https://link.amazon/B039dd9Fh (UK)
The cast of characters: a Russian Grand Duchess, a Dutch prince, a Swiss thief accompanied by a Swiss girlfriend, bumbling detectives on both sides of the Atlantic, a prison escape, and President Andrew Jackson's customs collector, who wanted to confiscate the jewels, sell them, and keep the money.
Yes, jewels. Romanov jewels. Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, daughter of Emperor Paul I of Russia, married Willem, the Prince of Orange, in 1816. She brought a massive amount of jewels to The Hague, where she loved to wear them.
Well, on September 25, 1829, a brazen jewel robbery took place at the palace in Brussels, and guess who the primary suspect was? The short-on-cash Prince of Orange. For the record, the Prince did not steal his wife's jewels.
Two years later, the jewels showed up in New York City, and it took time to finally identify the real suspect: the Swiss-born Constant Polari.
Historian Jenni Wiltz is the author of The Hunt for Anna Pavlovna's Stolen Jewels (Pen & Sword). This meticulously researched book examines imperial jewels, royal marriage, unpleasant characters such as Polari and his girlfriend, Rosine, greedy American diplomats, Dutch officials trying to get the jewels back, and the main criminals trying to sneak back to Europe.
The finale includes a trial and the return of many of Anna Pavlovna's jewels. This book would make a great BBC mini-series. Royals, stolen jewels, bumbling crooks, and other cast of characters.
I read this book in one sitting. It is that good.
Jenni is the person who runs The Girl in the Tiara https://girlinthetiara.com/
https://link.amazon/B07tNCcPk (UK)
Queen of Society by Sian Evans is a social-cum-cultural study of six women who dominated society between the two World Wars. The six women are Lady (Nancy) Astor, Lady (Sybil) Colefax, Mrs. Laura Mae Corrigan, Lady (Emerald) Cunard, Dame Margaret Greville, and the Marchioness (Edith) of Londonderry. Not all of the women were born noble; several were Americans who married well, and others clawed their way to the top of society.
According to Evans, all the women were "spirited women who ignited scandals, influenced politics, and just liked a damn good party."
All of the women made their impact on society. These women made inroads into politics (the Virginia-born Viscountess Astor was the first woman to hold a seat in Parliament). Sybil Colefax became a noted interior designer. With John Fowler, Sybil started Colefax & Fowler, which "holds a unique place in twentieth-century decorating history."
The British edition has a different title: Queen Bees: Six Brilliant and Extraordinary Society Hostesses Between the Wars – A Spectacle of Celebrity, Talent, and Burning Ambition.
Now I want to read more about these women. When I visited George Washington's ancestral home, Sulgrave Manor in Northamptonshire, I spotted several shelves of used books. My friends, Alison and Michael, were also browsing, and each selected a book. I chose Society's Queen by Anne de Courcy, a very fine biography of Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry, for 50 pence! It was worth the money, although Alison bought it for me.
https://link.amazon/B08LcEOKW (UK)
https://link.amazon/B06nYtJkZ (UK)
While browsing the history section at Barnes & Noble, I discovered Frances Welch's The Lives & Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse (Short Books). This book was published in 2024. Welch drew on the sisters' correspondence, which provided more insight into the lives of Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven, Grand Duchess Elisabeth of Russia, Princess Irene of Prussia, and Empress Alexandra of Russia.
The book has one major error, stating that Irene was with her youngest son, Heinrich, who was climbing onto a chair when he fell off and suffered numerous internal injuries. The four-year-old Prince was a hemophiliac and died from his injuries.
It must be noted that other sources state the same, but Irene and her husband were not with their son when he had his accident. They were in Berlin.
Prince and Princess Henry were in Berlin when they received a telegram on February 8 about their son's accident. Countess Marie Keller, Empress Auguste Victoria's Hofdame, corroborates this in her diary. The couple "received serious news about the youngest son, who had been injured in a room, which is all the more dangerous for the little one, like Prince Waldemar, on account of the terrible hemophilia. The poor princess received the telegram shortly before the start of the court ball, in which she was to represent the Empress. To not excite her and not to cause her any difficulties, the princess concealed her concern and bravely fulfilled the duty she had assumed. It was not until the next day that she informed Her Majesty about the sad news. The empress was shocked and moved by this evidence of the princess's devoted allegiance."
Empress Auguste Victoria told Irene to return to Kiel immediately. Two days after the accident, on February 10, the Prince and Princess returned to their home.
This information was published in a German-language biography of Prince Heinrich.
The Lives & Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse is informative and makes generous use of the sisters' previously unseen letters, especially Princess Irene's.
Behind the Crown: My Life Photographing the Royal Family is Arthur Edward's love letter to us, offering insight into his 45 years as a royal photographer. The book was published in 2022, shortly after Charles succeeded to the throne.
The book is divided into eight chapters: Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, King Charles III (1975-1997), Diana, William & Harry, William & Kate, Harry & Meghan, King Charles III (1998-2022).
