Now You Know Royalty

Book excerpt: We’re all familiar with the trials and tribulations of the current British Royal Family, but there are more than 25 royal families that still wield power in the world today from Japan and Thailand to Saudi Arabia and Scandinavia. The crown prince of Q&A, Doug Lennox, is at it again, this time with a cornucopia of facts and frivolities about the escapades, excesses, and extravagances of the world’s monarchies, past and present. From betrayal and beheadings to pageantry and privilege, discover the truth about life behind the castle walls. Which wife of England’s Henry VIII had six fingers on one hand? What royal connection does Thomas Crapper, inventor of the flush toilet, have? What is the royal residence in Monaco known as? What royal family in the world today has ruled the longest? Who was the "Hammer of the Scots"? Why are members of royal families said to have "blue blood"? Which member of the British royal family competed at the Olympics? Where did the word czar come from? What did Marie Antoinette say before she was executed?