Download or read book Alfred written by John Van der Kiste and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Admiral of the Fleet, was the second son of Queen Victoria. At 18 he was elected King of Greece, but not allowed to accept the crown. While touring Australia in 1868 he narrowly escaped assassination. His last years were clouded by alcoholism, ill-health, and the suicide of his only son and heir.
Download or read book Dearest Affie written by John Van der Kiste and published by Biography, Letters & Diaries S.. This book was released on 1995 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biography of Queen Victoria's second son Prince Alfred, 'Affie', Duke of Edinburgh, who led a life of adventure unrivalled by any other European prince of the time.
Download or read book Alfred Queen Victoria s Second Son written by John Van Der Kiste and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2014-03-27 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prince Alfred, who was created Duke of Edinburgh in 1866 and became Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha in 1893, was the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. A patron of the arts, pioneer philatelist and amateur violinist, he joined the Royal Navy as a boy and rose to become Admiral of the Fleet. At the age of 18 he was elected King of Greece by overwhelming popular vote in a plebiscite, although political agreements between the Great Powers of Europe prevented him from accepting the vacant crown. The most widely travelled member of his family, he had visited all five continents by the age of 27, and while on a tour of Australia in 1868 he narrowly escaped assassination at the hands of a Fenian sympathiser. Married to Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, the only surviving daughter of Tsar Alexander II, at one stage he had to face the possibility that he might be required to fight on behalf of the British empire against that of his father-in-law. His last years were overshadowed by marital difficulties, alcoholism and ill-health, and the suicide of his only son and heir.
Download or read book Queen Victoria s Children written by Van der Kiste and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2011-10-24 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort had nine children who despite their very different characters, remained a close-knit family. Inevitably, as they married into European royal families their loyalties were divided and their lives dominated by political controversy. This is not only the story of their lives in terms of world impact, but also of their own personal achievements, their individual contributions to public life in Britain and overseas and in their roles as the children of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort.
Download or read book Princess Mary written by Elisabeth Basford and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2021-02-05 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Princess Diana is seen as the first member of the British royal family to tear up the rulebook, and the Duchess of Cambridge is modernising the monarchy in strides. But before them was another who paved the way. Princess Mary was born in 1897. Despite her Victorian beginnings, she strove to make a princess's life meaningful, using her position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions in the process. As the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, she would live to see not only two of her brothers ascend the throne but also her niece Queen Elizabeth II. She was one of the hardest-working members of the royal family, known for her no-nonsense approach and her determination in the face of adversity. During the First World War she came into her own, launching an appeal to furnish every British troop and sailor with a Christmas gift, and training as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital. From her dedication to the war effort, to her role as the family peacemaker during the Abdication Crisis, Mary was the princess who redefined the title for the modern age. In the first biography in decades, Elisabeth Basford offers a fresh appraisal of Mary's full and fascinating life.
Download or read book Princess Alice Countess of Athlone written by Theo Aronson and published by . This book was released on 1981 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Born to Rule written by Julia P. Gelardi and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2007-04-01 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Julia Gelardi's Born to Rule is an historical tour de force that weaves together the powerful and moving stories of the five royal granddaughters of Queen Victoria. These five women were all married to reigning European monarchs during the early part of the 20th century, and it was their reaction to the First World War that shaped the fate of a continent and the future of the modern world. Here are the stories of Alexandra, whose enduring love story, controversial faith in Rasputin, and tragic end have become the stuff of legend; Marie, the flamboyant and eccentric queen who battled her way through a life of intrigues and was also the mother of two Balkan queens and of the scandalous Carol II of Romania; Victoria Eugenie, Spain's very English queen who, like Alexandra, introduced hemophilia into her husband's family-with devastating consequences for her marriage; Maud, King Edward VII's daughter, who was independent Norway's reluctant queen; and Sophie, Kaiser Wilhelm II's much maligned sister, daughter of an Emperor and herself the mother of no less than three kings and a queen, who ended her days in bitter exile. Born to Rule evokes a world of luxury, wealth, and power in a bygone era, while also recounting the ordeals suffered by a unique group of royal women who at times faced poverty, exile, and death. Praised in their lifetimes for their legendary beauty, many of these women were also lauded-and reviled-for their political influence. Using never before published letters, memoirs, diplomatic documents, secondary sources, and interviews with descendents of the subjects, Julia Gelardi's Born to Rule is an astonishing and memorable work of popular history.
