de Kiste’s earlier work called ‘Dearest Affie’ and focuses on Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s second son, Alfred. He is sadly somewhat forgotten in comparison to his older brother and the heir to the throne, Edward. Although, after this release, his life certainly should not be overlooked. Prince Alfred held both the titles of the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, and rose to become Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy. In this biography, although the duke was fairly elected, Van der Kiste discusses the significance of Alfred being forced by other European powers to refuse the crown of Greece, and looks at how he escaped an assassination attempt whilst visiting Australia. In comparison to looking at his position as a politician on the European stage, Van de Kiste looks into Alfred’s personal life, including his problematic marriage, alcoholism and the tragic suicide of his only son and heir.

The dates of release are in relation to when the book is made available to buy in Britain. Release dates in other countries may differ.

Photo credit:  Steve Rhodes, Steven Zucker and Lisby via photopin