At the start of the modern era, almost every European country was a monarchy – but today they are clearly a minority. What has caused this dramatic change? In Scramble for Crowns, Mark Antony Shead considers this question and more as he looks at a range of royals from across the continent and sees who seized, kept or lost their crowns, or attempted to make or recreate one for themselves. And once they had a crown, what next? How would Europe’s modern royals react in a crisis? Their actions could strengthen or undermine their monarchy and their country; but sometimes they seemed almost powerless against the greater forces at work in the modern world.

Europe’s kings and queens, emperors and princes, have faced assassination, revolutions and wars. And in challenging times, would they see dictatorship as something to be embraced or overcome? Some would have the opportunity to shape the future of their country, only for their objectives to be fatally brought to a sudden halt. By the end of this book, the reader can begin to see for themselves which of these royals would come out on top in modern Europe’s scramble for crowns.