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Queen Mary (Phoenix Press Ser.)
By James Pope-Hennessy. 2019
The official biography of Queen Mary, grandmother of the current Queen, originally commissioned in 1959 - with a new foreword…
by Hugo Vickers.When Queen Mary died in 1953, James Pope-Hennessy was commissioned to write an official biography of her - unusual for a Queen Consort. Queen Mary's life, contrary to popular belief, was essentially dramatic, and she played a far more important and influential role in the affairs of the British monarchy than her public image might have otherwise suggested. Using material from the Royal Archives, private papers and Queen Mary's personal diaries and letters, Pope-Hennessy's biography was a remarkable portrait of a remarkable woman and received rave reviews across the press. Long out of print, this new edition of Queen Mary will be accompanied by a new foreword from royal biographer and writer Hugo Vickers.From the #1 bestselling author of The Secret Wife comes a gripping novel that commences with the tragic death of…
Diana, Princess of Wales, and journeys back to the fascinating world of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor. 'A triumph' Dinah Jefferies on The Secret Wife by Gill PaulTwo women who challenged the Crown.Divided by time. Bound by a secret...1911At the age of fifteen, carefree Mary Kirk and indomitable Wallis Warfield meet at summer camp. Their friendship will survive heartbreaks, separation and the demands of the British Crown until it is shattered by one unforgivable betrayal.1997Rachel's romantic break in Paris with her fiancé ends in tragedy when the car ahead crashes. Inside was Princess Diana. Back in Brighton, Rachel is haunted by the accident, and intrigued to learn the princess had visited the last home of Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, only hours before the crash. Soon, the discovery of a long-forgotten link to Wallis Simpson leads Rachel to the truth behind a scandal that shook the world...Richly imagined and beautifully written, ANOTHER WOMAN'S HUSBAND is a gripping, moving novel about two women thrust into the spotlight, followed by scandal, touched by loss.The Quest for Queen Mary
By Hugo Vickers, James Pope-Hennessy. 2018
'A delightful insight into an eclectic life'The Daily Telegraph'Very funny and astute . . . a loathly feast for royal-watchers'Hilary…
Mantel, New Statesman Books of the Year 2018'A complete delight, conjuring up, with a few sharp strokes of the pen, a mad, exotic species from a world gone by'Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday'Gloriously indiscreet . . . the best royal book ever'Harry Mount, Financial Times* * *When James Pope-Hennessy began his work on Queen Mary's official biography, it opened the door to meetings with royalty, court members and retainers around Europe. The series of candid observations, secrets and indiscretions contained in his notes were to be kept private for 50 years. Now published in full for the first time and edited by the highly admired royal biographer Hugo Vickers, this is a riveting, often hilarious portrait of the eccentric aristocracy of a bygone age. Giving much greater insight into Queen Mary than the official version, and including sharply observed encounters with, among others, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Duke of Gloucester, and a young Queen Elizabeth, The Quest for Queen Mary is set to be a classic of royal publishing.Queen Elizabeth II: Her Story Diamond Jubilee (Wayland One Shots Ser. #5)
By John Malam. 2012
This year Queen Elizabeth II enjoys 60 glorious years as monarch with a Diamond Jubilee celebration to be held on…
5th June 2012. Queen Elizabeth II, Her Story recounts the life of our Queen from her birth to present day. It is the story of a princess who became Queen and head of the Royal House of Windsor.* Birth of a Princess* The Little Princesses* Life in the Palace* Princess at War* Elizabeth becomes Queen* The Royla Family* Royal Duties* The Royal family TreeEarly photographs capture the Queen's early years and a Royal family tree place the events of her life in context.The Last Hurrah: The 1947 Royal Tour of Southern Africa and the End of Empire
By Graham Viney. 2018
Young Elizabeth captures in vivid detail perhaps the single-most important formative experience in Queen Elizabeth's life, the 1947 royal tour…
