![]() An Uncommon Woman: The Empress Frederick by Hannah Pakula (1996) Although a few details of scholarship have moved on, the book remains a classic.Ģ. Massie had firsthand experience of haemophilia in his own family which allows him to brilliantly illuminate how the tsarina was tormented by her only son’s life-threatening illness and in turn, how this contributed to the downfall of the Romanovs. The dramatic story of the last tsar, tsarina and their family told against the epic sweep of early 20th-century Russian history. Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K Massie (1968) What follows in no particular order are my favourite books on royal families.ġ. Victoria could not foresee that the family dynamic also contained the seeds of its own catastrophic downfall in which cousin was set against cousin, husband against wife and even sister against sister. Gradually, the queen’s matchmaking began to take shape as a very human story, which shed light on her character as well as a crucial part of Europe’s history. At a time when some kings and emperors still wielded power as autocrats or semi-autocrats, these marriages mattered – and it was within Queen Victoria’s unique power to shape the political landscape of Europe. She effectively ran the world’s most exclusive dating agency, where one good-looking princess might find herself sought after by the heirs to several thrones. As I sat in the royal archives in the Round Tower at Windsor reading the extensive correspondence between the queen and her grandchildren, it was clear that the queen had a passion for matchmaking. In my new book, Queen Victoria’s Matchmaking, I set out to explore how seven of her grandchildren acceded to senior royal positions across Europe in the years leading up to the first world war. My favourite books are those that provide fresh insights on historical events while allowing the reader to inhabit the world of the royal characters. ![]() To appreciate what is at stake for the protagonists and how they make their choices depends on how skilfully the historical context is woven into the writing without overloading the prose. T he most compelling books on royal families, for me, are those that entwine a gripping personal narrative with a national or international story and help to deepen our understanding of history.
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