NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In her lauded biography England’s Mistress, Kate Williams painted a vivid and intimate portrait of Emma Hamilton, the lover of English national hero Lord Horatio Nelson. Now, with the same keen insight and gift for telling detail, Williams provides a gripping account of Queen Victoria’s rise to the throne and her early years in power—as well as the tragic, little-known story of the princess whose demise made it all possible.
Toward the end of the eighteenth century, monarchies across Europe found themselves in crisis. With mad King George III and his delinquent offspring tarnishing the realm, the English pinned their hopes on the only legitimate heir to the throne: the lovely and prudent Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince of Wales and granddaughter of the king. Sadly, those dreams faded when, at age twenty-one, she died after a complicated pregnancy and stillbirth. While a nation grieved, Charlotte’s power-hungry uncles plotted quickly to produce a new heir. Only the Duke of Kent proved successful in his endeavor, with the birth of a girl named Victoria.
Writing with a combination of novelistic flair and historical precision, Williams reveals an energetic and vibrant woman in the prime of her life, while chronicling the byzantine machinations behind Victoria’s struggle to occupy the throne—scheming that continued even after the crown was placed on her head.
Upon hearing of the death of her predecessor, King William IV, Victoria—in her bold first act as queen—banished her overambitious mother from the room, a simple yet resolute move that would set the tone for her reign. The queen clashed constantly not only with her mother and her mother’s adviser, the Irish adventurer John Conroy, but with her ministers and even her beloved Prince Albert, all of whom, in one way or another, attempted to seize control from her.
By connecting Charlotte’s sad fate to Victoria’s majestic rule, Kate Williams lays bare the passions that swirled around the throne—the court secrets, the sexual repression, and the endless intrigue. The result is a grand and satisfying tale of a woman whose destiny began long before she was born and whose legacy lives on.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Sexual Content - 3/5
3/5
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Violence - 1/5
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Language - 2/5
2/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 2/5
2/5
Summary
Overall What made Victoria such a successful queen? Who was Princess Charlotte, and what did her tragic death have to do with Victoria? This biography by Kate Williams
explains all. Toward the end of the eighteenth century, monarchies across Europe found themselves on crisis. With mad King George III and his delinquent offspring tarnishing the realm, the English pinned their hopes on the only legitimate heir to the throne: the lovely and prudent Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Price of Wales and granddaughter of the king. Sadly, those dreams faded when, at age twenty-one, she died after a complicated pregnancy and stillbirth. While the nation grieved, Charlotte's power hungry uncles plotted quickly to produce a new heir. Only the Duke of Kent proved successful in his endeavor, with the birth of a girl named Victoria. Writing with a novelistic flair and historical precision, Williams reveals an energetic and vibrant woman in the prime of her life, while chronicling the machinations behind Victoria's struggle to occupy the throne scheming that continued even after the crown was placed on her head. Williams recounts Victoria's early days as monarch, her engagement and marriage to the lesser German Prince Albert of SaxeCoburg, her ruling triumphs and disasters, her personal relationships with those surrounding her, and the births of her numerous children. An insightful read.
Violence None other than descriptions of attempts on the lives of the monarchs.
Language Yes, even the royals use crude language.
Sexual If one thinks that royals are somehow above sexual debauchery, you would be incorrect. In fact, these seem to have cornered the market on licentious behavior. Those who didn't indulge in affairs and sexual perversion were in the tiniest minority. Victoria escaped following in the immoral footsteps of her predecessors to live in marital fidelity with Albert (before, during, and after).
Drug & Alcohol Just another indulgence of the day. These are chronicled as contributors to poor health, to avoidance of responsibility, to an overall view of disdain for the masses, and to the basic downfall of respect for the throne and those filling it.