The Royal Minorities of Medieval and Early Modern England by Charles Beem

The term minority reign or royal minority refers to the period of a sovereign's rule when he or she is legally a minor. Minority reigns are of their nature times when politicians and advisors can be especially competitive. Some scholars claim that, in Britain, primogeniture, the growth of conciliar government, and the emergence of the Parliament as a representative and administrative force all occurred within the context of the minority reigns. And there are numerous instances from history where minority reigns have occurred.

This particular study covers the history of the underage male kings of England (Henry III, Edward III, Richard II, Henry VI, Edward V, and Edward VI), examining their historical relationship to one another and assessing their collective impact on the political and constitutional development of England. But this was not the first, as Beam mentions at the very outset of his book:

Some further reading:

The minority of Henry III by David A. Carpenter

The Minority of Henry the Third by Kate Norgate

Regency in Sixteenth-century Scotland by Amy Blakeway

Perilous Performances: Gender and Regency in Early Modern France by Katherine Crawford

Queen, Mother, and Stateswoman: Mariana of Austria and the Government of Spain by Silvia Z. Mitchell

Child Emperor Rule in the Late Roman West, AD 367-455 by Meaghan McEvoy

The Reign of Richard II: From Minority to Tyranny 1377-97 by A. K. McHardy