of southern Africa with her parents King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, during which she celebrated her twenty-first birthday.The year of the royal tour of southern Africa, 1947, marked both the high-water mark of the British Empire and the very moment at which it began to unravel. Graham Viney has written an intimate, revealing portrait of the young princess on tour with her parents and sister, Princess Margaret, hard at work in the national interest, and succeeding triumphantly against all odds. In the words of Rian Malan, South African author of My Traitor's Heart, it is 'a story about a country teetering on the brink of convulsive change and yet almost united, at least for a moment, by love for a king and queen who weren't really ours.' The year 1947 was a pivotal moment not just in the history of the Union of South Africa, but of the British Empire itself. Later that same year India gained independence and just one year later the Afrikaner Nationalist victory in South Africa would lead inexorably to the Republic of South Africa in 1961 and its departure from the Commonwealth. The present Queen Elizabeth must have learned a great deal about statecraft from her father, and about duty, tact and hard work from both her parents in the course of this three-month tour, during which the then princess celebrated her twenty-first birthday. It was also the family's first real experience of multiculturalism. Graham Viney's book gives us an intimate and revealing portrait of the royal family, while also superbly capturing a moment in the life of a fractious, recently formed 'nation', before its descent into over four decades of darkness. The royal family travelled ceaselessly, from February to April, on a specially commissioned, white-and-gold train, meeting thousands of people at every stop along the way. The tour was a show of imperial solidarity and a recognition of South Africa's contribution to the Allied cause during the Second World War, specifically that of South African prime minister Jan Smuts, who had served in both British war cabinets.Young Elizabeth draws skilfully on many diverse sources, not least the Royal Archive at Windsor, and includes many photographs of the royal family not previously published, such as stills from film footage held by the South African National Film, Video and Sound Archives in Pretoria.Queen Victoria
By Elizabeth Longford. 1987
Drawing upon Queen Victoria's previously unpublished journals, Elizabeth Longford's classic biography recalls the contrasts and curiosities of an earlier era…
with exquisite detail - and transforms the queen from a severe, time-worn effigy into a human being who loved, feared and fumed. Longford probes the contradictions of a woman who wore a bonnet instead of a crown at her Golden Jubilee and yet was recognised always as both dignified and formidable. She chronicles both the Queen's public life and her emotional travails, including surprisingly stormy passages in her and Prince Albert's otherwise loving marriage. A refreshingly human image of the Queen emerges: voluble, passionate, politic and articulate, with an irresistible mixture of grandeur and simplicity.Henry VIII: The Decline and Fall of a Tyrant
By Robert Hutchinson. 2018
The Tudors retained only a precarious grip on the crown of England, founded on a title that was both tenuous…
and legally flimsy. This left them preoccupied by two major obsessions: the necessity for a crop of lusty male heirs to continue the bloodline, and the elimination of threats from dynastic rivals. None was cursed more by this rampant insecurity than Henry VIII, who embodied not only the power and imperial majesty of the monarchy, but also England's military might. His health always had huge political consequences at home and overseas - hence his unbridled hypochondria.Drawing on the latest historical and medical research, Robert Hutchinson reveals the extent to which the king also grappled with accelerating geriatric decay in his last six years, made more acute by medical conditions that were not only painful but transformed the monarch into a 28-stone psychotic monster, suspicious of everyone around him, including those most dear to him.The Power of Love: The Royal Wedding Sermon
By Bishop Michael Curry. 2018
The text of the celebrated 2018 royal wedding sermon, plus four other sermons touching on themes of love, commitment, and…
social justice, by Bishop Michael CurryTwo billion people watched Bishop Michael Curry deliver his sermon on the redemptive power of love at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex) at Windsor Castle in May 2018. Here, he shares the full text of that sermon, plus an introduction describing the context, along with four of his favourite sermons on the themes of love and social justice. The world met Bishop Curry at the wedding and was moved by his riveting, hopeful, and deceptively simple message: love and acceptance are what we need in these strange times.Henry VIII and the men who made him: The secret history behind the Tudor throne
By Tracy Borman. 2018
'An outstanding work of historical artistry, a brilliantly woven and pacy story of the men who surrounded, influenced and sometimes…
