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Suzie Edge
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Mortal Monarchs: 1000 Years of Royal Deaths Hardcover – 29 Sept. 2022

by Suzie Edge (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,018 ratings
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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.

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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Wildfire
  4. Publication date
    29 Sept. 2022
  5. Dimensions
    16 x 3.4 x 23.8 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    147229422X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1472294227
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

mortal monarchs banner

edward I (murdered)

charles I

cromwell

william III

george II

george vi

suzie edge

Product description

Book Description

A humorous deep-dive into the varied - and oft-gruesome - deaths of the King and Queens of England and Scotland from a medical historian with a large TikTok following.

From the Back Cover

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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wildfire (29 Sept. 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 147229422X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1472294227
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16 x 3.4 x 23.8 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,018 ratings

About the author

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Suzie Edge

Suzie Edge

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Suzie Edge is a medical doctor and historian who has worked in a variety of medical specialties including infectious diseases, haematology, and trauma and orthopaedic surgery. She also studied for an MLitt in Modern History to feed her fascination for the history of the human body and the history of medicine.

Always on the lookout for gory historical details, Suzie loves telling stories of how we have treated our human bodies in life and in death.

Suzie has a black belt and is an instructor in the martial art of Sooyang Do. She lives in a wee cottage in the Highlands of Scotland with her husband, their two teenage daughters and their dog, Scout.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,018 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They appreciate the informative and witty content about monarchs' deaths. The author's sense of humor and colloquial style are also appreciated. Readers describe the book as a perfect mix of education and entertainment, with gruesome facts mixed in.

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ReadabilityHistory contentHumourGruesomeness
56 customers mention ‘Readability’56 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and fun to read. It blends medical expertise with history, providing interesting facts and medical details about British monarchs and pretenders. Readers appreciate the book's value for money, describing it as brilliant and worth buying.

"This is a great read. If you're interested in the British Royalty it's a a must read...." Read more

"Loved it. Some passages made me gip. Like really gip. Bit Dr Edge is clever, funny and informative. Really interesting read!" Read more

"...snippets of humour that appear throughout this book make it both an interesting and fun read and it gave me a bit of an insight into how much things..." Read more

"Read this over a couple of days. Good and informative. I learned a few bits along the way. Would recommend" Read more

37 customers mention ‘History content’37 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's history content. They find it informative and well-written, with a pinch of humor. The book provides an interesting perspective on the lives of kings and queens. It's well-researched and engaging, with detailed descriptions of various causes of death.

"...If you're interested in the British Royalty it's a a must read. Full of interesting and sometimes gruesome facts but funny and always entertaining...." Read more

"...Like really gip. Bit Dr Edge is clever, funny and informative. Really interesting read!" Read more

"...It completely panders to my love of history and gruesome facts..." Read more

"Love love - perfect blend of history and medicine - if you like Susie Edge’s social media, you’ll love her books." Read more

26 customers mention ‘Humour’26 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's witty and lighthearted approach. They appreciate the author's sense of humor and flippancy in the telling of these stories. The book is described as educational, hilarious, and easy to read with a pleasant colloquial style.

"...Full of interesting and sometimes gruesome facts but funny and always entertaining...." Read more

"...Some passages made me gip. Like really gip. Bit Dr Edge is clever, funny and informative. Really interesting read!" Read more

"...There is a lot to take in but the snippets of humour that appear throughout this book make it both an interesting and fun read and it gave me a bit..." Read more

"An interesting read, and lightly written. However, contains a few scattered typos and at least a couple of factual errors...." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Gruesomeness’9 positive3 negative

Customers find the book entertaining with gruesome facts about royal deaths. They appreciate the author's sense of humor and flippancy in telling these gruesome endings. The book keeps readers interested in learning about royal deaths and burials, with fun facts and medical details covering UK monarchs and pretenders.

