They Never Reigned: Heirs to the British Throne Who Never Became the Monarch

In this informative debut survey, legal writer and mystery novelist Hoffman (Murder for the Prosecution) profiles heirs who never ascended the British throne. Subjects range across the centuries from William the Conqueror’s oldest son Robert—who in the 1090s instigated multiple insurrections against his father and was eventually defeated and imprisoned by his brother Henry—to Queen Victoria’s grandson, Prince Albert Victor, who never ascended the throne because he was outlived by his grandmother. Each chapter muses on the extent to which the disinheritance or death of an expected heir influenced history. For example, Hoffman speculates about a Tudor England in which Prince Arthur, who died as a teen, survived to reign, leaving Henry VIII as a younger prince with little power over religion and politics, and not the notorious ruler he became. Some stories retain a powerful sense of tragedy, including that of the “Princes in the Tower”—the deposed and murdered 12-year-old king Edward V and his younger brother Richard, who were most likely assassinated by their uncle Richard III—and the happily married 21-year-old Princess Charlotte, who died of complications from childbirth in 1817. Drawn mainly from 20th-century sources (more recent research, especially on royal women, is not as well reflected here), Hoffman’s creative premise offers a unique and entertaining perspective on the British monarchy. It’s worth checking out for royal history buffs. (Self-published)