What determined success or failure in Renaissance monarchy? Why was warfare endemic in Europe in the early sixteenth century and how did the great cultural and artistic changes of the period flourish amid this conflict? How did rival kings relate to each other and what steps did they each take to strengthen their monarchies? In short, how did they govern? "Renaissance Monarchy" approaches these and related issues in a revealing way, providing the first single-volume comparative history of the most renowned kings of the Renaissance: the Holy Roman Empire Charles V, Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England. Bringing these three kings together, out of the relative isolation in which they are each studied, adds a fresh dimension to our understanding of contemporary ideals of kingship and reveals how these monarchs strove to be regarded as great warriors, effective governors and generous patrons. Examining a wide range of royal activities (from hunting to reforming religion) and drawing on the author's own original research as well as that of others, this pioneering new study paints an unusually broad canvas, showing not only the theoretical basis of royal government in the sixteenth century but also how it functioned in practice.