Kings and queens, whether they inherited the throne or snatched it, have been some of the most influential and powerful people in history. For thousands of years, these people have orchestrated the destiny of millions of people – but which monarch’s reign cast the longest shadow? We have hotly debated this subject with a host of our writers and somehow whittled our list down to the top 50. Even we were surprised by the list we ended up with, so do write in and tell us if you think our list is a fit for a king, or whether we made a royal mess of it! The countdown begins on page 18.
One former king who didn’t make our list but who continues to fascinate thousands of years after his death is Tutankhamun, the boy pharaoh whose tomb was discovered in dramatic fashion, revealing unimaginable treasures. We tell the tale in pictures on page 60.