Topic: King Henry VIII

Diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

As Britain celebrates the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth's 1952 ascension to the throne, it can also assess her legacy in balancing the monarch's duty as 'supreme governor' of the Church of England with being head of state.

Top Picks: Paul Rishell's old country blues, a new novel on the Tudors, and more

Ronald Reagan offers advice for all bridegrooms, PBS airs the documentary about soldiers on the battlefield and at home, 'Hell and Back Again,' and more top picks.

Vatican Secret Archives: 6 of the most intriguing documents in church history

One hundred documents held in the Vatican’s Secret Archives are now on display in Rome for the first time. Read our list here of six standouts.

Top Picks: Examining the Wild West, an opera on Anne Boleyn, and more

'Moneyball' features a great performance by Brad Pitt, jazz duo Charlie Haden and Hank Jones release a beautiful collection of hymns and spirituals, a video shows breathtaking views of Ho Chi Minh City and the traffic inside it, and more top picks.

Kate Middleton: New succession rules could make her mother of Britain’s next queen

If Kate Middleton's first-born were to be female, under new succession rules that daughter would be guaranteed the throne. Here are three would-be queens who missed out to younger brothers in the past 500 years.

Girls rule: 300 years of British royal gender discrimination ends

British royal succession rules set in 1700 favored sons over daughters. Commonwealth leaders Friday agreed to drop the royal gender discrimination.

Top 100 most wanted out-of-print books of 2011

The 2011 report from Bookfinder includes a book on sweater designs from the Tudor royals and a pancake cookbook.

Top Picks: Tea with Jane Austen, Soviet students, Lord of the Rings hi-def, and more

The importance of tea in Jane Austen's England, the final generation of students under the Soviet system, Lord of the Rings out on Blu-ray, and more recommendations

6 great books about British queens

And here you thought your wedding was a bit on the stressful side. At least you're not Kate Middleton, whose every step – especially any misstep – will be broadcast live to the world. It won't get any easier if she ever becomes the consort of the king. On the bright side, she's marrying a handsome and energetic young man. Then again, Henry VIII's first queen did the exact same thing. As for the five that followed her, well, as the old rhyme puts it: "Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived." As she figures out her strategy to keep her position (and her man), "Waity Katie" might be wise to sit back and read these instructive books about Henry VIII's queens. This time around, let's hope only the lessons roll, with everyone's heads staying right where they belong.

10 top royal love stories

Our fascination with the romance between Prince William and Kate Middleton is nothing new. The world has always loved a royal love story and a stack of books from over the ages proves that to be true. Here are 10 of the most interesting.

Catherine of Aragon, One 'Quietly Fierce' Queen

In an immensely readable new biography of Catherine of Aragon, Giles Tremlett tells the story of the Spanish queen who changed the course of English history.

Teaching personal finance in high school

Should students learn about mortgages, pensions, insurance, and social security in the classroom, instead of having to figure them out as adults?

Pope terror plot broken up with six arrests by British authorities

Pope terror plot allegedly involved five street cleaners who were picked up by police before dawn Friday in London. A sixth individual, implicated by authorities in the pope terror plot, was arrested later in the day.

Pope Benedict XVI travels to Britain this week, where indifference and outrage awaits

Pope Benedict XVI is making his first papal trip to Britain, beginning Thursday. Britons interviewed expressed a range of emotions about Pope Benedict XVI and his visit, ranging from anger to indifference.

Top picks: Daffy Duck toon classics, Maine's culinary delights, music for Haiti, and more

Classic Daffy Duck toons out on DVD, mouthwatering 'Fresh From Maine' cook book, 'Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti' CD, and more top picks.

Dan Brown take note: Vatican's 'Secret Archives' unveiled

The Vatican Secret Archives is for the first time printing reproductions of more than 100 of its most fascinating, secret documents. Do we hear another Dan Brown novel coming?

Three "beautiful" Orange Prize finalists

Barbara Kingsolver's "The Lacuna" was one of "three beautiful daughters" agonized over by this year's Orange Prize judges.

Congratulations to NBCC award winners

Hilary Mantel's novel "Wolf Hall" took top honors at the National Book Critics Circle awards.

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

The author of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ takes a thorough look at one of life’s most sought-after social constructs: marriage.

Best books of 2009: fiction

What we here at the Monitor liked best in 2009.

Vatican welcome to Anglicans boldest move since Reformation

The Vatican on Tuesday opened the way for Anglican communities to switch allegiance en masse. Hundreds of thousands of Anglicans angry over the church's liberal stance on women and gays may convert.

Wolf Hall

“Wolf Hall,” winner of this year’s Booker Prize, offers a sympathetic portrayal of Thomas Cromwell, the power behind Henry VIII's throne.

"Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel takes 2009 Booker prize

Breakaway Episcopalians install a new archbishop

Pittsburgh's Robert Duncan heads new Anglican body, seeks to move past culture-war schism