Penguin Monarchs series

Penguin’s Monarchs series is a comprehensive overview of 1,000 years of British monarchy – a collection of 45 books, each dedicated to a different ruler, from Athelstan (920) to Elizabeth II (1952).

The design not only emphasises the royal line of succession but also enhances the collectability of the series. “I loved the idea of including dates on the covers so you could line them up to form a timeline. The dates would feature on the spines too, so they’d work when lined up on a shelf,” he explains.

The colours also tell a story: muted gold for the House of Stuart, pale blue for the current monarchy to reference the Queen’s penchant for the hue. There’s just one orphaned black book, for Cromwell.