Super-Niche Reading List #1: Royal Fiction

These books were originally written around the time Kate and William got together, but have some weird psychic parallels into Meghan and Harry’s situation. Bex is an American who ends up living in the room next to Nick, the heir to the English throne, during her year abroad at Oxford. The book follows Nick and Bex’s love story through college and beyond as Bex is thrust into the spotlight of the British tabloids. Pretty well-written and (based on everything that’s come out recently) a pretty accurate view of what it’s like to be part of the royal family. We both loved these and read them in one sitting! Fingers crossed there’s a third book in our future.

What if the first son of the United States got swept up in an international romance with the crown prince of England? This is a super cute, enemies to lovers romance about the pressure of being a high-profile political figure and trying to figure out love and identity. It’s also super funny and relatable (despite the concept).

Full confession: A bought this as a fun beach read from our favorite bookstore’s second hand bin, but ended up enjoying it! It’s a juicy, dramatic read based on a famous English actor who leaves behind a major secret when he dies that implicates the Royal family. If you’ve read some of the other books on this list and are still dying for a royal drama fix, this is a good one!

We’re fascinated by the history behind the women of the British monarchy and have read most of the Philippa Gregory books. Our favorite is The Other Boleyn Girl (a classic), which follows the Boleyn Sisters during Anne’s marriage to Henry VIII. Another favorite is The Red Queen which is based on Margaret Beaufort, a power player during the War of the Roses who established the Tudor dynasty. While not always 100% historically accurate, Philippa Gregory writes the stories of women that would otherwise be lost to history.

Alison Weir is a historian turned novelist who focuses on women in English monarchies. Alison Weir’s books are similar to Philippa Gregory’s books but are a bit more historically accurate. The Innocent Traitor is A’s favorite of hers, and is based on Lady Jane Grey, a little known woman who had a pivotal role in English history. Weir’s books can occasionally be a little dry, but are always well researched.

What if the United States was still a monarchy? That is essentially the premise of this series. It’s told through the perspectives of the crown princess (who will become the first queen of the U.S. after a rule change that allows women to take the throne), her younger sister, a social climber, and a commoner friend of the princesses. Super fast read, also with a sequel! McGee’s series is great, and I wish there were more of these!

How about a fantasy dystopian monarchy? Essentially the “Silvers” have magical powers and make up the monarchy in this dystopian world, while “Reds” live in poverty with no powers. Mare is the protagonist, a Red who discovered she has the power to control lightning. She is forced to pretend to be a red and compete in a competition to marry Price Cal. The books are really centered around the relationship between Mare, Cal, and his brother Maven (parallels to Will and Harry?). E likes these books are really interesting because they deal a lot with the psychology of the monarchy, and how much people will sacrifice to maintain power. There are four books in the series to keep you busy!

Another fantasy. I love this series about Jude, a human girl living in a faerie realm with her twin sister Taryn. Taryn is looking for status and belonging among the faeries through marriage, while Jude is looking to prove her strength and cunning. There are three books in this series that follow Jude’s rise through the ranks of the faerie kingdom and her relationship with Prince Cardan, the king’s youngest and least-favored son.

This is a bit of a departure from the other books on this list, but one of my favorite things about the modern-day royals  the messages they send with their style choices. Elizabeth Holmes has a great Instagram that covers all things royal fashion, and her book does a deep dive into the fashion choices of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Duchess Kate and Duchess Meghan.