Royal Family

Bath: Cedric Chivers, 1970. Thomas Blood was an Irishman, born in County Meath in 1618, the son of a prosperous blacksmith. He came from a good family, his grandfather who lived in Kilnaboy Castle was a Member of Parliament. The English Civil War broke out in 1642 and Blood came to England to fight for Charles I, but when it became apparent that Cromwell was going to win, he promptly changed sides and joined the Roundheads. When Charles I was defeated in 1653 Blood was made a Justice of the Peace and was granted a large estate, but when Charles II returned to the throne in 1660 Blood fled to Ireland with his wife and son. In Ireland he joined a plot with the disgruntled Cromwellians and attempted to seize Dublin Castle and take the Governor, Lord Ormonde prisoner. This plot failed and he had to flee to Holland, now with a price on his head. in spite of being one of the most wanted men in England, Blood returned in 1670 taking the name Ayloffe and practised as a doctor in Romford! After another botched attempt to kidnap Lord Ormonde in 1670, where Blood narrowly escaped capture, Blood decided on a bold scheme to steal the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels were kept at the Tower of London in a basement protected by a large metal grille. The Keeper of the Jewels was Talbot Edwards who lived with his family on the floor above the basement. One day in 1671 Blood, disguised as a 'parson' went to see the Crown Jewels and became friendly with Edwards, returning at a later date with his wife. As the visitors were leaving, Mrs. Blood had a violent stomach-ache and was taken to Edward's apartment to rest. The grateful 'Parson Blood' returned a few days later with 4 pairs of white gloves for Mrs. Edwards in appreciation of her kindness to his wife. The Edwards family and 'Parson Blood' became close friends and met frequently. Edwards had a pretty daughter and was delighted when 'Parson Blood' proposed a meeting between his wealthy nephew and Edward's daughter.On 9th May 1671, 'Parson Blood' arrived at 7am. with his 'nephew' and two other men. While the 'nephew' was getting to know Edward's daughter the others in the party expressed a desire to see the Crown Jewels. Edwards led the way downstairs and unlocked the door to the room where they were kept. At that moment Blood knocked him unconscious with a mallet and stabbed him with a sword. The grille was removed from in front of the jewels and the crown, orb and sceptre were taken out. The crown was flattened with the mallet and stuffed into a bag, and the orb stuffed down Blood's breeches. The sceptre was too long to go into the bag so Blood's brother-in-law Hunt tried to saw it in half! At that point Edwards regained consciousness and began to shout "Murder, treason!". Blood and his accomplices dropped the sceptre and attempted to get away but Blood was arrested as he tried to leave the Tower by the Iron-Gate, after unsuccessfully trying to shoot one of the guards. In custody Blood refused to answer questions, instead repeating stubbornly, "I'll answer to none but the King himself". Blood knew that the King had a reputation for liking bold scoundrels and reckoned that his considerable Irish charm would save his neck as it had done several times before in his life. Blood was taken to the Palace where he was questioned by King Charles, Prince Rupert, The Duke of York and other members of the royal family. King Charles was amused at Blood's audacity when Blood told him that the Crown Jewels were not worth the £100,000 they were valued at, but only £6,000! The King asked Blood "What if I should give you your life?" and Blood replied humbly, "I would endeavour to deserve it, Sire!" Blood was not only pardoned, to the disgust of Lord Ormonde, but was given Irish lands worth £500 a year! Blood became a familiar figure around London and made frequent appearances at Court. Edwards who recovered from his wounds, was rewarded by the King and lived to a ripe old age.. First Thus. Hard Cover. New/New. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

Offered by Delectus Books (United Kingdom)

London: Max Parrish, 1965. First Thus. Cloth. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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Geneve: De l'Imprimerie Candestine, 1834 Account of the life of the nymphomaniac Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 1729-1796. Limited to 300 copies only on Velin paper. Catherine II of Russia, called the Great (Yekaterina II Velikaya); sometimes referred to as an epitome of the "enlightened despot" reigned as Empress of Russia from June 28, 1762 until her death. She thus ruled for 34 years, the longest reign in Russia after the establishment of the Russian Empire in 1721. She lived for 67 years, longer than any Russian emperor; and longer than any Russian monarch since Grand Prince Vladimir Monomakh of Kievan Rus, who died in 1125 aged 72. French text. Rare.. First Edition. Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket, as Issued. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

