Wit And Wisdom Kings And Queens

Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, was once quoted as saying “Do you expect me to be the first Prince of Wales in history not to have a mistress?” and his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, famously said that “Like all the best families, we have our shares of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters, and of family disagreements.”

Ever since the first empire was built in 2270BC, monarchs and their families have been highly quotable; they are sometimes shocking, sometimes hysterical and sometimes profound, but the fact that they have always held such prominence in a nation’s history means that, whether you agree with a person being head of state because of their family blood line or not, you can never say that they are dull. However, their quotes – that are sometimes unintentionally funny, cutting, or even downright daft – also makes us realize that even if they were born into a family of the highest decree they are just like the rest of us and not everything they say is scripted.

Highlighting the unique mix of tragedy, comedy, romance, heroism and incompetence that makes royalty such a source of unparalleled fascination, The Wit and Wisdom of Kings and Queens brings together many hundreds of gems which have fallen from the mouths of monarchs over the centuries.