Edwards, born in 1940, covered more than 200 tours, seven weddings, births, and funerals, as well as daily royal engagements since 1977. He provides detailed commentary on the photos included in this book.
Royal enthusiasts will enjoy more than 300 pages of photographs.
Arthur photographed the late Diana, Princess of Wales, during her February 1989 trip to New York City. I was one of the accredited press for several of the princess's engagements, including FAO Schwarz. I'm short, so I got to be in front, and Arthur stood behind me. When the event ended, he asked me to join the other reporters and photographers for a drink at the Plaza Hotel.
Yes, he bought me a drink.
Behind the Crown is recommended. Edward's insight is first-rate, as he has witnessed many royal events and is the doyen of British royal photographers.
In June 2022, I visited Hardwick Hall, once home to Bess, Countess of Shrewsbury, wife of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury. Hardwick—more glass than wall—is a breathtaking stately home near Chesterfield. Chatsworth is also nearby, as Bess played a major role in its construction.
Bess Hardwick was married four times. She was shrewd, brilliant, and acquired great wealth. After Elizabeth I, Bess was the second most powerful woman in England. She and the Queen were friends but, at times, adversaries, as Bess was not easily bowed. She and Lord Shrewsbury were Mary, Queen of Scots's jailers, which strained Bess's relationship with her husband and the queen.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2022/07/day-9-june-8-hardwick-hall-more-glass.html
Bess of Hardwick by Mary S. Lovell was published in 2005 by Little, Brown. I bought a paperback edition in Hardwick Hall's gift shop and started reading it on the train back to London (after changing in Reading).
The paperback edition is 555 pages. I read a chapter, put it down, read something else, then picked it up again. Took me ages to read the book, as I wanted to savor Bess' amazing life and accomplishments.
This is a well-researched, scholarly tome that captures Bess's life on many levels, from her marriages and many children, to her desire for land, the improvement of Hardwick Hall, the building of Chatsworth, her political and social life, her relationship with the queen, and her support for her granddaughter, Lady Arbella Stuart.
Arbella was Margaret Tudor's great-granddaughter and Mary, Queen of Scots' niece.
You will love Bess of Hardwick. Read this book and visit Hardwick Hall and Chatsworth House if you can.
Bess's life would make a superb BBC costume drama.
https://link.amazon/B03uYmKJ2 (UK)
People reclining on lounge chairs at the pool would stare at me because I was reading Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I (Atlantic Monthly Press), not mysteries or bodice rippers.
Tracy Borman is the author of this compelling study of two women, mother and daughter: one, the queen consort, who lost her head, and the other, her daughter, one of England's greatest sovereigns.
Elizabeth never had a relationship with her mother. She was not yet three when Henry VIII ordered Anne's execution on false charges.
Yet their lives remained interlinked. Borman wrote that Anne's influence on Elizabeth " had been no less profound....she left an indelible mark-one that would shape her daughter's outlook, beliefs, character and, above all, her future reign."
Historians will savor and appreciate this essential piece of Tudor scholarship.
Another book to savor is My Dearest Mama, the second volume of letters between Marie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and her eldest daughter, Crown Princess Marie of Romania. Romanian royal historian Diana Mandache compiled and edited the book.
My Dearest Mama includes correspondence from 1901 through 1910, from Queen Victoria's final days through Christmas in 1910. There is a lot of insight into the family dynamics - Crown Princess Marie's siblings and her children
This book was published by Rosvall Royal Books. It is not available on Amazon.
To order the book, please visit this site: https://www.royalbooks.se/products/137
https://link.amazon/B0fuQMKVW (UK)
When I was in London for a long weekend in February (tour of the East Wing), I stopped in at Hatchards and bought several books, including The Thistle and the Rose by Linda Porter, which is a scholarly biography of Margaret Tudor, the daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth Woodville. She was married to King James IV of Scotland, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden, leaving the young widow with an infant son, James V.
Her life in Scotland was not easy. She fought for her son. Her second marriage to the Earl of Angus produced a daughter, Lady Margaret, but ended the Queen's position as regent for her young son.
Margaret linked the thrones of Scotland and England. She spent some years in England with her brother, Henry VIII. Her daughter, Lady Margaret, grew up at the English court. She married Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox. Only two of their sons, Henry and Charles Stuart, lived to adulthood. Henry, Lord Darnley, married his first cousin, Mary Queen of Scots (Margaret's granddaughter), and Charles married Elizabeth Cavendish, daughter of Bess of Hardwick.
The Thistle and the Rose is a meticulous and definitive study of a woman whose descendants brought together the kingdoms of England and Scotland. Henry VIII's will defined the succession to the English throne: his children and descendants, followed by the descendants of his younger sister, Mary, and her two daughters. Elizabeth I did not name an heir. Parliament ignored the late King's will and offered the throne to King James VI of Scotland, who was Margaret's great-grandson.
https://link.amazon/B08OvkJoZ (UK)
In October 2025, I was a part of a group that visited Hillwood in Washington, D.C. The house and estate were once the home of cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. Her descendants still own the property.