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London: G. Bell & Sons, 1962 Front hinge repaired.. First Thus. Cloth. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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London: Evans Brothers, 1980 The memoirs of Princess Alice, grand-daughter of Queen Victoria and sister-in-law of Queen Mary. A remarkable and entertaining record of her long life, including much about her royal relations.. Third Printing. Hard Cover. Fine/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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London: H.A. & W.L. Pitkin Ltd., 1949 Biographical essay with photos.. First Edition. Paperback. Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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Paris: Albin Michel, 1920. Depravity among European nobility and royalty including Catharine the Great. c.1920s. French text.. First Thus. Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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Paris: Albin Michel, 1926 Biographical study of La Princess Palatine a German in the French court. nd c.1920s. French text.. First Edition. Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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London: Smith Gryphon, 1992 First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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London: H.A. & W.L. Pitkin Ltd., 1947 Biographical essay with photos.. First Edition. Paperback. Fine. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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Bath: Cedric Chivers, 1975. Prince Albert, 1819-61, prince consort of Victoria of Great Britain, whom he married in 1840. He was of Wettin lineage, the son of Ernest I, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and first cousin to Victoria. As an alien prince he was initially unpopular, but in time the English came to admire him for his irreproachable character, his devotion to the queen and their children, and his deep concern with public affairs. His influence was particularly strong in diplomacy; his insistence on moderation in the Trent Affair (1861) may have averted war with the United States. As chancellor of Cambridge University, he transformed it into a modern institution.. First Thus. Hard Cover. New/New. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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Worcester: Littlebury & Company, 1952 First Edition. Paperback. Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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London: Pitkins, 1952 H.R.H Princess Elizabeth from birth to accession. Includes loose publisher's advertising brochure. 32 pages with 79 b/w photographs. Revised Edition. Pamphlet. Fine. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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Poole: Blandford Press, 1982 First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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London: Henry G. Bohn, 1847 (c.1095-c.1143) Historian of 12th-century England. A librarian at the Benedictine abbey of St Aldhelm in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, he was the author of a history of the English church to 1125 (Gesta Pontificum Anglorum). He is best known for his other historical work the Gesta Regum Anglorum (Acts of the English Kings), dealing with the period from BEDE to 1120, and the Historia Novella (Modern History), which continues the account to 1142. His work is notable for its attempt to understand and interpret events rather than record them in an uncritical fashion. Rebound in strong library binding.. First Edition. Cloth. Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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London: Tandem, 1968. Chronicles the lives and loves of William Rufus, Richard I, Edward II, Richard II, James I and William III. An unread copy.. First Edition. Paperback. Fine. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

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London: Tandem, 1968. Chronicles the lives and loves of William Rufus, Richard I, Edward II, Richard II, James I and William III. An unread copy.. First Edition. Paperback. Fine. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

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London: Sphere, 1981 First Edition. Paperback. Very Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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London: Daily Mail, 1998 Presented originally as colour supplement with the Daily Mail, a British tabloid newspaper as an abridged extract of Howell's forthcoming (then) book 'Diana:Her Life in Fashion' to be published by Pavilion Books on August 17,1998. First pre-book publication issues. By being granted exclusive access to the designers the Princess confided in, Georgina Howell, Britain's top fashion writer, has built up a unique portrait of a woman who, constrained by the stifling protocol of the Royal Family, used her clothes to tell the world what she was going through. Her words and these lavish photographs, many of them being seen for the first time, paint a totally new picture of Diana. Complete set of six parts, 5-110pp.. First Edition. Pamphlet. New. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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London: IPC Magazines, 1977 First Edition. Pamphlet. Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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London: Hutchinson, 1990. First Edition. Hard Cover. Good/Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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London: Research Publishing Co., 1979 Fifth Edition. Cloth. New/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

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Paris: Editions de la Fontaine d'Or, 1960. Biographical sketches of some wild women in history. Facsimile of the 1953 Librarie Astra editon. c. early 1950s.. First Edition. Paperback. Fine. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

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Paris: Librairie Astra, 1953 Biographical sketches of some wild women in history. Wraps replaced with plain card with title written on pen in the cover, spine stapled.. First Edition. Paperback. Good. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

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London: Frederick Muller, 1973 First Edition. Cloth. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1975 Original text and English version of Epistre au Roi Richard introduced and translated by G. W. Coopland.. First Edition. Cloth. New/New. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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London: Mitre Press, 1968 Covers the movements of the Celts and other ancient European tribes through to the formation of early royal houses of Europe.. First Edition. Cloth. Fine/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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London: Hutchinson, 1968 First Thus. Hard Cover. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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London: H.A. & W.L. Pitkin Ltd., 1950 Biographical essay with photos.. First Edition. Paperback. Fine. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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Edinburgh: Charles Skilton, 1977 Volume two only.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/No Jacket. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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London: Burke, 1958 An account of the surviving Monarchies of the world that includes the Dalai Lama and the Pope along with European, Moslem and eastern Monarchies.. First Edition. Cloth. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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London: Constable, 1940 Rebound in strong library binding.. First Edition. Cloth. Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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London: Hutchinson, 1952 First Edition. Cloth. Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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London: The Gresham Publishing Company, 1910 6 volumes. Illustrated biography. (1841-1910) King of Great Britain and Ireland (1901-10), son of Queen Victoria. As Prince of Wales, his liberal views and lifestyle led to his exclusion from government by his mother. As king, he restored court pageantry and contributed to the Entente Cordiale with France. He reluctantly cooperated with Herbert Asquith's reform of the House of Lords and was succeeded by his son, George V.. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/No Jacket as Issued. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1905 Account of the life of the nymphomaniac empress of Russia. Spine ends worn.. First Edition. Cloth. Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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London: Hanover Magazines, 1990. Tenth anniversary issue with the Princess Diana cover and article Charles and Princess Diana in West Africa. Some creasing.. First Edition. Pamphlet. Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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London: Creation Books, 1998 First Edition. Paperback. New. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

