The history of England is a continuous movement and a series of constant changes. But the entire history of England, starting from primitive times, is permeated by continuity, so the main thing in it is not change, but constancy. To this day, in England there is an inextricable connection with the past, with traditions and customs. Until now, this country has resisted change in any aspect of life. Peter Ackroyd shows the origins of England's centuries-old persistence, conservatism and commitment to the past. In this volume, the events of English history begin in 1902, when the Boer War ended, during which those who had previously felt pride in the empire gradually became disillusioned and ashamed . Edward VII, although he did not reach the political weight of his mother, Queen Victoria, was the most beloved English king among the people after Charles II. Under his son George V, the country fought in the First World War and still retained some Victorian features, but by the end of the reign of the next monarch it had changed beyond recognition. George VI took the throne after the abdication of Edward VIII, his elder brother, and became one of the symbols of the fight against Germany and Nazism during the Second World War. He was the last Emperor of India and the last King of Ireland: the British Empire collapsed and was transformed into the Commonwealth of Nations. After the death of the monarch and the coronation of his daughter, a new Elizabethan era began. By the turn of the millennium, which the story reaches, the reign of Elizabeth II had seen ten prime ministers, the most famous of whom were Winston Churchill, Harold Wilson, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. The magnificent series of books by the famous British author ends, but the history of England continues.