Tuesday, March 12, 2024

A Very Private School by Charles Spencer


 

Charles Spencer's memoir, A Very Private School, has garnered attention for his honesty in discussing the sexual abuse he suffered when he was a young boy at boarding school.   Spencer was recently interviewed on NBC's Today show.

https://www.today.com/video/charles-spencer-reveals-childhood-trauma-and-abuse-206107717720

The book has been published in the United States (Gallery Books) and the United Kingdom (William Collins).

Spencer is a respectable historian who has received praise for his earlier books: The Spencer Family, the White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream,  Prince Rupert Blenheim: Battle for Europe, and The Killers of the King.

Charles Spencer is better known as the 9th Earl Spencer, younger brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.  He has eschewed using his title as the author of his books.



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I hate Amazon for removing the photo book links.  These links are for Charles Spencer's previous book.  I am a member of Amazon Associates, which means I earn a percentage from purchases made using my links - click on a link, buy a book or shop for other things.  The percentages are small, but add up to Amazon gift cards -- more books for me to buy.  Thanks


Thursday, February 29, 2024

The Crown Dissected by Hugo Vickers

 


Acclaimed royal biographer Hugo Vickers watched The Crown so you don't need to watch it!

This volume covers all six seasons of the Netflix series.  Vickers writes about the errors and the inconsistencies in the episodes.


Hugo's "definitive analysis" of The Crown is available solely in a Kindle edition.


https://amzn.to/3UWEsYc

https://amzn.to/3V1WR5U


Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Sirrell the Squirrel by Juliet Rood

Sirrell the Squirrel looks positively adorable.  According to the book's website, this is a "very special book written with the sole purpose of bringing the magic of the Scottish Highlands to life."

It is a "heartwarming tale of a squirrel who unexpectedly finds himself a long way from his home in the Scottish Highlands."

 


The book costs £14.99 (UK orders only.)  If you live outside the UK and want to order the book, please use this email: sirrellthesquirrel@gmail.com

https://www.sirrellthesquirrel.com/

The author is Juliet Rood, who has the honor of being the last person to receive permission to marry from the Sovereign, according to the Royal Marriages Act, which was superseded by the Succession to the Crown Act.

https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2015/02/queen-approves-marriage-of-cousin-at.html

Mrs. Rood is the second of three children of the Hon. Katharine Nicolson and Captain Mark Nicolson.  Katharine is the heiress presumptive to her mother, Lady Saltoun.

The illustrations were created by Saskia Robertson, a "Scotland-based artist, illustrator and calligrapher."  She and Juliet Rood are childhood friends.

Robertson runs Edinburgh Letters, a design company.  https://www.edinburghletters.com/

Juliet Rood is a QVD.

Victoria - Arthur - Patricia - Alexander - Katharine - Juliet

Friday, January 12, 2024

The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy


 

Robert Hardman is an excellent biographer.  I look forward to reading this book, which will be published in the UK (Macmillan) and in the US (Pegasus) on January 18.   


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Full transparency.  If you order the book (or other items) from my links, I make a few pennies on every item someone purchases through my links.  When I reach a certain threshold ($10.00 in the US and £25.00 in the UK), I am sent an Amazon gift card.  I can more books. It takes about 2 years for me to earn a UK gift card.   Thank you

Monday, January 1, 2024

Queen Margrethe II

 Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced on December 31, 2023 that she will abdicate on January 14, 2024.  Her successor is her older son, Crown Prince Frederik.

There are few books on the Danish monarchy and its sovereigns.  This is the only one in English about Margrethe.  There is a plethora of rushed "books" on Amazon, published on December 31, 2023.  Do not waste your money.





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Theo Aronson's book, A Family of Kings, is one of the best books in English about Christian IX of Denmark and his descendants.



Thursday, November 9, 2023

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II


I spotted this magazine while in the checkout line at Target.  I grabbed it and added it to my items.  A good purchase.  I am surprised by how good it is.

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II is a 98-page magazine published by A360 Media.  The price is $13.99.  

It is well-illustrated and well-researched as the writers focus on how the coronation made the queen an international star, the voice of a nation.  There are also articles on the procession, the pomp and pageantry, and the guest list.  The final article is about the Coronation of Charles III.

I have seen this publication in the magazine sections and checkout lines at several supermarkets, Target, and Walmart.  It is also sold at Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.


https://amzn.to/42YH4XB

Ena and Bee by Ana de Sagrera

 

Spanish historian and biographer Ana de Sagrera died in 2018, four years before her book, Ena y Bee: En defensa de una Amistad, was translated into English and published by Fonthill in 2022 with the title Ena and Bee Queen Victoria's Spanish Granddaughters.

The original book was published in 2006.

De Sagrera was given full access to the Bourbon-Orleans archives in Sanlucar de Barrameda. 

Ena and Bee were first cousins and granddaughters of Queen Victoria.  Ena was born Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg and Bee was Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh, Princess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  Both cousins married into the Spanish Royal Family.  Ena was the wife of King Alfonso XIII and Bee married his first cousin, Infante Don Alfonso of OrlĂ©ans-Borbon.

Ena's marriage was arranged.  Bee's marriage to Ali was a love match with many hoops to jump through before they married.

For many years, it was assumed that Bee pursued Alfonso, causing a strain in his marriage with Ena.  But Alfonso wanted Bee in his bed, and he was furious when she refused him.   But the story that she was the pursuer was the one people believed.

Alfonso was unfaithful to Ena with numerous mistresses.  Ali and Bee were devoted to each other.  Ali's letters to Alfonso about the rumors with Bee make this clear that he knew Alfonso was the one who was guilty.

Rumors in Spain led to Ali and Bee spending several years in exile.  Her political views were misrepresented, leading to further strain.  

Ena and Bee's friendship remained the one constant.  In time, Ali, Bee, and their three sons were allowed to return to Spain.   In 1931, an election led to the establishment of the Spanish Republic.   Alfonso and the Spanish royal family went into exile, Alfonso settling in Rome and Ena settling in Switzerland.  The couple remained estranged for the rest of their lives. 

Bee and Ali lived in England for several years but were finally allowed to return to Spain after Franco established his dictatorship. They settled at their estate in Sanlucar de Barrameda.  Their golden years were not always easy.  Bee focused on charity work, especially the establishment of maternity homes.

Princess Beatrice died in 1966, and Ena died three years later.

Ena and Bee has become one of my favorite royal books.  This is because Beatrice is one of my favorite descendants of Queen Victoria. The book is rich in detail about the lives of two great friends who happened to be first cousins as well.  There is only one English-language biography of Ena by Gerald Noel.  It is not particularly good because the author depended solely on English language sources and no primary sources.

In Ena and Bee, Ana de Sagrera had the great fortune to have unrestricted access to Bee and Ali's correspondence, papers, and other materials.  I wish the entire book had been translated into English, but this is the second-best thing.

Bee's life story is finally known.  She was not responsible for the failure of Ena's marriage.  Her life was not always happy.  Her son, Prince Alonso, who served in the Spanish Air Force, was killed in an air crash in 1936.

This book is a worthy and recommended addition to royal book collections.

The book was edited and translated, respectively by John van der Kiste and Iain Dorward Stewart.


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