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London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1981 First Edition. Cloth. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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London: Hutchinson & Co., 1902 2 Vols. Illustrated with portraits, photographs, facsimile letters, etc.. Second Edition. Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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London: Debrett's Peerage, 1981 First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Good. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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Bath: Cedric Chivers, 1970 Thomas Blood was an Irishman, born in County Meath in 1618, the son of a prosperous blacksmith. He came from a good family, his grandfather who lived in Kilnaboy Castle was a Member of Parliament. The English Civil War broke out in 1642 and Blood came to England to fight for Charles I, but when it became apparent that Cromwell was going to win, he promptly changed sides and joined the Roundheads. When Charles I was defeated in 1653 Blood was made a Justice of the Peace and was granted a large estate, but when Charles II returned to the throne in 1660 Blood fled to Ireland with his wife and son. In Ireland he joined a plot with the disgruntled Cromwellians and attempted to seize Dublin Castle and take the Governor, Lord Ormonde prisoner. This plot failed and he had to flee to Holland, now with a price on his head. in spite of being one of the most wanted men in England, Blood returned in 1670 taking the name Ayloffe and practised as a doctor in Romford! After another botched attempt to kidnap Lord Ormonde in 1670, where Blood narrowly escaped capture, Blood decided on a bold scheme to steal the Crown Jewels. The Crown Jewels were kept at the Tower of London in a basement protected by a large metal grille. The Keeper of the Jewels was Talbot Edwards who lived with his family on the floor above the basement. One day in 1671 Blood, disguised as a 'parson' went to see the Crown Jewels and became friendly with Edwards, returning at a later date with his wife. As the visitors were leaving, Mrs. Blood had a violent stomach-ache and was taken to Edward's apartment to rest. The grateful 'Parson Blood' returned a few days later with 4 pairs of white gloves for Mrs. Edwards in appreciation of her kindness to his wife. The Edwards family and 'Parson Blood' became close friends and met frequently. Edwards had a pretty daughter and was delighted when 'Parson Blood' proposed a meeting between his wealthy nephew and Edward's daughter.On 9th May 1671, 'Parson Blood' arrived at 7am. with his 'nephew' and two other men. While the 'nephew' was getting to know Edward's daughter the others in the party expressed a desire to see the Crown Jewels. Edwards led the way downstairs and unlocked the door to the room where they were kept. At that moment Blood knocked him unconscious with a mallet and stabbed him with a sword. The grille was removed from in front of the jewels and the crown, orb and sceptre were taken out. The crown was flattened with the mallet and stuffed into a bag, and the orb stuffed down Blood's breeches. The sceptre was too long to go into the bag so Blood's brother-in-law Hunt tried to saw it in half! At that point Edwards regained consciousness and began to shout "Murder, treason!". Blood and his accomplices dropped the sceptre and attempted to get away but Blood was arrested as he tried to leave the Tower by the Iron-Gate, after unsuccessfully trying to shoot one of the guards. In custody Blood refused to answer questions, instead repeating stubbornly, "I'll answer to none but the King himself". Blood knew that the King had a reputation for liking bold scoundrels and reckoned that his considerable Irish charm would save his neck as it had done several times before in his life. Blood was taken to the Palace where he was questioned by King Charles, Prince Rupert, The Duke of York and other members of the royal family. King Charles was amused at Blood's audacity when Blood told him that the Crown Jewels were not worth the £100,000 they were valued at, but only £6,000! The King asked Blood "What if I should give you your life?" and Blood replied humbly, "I would endeavour to deserve it, Sire!" Blood was not only pardoned, to the disgust of Lord Ormonde, but was given Irish lands worth £500 a year! Blood became a familiar figure around London and made frequent appearances at Court. Edwards who recovered from his wounds, was rewarded by the King and lived to a ripe old age, recounting his part in the story of the theft of the Jewels to a. First Thus. Hard Cover. New/New. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

Offered by Delectus Books (United Kingdom)

Paris: Henri Beziat, 1932 Rebound. Some foxing. French text.. Second Impression. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

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