The house is filled with portraits of the Russian Imperial Family -- and the Romanov Bridal Crown. A few Fabergé eggs and magnificent gardens. One reason to visit Hillwood (again) was to see the exhibition, From Exile to Avant-Garde: The Life of Princess Natalie Paley.
https://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2025/10/from-exile-to-avant-garde-life-of.html
Princess Natalie Paley was the youngest of three daughters of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia and his second wife, Olga Karnovich (created Princess Paley). This marriage was morganatic, meaning Olga and their three children (Vladimir, Irina, and Natalie) were not considered members of the Romanov Family.
This marriage forced Paul and his family into exile. They settled in Paris, and with their appreciation for art and culture, Olga and Paul became a part of Belle Époque life there. After 12 years in Paris, they were allowed to return to Russia in 1914, bringing with them an impressive art collection.
Within three years, the Romanov dynasty ended with Nicholas II's abdication. The Bolsheviks arrested Prince Vladimir in March 1918. He was murdered with Grand Duchess Ella of Russia and Princess Ioann, Konstantin, and Igor of Russia; all were thrown into a mineshaft near Alapaevsk in July 1918. The following month, Grand Duke Paul was imprisoned, joining his cousins, Grand Dukes Dimitri Konstantinovich, Nicholas Mikhailovich, and George Mikhailovich.
During the next six months, the four grand dukes were moved several times. On January 17, 1919. they were taken to the Fortress of Peter and Paul, where they were all shot and killed. The following year, Olga and her daughters traveled to Finland, eventually settling in Paris.
Wilfried Zeisler's The Belle Epoque Life in Paris: Olga Paley and Paul of Russia was originally published in French. The book was translated into English and includes a new chapter on Natalie Paley by Megan J. Martinelli.
Zeisler is Hillwood's Deputy Director and Chief Curator. His book is a masterful achievement: true scholarship, focusing on Olga and Paul's life in Paris and their collection. Some of these works are now at Hillwood.
The exhibit focused on Natalie's life. She was married twice, first to French designer Lucien Long, and then to American theater producer John C. Wilson. Both marriages were lavender marriages. She was Lucien's muse, a fashion model, briefly a film actress, a socialite on both sides of the Atlantic, and a promoter of Mainbocher.
This book is far more than a companion to the exhibit. You will find numerous color and black-and-white illustrations, a compendium of the "principal works" from Olga and Paul's collection, many footnotes, and an extensive bibliography.
Definitely worth the price. The exhibition, however, closed in January 2026.
https://link.amazon/B08OvkJoZ (US)
If you have seen the amazing Queen Elizabeth II Fashion and Style exhibit at the King's Gallery at Buckingham Palace, you probably bought the Official Centenary Publication, written by Caroline de Guitaut, the Surveyor of the King's Works of Art at the Royal Collection Trust.
The book shares the exhibition's title.
If you haven't seen the exhibition, you should—if you can—get a ticket. The exhibit was extended through April 18, 2027. If you cannot go, you should get the catalog, a true study of the late queen's clothing from childhood to her final years. Some of the items on display include the original christening gown made in 1841 for Queen Victoria's first child, Princess Victoria, and Elizabeth's wedding and coronation gowns.
The different rooms (and book chapters) had different themes: ceremonial and military, tailoring and daywear, designer profiles, evening wear (the glamor of the monarchy), off-duty and ready-to-wear, and all those hats!
156 pages. Color and black-and-white illustrations.
Fashion and style for a much-loved queen.
Russell Myers, the royal correspondent for the Mirror, is the author of a bland, nothing-new book, William and Catherine (The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story. He states: "Using exclusive insight and access, this is a deeply human story behind the public understanding of the Prince and Princess of Wales."
Myers offers details from engagements and travels, and also inserts Harry and Meghan into the convo—at times it is needed—but ... and this is a big but, if you want to be taken seriously. No index, no footnotes, no endnotes, no bibliography, although the author includes many thank-yous and photo credits.
An index is an integral part of a non-fiction book. It is hard to take a book seriously if the author and publisher cannot produce an index and citations.
In years to come, there will be far better books on William and Catherine. Although it was an interesting read, this book gets a meh!
Earlier this year, the Royal Collection Trust published Royal Diamonds: Two Centuries of Royal Jewels, a 128-page book that I consider an entry-level work about British royal jewels. There are five chapters: Tiaras, Necklaces, Earrings, Rings and Bracelets, and Brooches. The glossary is also included.
The photographs are excellent. It is a very short book, and it focuses on the most famous and widely worn jewels.
Think of this book as the Golden Book of Royal Jewels. The book you will want to have is The Queen's Diamonds by Hugh Roberts, published by the Royal Collection Trust.
https://link.amazon/B0ilbkpf0 (UK)
If you purchase these books or other items through the links, I make a small percentage that goes toward Amazon gift cards. Comes in handy to purchase more books.
