Queen's Shakespeare on show

Charles I had added his own suggestions to the Shakespeare

History-lovers are to get the chance to see treasures of a dynasty that survived revolution and plague, as the Queen opens a previously private part of her collection.

Visitors to Windsor Castle can see books and documents collected by the Stuart kings and queens during their 100-year reign.

One of the highlights is a Shakespeare owned by Charles I - complete with the king's own suggestions for new titles for the bard's plays.

The exhibition at the Queen's Berkshire home is to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns, when a dying Elizabeth I named the Scottish king, James I, as the next ruler of England.

Her choice of successor ushered in the Stuart age in 1603 and for the first time united the two nations under one monarch.

Later, the Stuarts' reign was rocked by the Civil War, which saw Charles I executed in 1649.

Oliver Cromwell ran the country until Charles II was restored to the throne and the dynasty then continued uninterrupted until Queen Anne died in 1714.

The show opens on Saturday.