"Frederick Holmes, historian and physician, uses the post-mortem examinations of the Stuarts, original papers of the royal physicians and other primary sources to reevaluate the balance between the monarchy and parliament. From James I, who suffered from dementia, through to the deaths of Charles II from mercury poisoning and Mary II from haemorrhagic smallpox, the Stuarts' medical history endangered their hold on the throne. Three of the six reigning Stuarts died without heirs apparent; the most tragic case being that of the last Stuart, Queen Anne. Despite seventeen pregnancies none of her children reached adulthood. In the absence of a strong dynasty the rise of parliament is shown to have been inevitable. If it were not for the physical frailty of the Stuarts, the course of British history might well have been very different." "Offering a unique perspective on this key dynasty, The Sickly Stuarts is richly detailed and will interest all those who are intrigued by British royalty, medical history or early modern British history."--BOOK JACKET.… (more)
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