The authors begin with the rise of recognizable kingdoms in Scotland, Wales, and England in the fifth century and conclude with a discussion of the crown's constitutional role, which emerged in Queen Victoria's reign, and how this has affected the monarchy of today. Along the way, we see how key traditions evolved: the right of succession, coronations and marriages, oaths of loyalty and military service, the granting of lands and titles, and the propagation of a powerful image of royalty.

Supporting the text and illustrations are sidebars on each of the monarchs and on key general themes, color maps, an illustrated section on royal, residences and tombs, a consolidated list of monarchs, genealogies, annotated lists of further reading, and a full index with personal dates.