plagued Henry VIII.' Alison WeirHenry VIII is well known for his tumultuous relationships with women, and he is often defined by his many marriages. But what do we see if we take a different look? When we see Henry through the men in his life, a new perspective on this famous king emerges.Henry's relationships with the men who surrounded him reveal much about his beliefs, behaviour and character. They show him to be capable of fierce, but seldom abiding loyalty; of raising men only to destroy them later. He loved to be attended and entertained by boisterous young men who shared his passion for sport, but at other times he was more diverted by men of intellect, culture and wit. Often trusting and easily led by his male attendants and advisers during the early years of his reign, he matured into a profoundly suspicious and paranoid king whose favour could be suddenly withdrawn, as many of his later servants found to their cost. His cruelty and ruthlessness would become ever more apparent as his reign progressed, but the tenderness that he displayed towards those he trusted proves that he was never the one-dimensional monster that he is often portrayed as. In this fascinating and often surprising new biography, Tracy Borman reveals Henry's personality in all its multi-faceted, contradictory glory.'It is actually a serious book, but it had me laughing out loud several times on the Tube. All mothers…
should receive one for Christmas.' Marcus Berkmann, SpectatorEveryone who loves The Crown on Netflix will enjoy this celebration of Queen Elizabeth II and her beloved canine friends.The Queen has had corgis by her side ever since she was seven years old and persuaded her father to buy one for the family. She also has several dorgis (a cross resulting from an accidental liaison between one of the Queen's corgis and Princess Margaret's dachshund) and is a passionate breeder of gundogs.The dogs are the Queen's constant companions, travelling with her by air, road and rail, from one royal residence to another. She walks and feeds them herself, chooses names for them, and at the end of their days, buries them with personalised plaques to commemorate each individual. Penny Junor reveals the scraps and scrapes that the dogs have been involved in - the hierarchy amongst them, the corgis' feisty attitude to footmen and guests, gardeners and innocent passersby. This fascinating and affectionate look at the Queen and her most faithful companions is a book for dog lovers everywhere about what really makes our much-loved and longest reigning monarch truly light up.The Great British Royal Family Quiz Book: One's Toughest Questions and Their Answers
By Daniel Smith. 2020
Calling all royalists, put your regal knowledge to the test with this fun and fascinating collection of quizzes.Do you know…
the full names of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's three children? Or Queen Elizabeth's rumoured favourite tipple? Which royal has his toothpaste squeezed for him every morning, and whose recent decision to take 'a leap of faith' has caused ripples around the world? Put your loyalty and knowledge to the test with this charming miscellany that celebrates kings and queens from 1066 to the present day. A delightful tour of the British monarchy, from joyful royal weddings to tabloid-grabbing scandals, the boozy diet of James I's elephant to Queen Elizabeth II's favourite nail polish colour. A treasure trove of quirky facts and fascinating trivia, readers will discover hours of fun with this selection of achievable quizzes. Answers are included at the back of the book.Queen Mary
By James Pope-Hennessy. 2020
The official biography of Queen Mary, grandmother of the current Queen, originally commissioned in 1959 - with a new foreword…
by Hugo Vickers.When Queen Mary died in 1953, James Pope-Hennessy was commissioned to write an official biography of her - unusual for a Queen Consort. Queen Mary's life, contrary to popular belief, was essentially dramatic, and she played a far more important and influential role in the affairs of the British monarchy than her public image might have otherwise suggested. Using material from the Royal Archives, private papers and Queen Mary's personal diaries and letters, Pope-Hennessy's biography was a remarkable portrait of a remarkable woman and received rave reviews across the press. Long out of print, this new edition of Queen Mary will be accompanied by a new foreword from royal biographer and writer Hugo Vickers.The King's War
By Mark Logue, Peter Conradi. 2017
The broadcast that George VI made to the nation on the outbreak of war in September 1939 - which formed…
