One sometimes wonders if things have really changed, or if it's just the means that are different.
Anyway: all these clashes, conflicts. slaying of kings, and getting to one country from a handful of kingdoms of Celts, Romans, Saxons, Danes, etc. makes for an interesting read, and it is also far less annoying than reading about modern-day politics and lobbying.
There are still family dynasties and behind the scenes intrigue. It's perhaps not so different.