"...Full of interesting and sometimes gruesome facts but funny and always entertaining...." Read more

"...It completely panders to my love of history and gruesome facts..." Read more

"Lots of fun facts and medical details covering uk monarchs and pretenders deaths" Read more

"These accounts of royal deaths and burials are interesting, if a bit superficial, but maybe not as funny as the author seems to think." Read more

Yes just what I needed
5 out of 5 stars
Yes just what I needed
History is my favourite subject, groans from the back do I hear? Well in the hands of this author it becomes not just history but alive comical and makes you think a little more about what has been. Can’t wait for the next book
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • pockit2005
    5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and enlightening
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 February 2025
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great read. If you're interested in the British Royalty it's a a must read. Full of interesting and sometimes gruesome facts but funny and always entertaining. It's one you read quickly and then go back and read when you watch a film, documentary, or a TikTok about a certain monarch and ask how did they meet their end again? Highly recommended.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars recthingly nauseating but funny and clever
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Loved it. Some passages made me gip. Like really gip. Bit Dr Edge is clever, funny and informative. Really interesting read!
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  • Mandie Griffiths
    4.0 out of 5 stars A SLIGHTLY LIGHTER TAKE ON HISTORY
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I am not going to appologise in any way shape or form for saying how much I loved this book. It completely panders to my love of history and gruesome facts (although anyone who really knows me would also know that if I witnessed any of the things that took place I would be flat on the floor passed out)
    Suzie Edge takes us on a journey looking at the Kings and Queens from Harold Godwinson to George IV (and in the case of Henry VIII his 6 wives) seeing how they lived but mainly how they died, taking the reports from the time and putting a modern context into what the beliefs and practices may have actually meant and if what was reported at the time may have been true or a myth to bolster the legends of the monarch. It is safe to say that not all met a natural end and even those that did were subject to some pretty strange practices before burial (the phrase King Soup appears more than once which did make me smile).
    There is a lot to take in but the snippets of humour that appear throughout this book make it both an interesting and fun read and it gave me a bit of an insight into how much things and information has changed over time so there are fewer assumptions the closer we get to the current monarchs. What did surprise me is just how many kings and queens there have been even though I know that 1000 years is a very long time, but there were also quite a few that I knew nothing about as history lessons only ever really concentrate on the more prolific rulers. (they also need to think of some new names as they do like to repeat them).
    If you are looking for a lighter take on history then this will be the book for you and I am looking forward to readin the next book by this author “Vital Organs – A History of the Worlds Most Famous Body Parts.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • NN
    5.0 out of 5 stars Found her on Tik Tok, book does not disappoint!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 December 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Love love - perfect blend of history and medicine - if you like Susie Edge’s social media, you’ll love her books.
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  • Terry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 September 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Read this over a couple of days. Good and informative. I learned a few bits along the way. Would recommend
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  • ElleCat
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting medical/historical combination, but a few errors…
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 August 2024
    Verified Purchase
    An interesting read, and lightly written. However, contains a few scattered typos and at least a couple of factual errors. The most glaring being a claim that King John’s widow (d. 1246) made an attempt of the life of Louis XIV of France (d. 1715)…
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  • Alex Carr-Malcolm
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unputadownable
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 September 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Stunning book, couldn't put it down! Not only entertaining but educational too!
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  • Frankie Jones
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Loved this book, found it entertaining and educational, a history book from a new perspective than I'm used to reading and I really enjoyed it.
    Best history book I've read because I didn't want to put it down.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Katherine B. K
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bought this as a birthday present to myself!
    Reviewed in the United States on 2 January 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Absolutely delightful! I am a big fan! I will watch a tik tok video - have my interest sparked - and then read the chapter that is about a specific monarch. It’s an easy, fun, and informative read. Love it!
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  • Isabel Wilson
    5.0 out of 5 stars So informative and well written!
    Reviewed in Canada on 27 December 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I want to unread it so I can read it again for the first time! I stayed up late for one more monarch's death after another. I have followed Suzie Edge on tiktok for years and I love how this book was informative and her amazing personality shone through as well. Her ability to translate complex medical jargon into bite sized layman terms is phenomenal, you won't have to worry about getting lost or having to look up the medical conditions or jargon mentioned in the book.
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  • Lauzan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastico
    Reviewed in Italy on 3 September 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Libro interessante , divertente e scritto molto bene! Per chi ama la storia!
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  • eecloo heidi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mortal Monarchs
    Reviewed in Belgium on 12 July 2024
    Verified Purchase
    heel plezant geschreven, leest heel vlot
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  • Buecherfreundin
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very entertaining read...
    Reviewed in Germany on 1 August 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Apart from being written entertaininly, the book also taught me a lot about the British Royals and the human body (sometimes even a bit more than I had anticipated).
    What I like best is that each monarch has their own chapter, so you can stop after a few pages and put the book aside for a couple days or even weeks.
    Not for scientific research, but definitely a recommendation for every newbie in that field!
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