the climax of the multi Oscar-winning film The King's Speech - was the product of years of hard work with Lionel Logue, his iconoclastic Australian-born speech therapist. Yet the relationship between the two men did not end there. Far from it: in the years that followed, Logue was to play an even more important role at the monarch's side.The King's War follows this relationship through the dark days of Dunkirk and the drama of D-Day to eventual victory in 1945 - and beyond. It is written by Peter Conradi, a Sunday Times journalist, and Mark Logue, Lionel's grandson, whose previous book, The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy, was a best-seller in Britain and America and translated into more than 20 languages.The book draws on exclusive material from the Logue Archive - the collection of diaries, letters and other documents left by Lionel and his feisty wife, Myrtle. It provides a fascinating portrait of two men and their respective families - the Windsors and the Logues - as they together faced up to the greatest challenge in Britain's history.Little Elizabeth: The Young Princess Who Became Queen
By Valerie Wilding. 2021
The incredible true story of a young and brilliant Princess who grew up to become our Queen. Once, a very…
long time ago, there was a little Princess called Elizabeth who loved to play and have fun with her horses, dogs and little sister, Margaret. But when she was ten years old, her life changed forever.From growing up during the Second World War and training as an army mechanic, to celebrating VE day with the people of Britain and marrying Prince Phillip - the man she loved, this is the amazing true story of a little girl who became Queen Elizabeth II.With fantastically fun, charming and playful illustrations by Pauline Reeves, this picture book will amaze and entertain young readers.The Gown: Perfect for fans of The Crown! An enthralling tale of making the Queen's wedding dress
By Jennifer Robson. 2019
Perfect for anyone who's captivated by The Crown, The Gown 'will dazzle and delight' (Independent)!The Gown is an enthralling historical…
novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the twentieth century - Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown - and the fascinating women who made it. London, 1947: Besieged by a harsh winter, burdened by shortages and rationing, the people of post-war Britain are suffering despite their nation's recent victory. For Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell, a glimmer of brightness comes in the form of their unlikely friendship and being chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime honour: taking part in the creation of Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown. Toronto, 2016: Heather Mackenzie seeks to unravel the mystery of a legacy from her late grandmother. How did her beloved nan, who never spoke of her old life in Britain, come to possess the priceless embroideries that so closely resemble the motifs on the stunning gown worn by Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding almost seventy years before? And what was her nan's connection to the celebrated textile artist and Holocaust survivor Miriam Dassin?With The Gown, Jennifer Robson takes us inside the workrooms where one of the most famous wedding gowns in history was created to tell a story of women whose lives are woven together by the pain of survival, the bonds of friendship, and the redemptive power of love.'Robson succeeds in creating a riveting drama of female friendship, of lives fully lived despite unbearable loss, and of the steadfast effort required to bring forth beauty after surviving war' Independent'A great tale of female friendship' The People's FriendThe Crown in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication
By Alexander Larman. 2020
In December 1936, Britain faced a constitutional crisis that was the gravest threat to the institution of the monarchy since…
the execution of Charles I. The ruling monarch, Edward VIII, wished to marry the American divorcée Wallis Simpson and crown her as his Queen. His actions scandalised the Establishment, who were desperate to avoid an international embarrassment at a time when war seemed imminent.An influential coalition formed against him, including the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, his private secretary Alec Hardinge, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the editor of The Times. Edward seemed fated to give up Wallis and remain a reluctant ruler, or to abdicate his throne. Yet he had his own supporters, too, including Winston Churchill, the Machiavellian newspaper proprietor Lord Beaverbrook and his brilliant adviser Walter Monckton. They offered him the chance to remain on the throne and keep Wallis. But was the price they asked too high?Using previously unpublished and rare archival material, and new interviews with those who knew Edward and Wallis, The Crown in Crisis is the conclusive exploration of how an unthinkable and unprecedented event tore the country apart. This seismic event has been written about before but never with the ticking-clock suspense and pace of the thriller that it undoubtedly was for all of its participants. Painstakingly researched, incisively written and entirely fresh in its approach, The Crown in Crisis brings the events of that time to thrilling life, and in the process will appeal to an entirely new audience.Prince Harry: Brother, Soldier, Son
