Since 1066 there have been 42 monarchs in Britain, each with their individual tastes and styles of government, yet the one thing which has always linked them is an overriding fascination and love of horses, from their use in war and pageantry to sport and leisure.

Henry VIII and Elizabeth I bred horses at Hampton Court to race and imported stallions and mares from North Africa and the Middle East. James I and Charles I expanded the importation of Barb and Arab blood, and though Oliver Cromwell prohibited racing, the studs and racetracks of the Restoration were able to continue to produce some of the finest horses in the world.

Amanda Murray's intriguing and comprehensive study offers a new history of the British royal family told through the fascinating and often surprising story of 'The Sport of Kings'. Discover how the side saddle was introduced, how horsemanship has always worked hand in hand with architecture, Queen Victoria's many and impressive achievements as a breeder, as well as countless other tales of the heroes and villains of horse-racing and breeding.