Monarchy is one of the oldest and most widespread forms of government in the history of the world.  Even today, more than forty countries have a monarch as the head of state.  Love them or loathe them, monarchs are some of the most important figures in history. However, monarchs and their dynasties have faced many challenges through the centuries.  This is the stuff of history and of drama, as anyone who has ever read or watched a play by Willliam Shakespeare will know.