By Penny Junor. 2014
The authoritative biography of Prince Harry by noted royal family biographer Penny Junor, author of Prince William: The Man Who…
Will Be King and The Firm: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor. Prince Harry, one of the most popular members of the British royal family, has had a colorful life. After losing his mother at 12 years old, he spent his teenage years making questionable choices under intense international media scrutiny, becoming known for his mischevious grin, shock of red hair, and the occassional not-so-royal indiscretion. As he's grown, he has distinguished himself through military service, flying helicopters for the RAF. He served in Afghanistan and continues to devote himself to his military career. He also follows in his mother's footsteps with charity work--he is the founder of Sentebale, a charity to help orphans in Lesotho, and works with many other charitable organziations to help young people in society and to conserve natural resources. As he reaches his thirtieth birthday, Prince Harry is proving himself a prince of the people. With unprecedented access to the most important figures in his life, Penny Junor is able get the truth about who this mercurial and fascinating royal son really is. A modern biography of a modern prince, this book offers an insider's look at the life of the man who is fourth in line to Britain's throne.Like Family: Growing up in Other People's Houses
By Paula Mclain. 2003
In the tradition of Jo Ann Beard's Boys of My Youth, and Mary Karr's The Liar's Club, Paula McLain has…
written a powerful and haunting memoir about the years she and her two sisters spent as foster children. In the early 70s, after being abandoned by both parents, the girls were made wards of the Fresno County, California court and spent the next 14 years-in a series of adoptive homes. The dislocations, confusions, and odd pleasures of an unrooted life form the basis of one of the freshest memoirs to be published in recent years. McLain's beautiful writing and limber voice capture the intense loneliness, sadness, and determination of a young girl both on her own and responsible, with her siblings, for staying together as a family.The Mancini Sisters, Marie and Hortense, were born in Rome, brought to the court of Louis XIV of France, and…
strategically married off by their uncle, Cardinal Mazarin, to secure his political power base. Such was the life of many young women of the age: they had no independent status under the law and were entirely a part of their husband's property once married. Marie and Hortense, however, had other ambitions in mind altogether. Miserable in their marriages and determined to live independently, they abandoned their husbands in secret and began lives of extraordinary daring on the run and in the public eye. The beguiling sisters quickly won the affections of noblemen and kings alike. Their flight became popular fodder for salon conversation and tabloids, and was closely followed by seventeenth-century European society. The Countess of Grignan remarked that they were traveling "like two heroines out of a novel. " Others gossiped that they "were roaming the countryside in pursuit of wandering lovers. " Their scandalous behavior--disguising themselves as men, gambling, and publicly disputing with their husbands--served as more than just entertainment. It sparked discussions across Europe concerning the legal rights of husbands over their wives. Elizabeth Goldsmith's vibrant biography of the Mancini sisters--drawn from personal papers of the players involved and the tabloids of the time--illuminates the lives of two pioneering free spirits who were feminists long before the word existed.The Way Out: A True Story of Ruin and Survival
By Craig Childs. 2004
A breakout book from a writer increasingly celebrated as the 21st-century bard of the American Southwest--a writer in the tradition…
of Barry Lopez, Peter Matthiessen, Terry Tempest Williams, among others. In March 2003, Craig Childs received the Spirit of the West Literary Achievement Award, given to a writer whose body of work captures the unique spirit of the American West. As a chronicle of adventure, as emotionally charged human drama, as confessional memoir, The Way Out is a transcendent book, a work destined to earn a lasting place in the literature of extremes. Not since John Krakauer's bestselling Into the Wild has a book so compellingly explored the boundary between wilderness adventure and madness.