Download or read book Queen Victoria s Youngest Son written by Charlotte Zeepvat and published by Lume Books. This book was released on 2021-03-04 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the life of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, including his life at Oxford and the varied and interesting friendships he developed there (with, among others, Charles Dodgson - "Lewis Carroll" - John Ruskin and Oscar Wilde).
Download or read book A Magnificent Obsession written by Helen Rappaport and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2012-03-13 with total page 635 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As she did in her critically acclaimed The Last Days of the Romanovs, Helen Rappaport brings a compelling documentary feel to the story of this royal marriage and of the queen's obsessive love for her husband – a story that began as fairy tale and ended in tragedy. After the untimely death of Prince Albert, the queen and her nation were plunged into a state of grief so profound that this one event would dramatically alter the shape of the British monarchy. For Britain had not just lost a prince: during his twenty year marriage to Queen Victoria, Prince Albert had increasingly performed the function of King in all but name. The outpouring of grief after Albert's death was so extreme, that its like would not be seen again until the death of Princess Diana 136 years later. Drawing on many letters, diaries and memoirs from the Royal Archives and other neglected sources, as well as the newspapers of the day, Rappaport offers a new perspective on this compelling historical psychodrama--the crucial final months of the prince's life and the first long, dark ten years of the Queen's retreat from public view. She draws a portrait of a queen obsessed with her living husband and – after his death – with his enduring place in history. Magnificent Obsession will also throw new light on the true nature of the prince's chronic physical condition, overturning for good the 150-year old myth that he died of typhoid fever.
Download or read book The Grand Duchess of Nowhere written by Laurie Graham and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2024-07-09 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inspired by the biography of a British royal, a historical novel about a princess who defied her family by marrying a Romanov. As a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Victoria Melita—known affectionately as Ducky—must abide by the rules of the royal family and make a suitable match. But Ducky is young and infatuated with a Romanov, a member of the doomed Russian imperial family. Risking everything to be with the man she loves, she forges her own path. From her exile to Paris to her glamourous life in St. Petersburg, Ducky narrates the story of her extraordinary journey—at the center of the chaos of the Russian revolution and the demise of the Romanov dynasty. Praise for Laurie Graham “Graham’s style is riveting.” —The Times (London) “Laurie Graham has a wonderfully light, deft touch.” —Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls “Why is Laurie Graham not carried on people’s shoulders through cheering crowds? Her books are brilliant!” —Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Again, Rachel and Grown Ups
Download or read book Queen Victoria and The Romanovs written by Coryne Hall and published by Amberley Publishing Limited. This book was released on 2020-02-15 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alexander III called Victoria ‘a pampered, sentimental, selfish old woman,’ while to her he was a sovereign whom she could not regard as a gentleman. But the Queen's son and two of her granddaughters married Romanovs.
Download or read book Queen Victoria s Grandsons 1859 1918 written by Christina Croft and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Born into eight very different families, the upbringing and fortunes of Queen Victoria's grandsons varied widely. Some died in childhood, some were killed in action, and others lived to see grandchildren of their own. There were heroes and villains, valiant soldiers and dissipated youths, but their lives were interconnected through the tiny Queen for whom their welfare and happiness was a constant preoccupation. As part of a wide, extended family, they lived through the halcyon days of the late nineteenth century European monarchies, witnessing the most spectacular and the most tragic events of the age.
Download or read book Queen Victoria s Mysterious Daughter written by Lucinda Hawksley and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2015-12-08 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The secrets of Queen Victoria's sixth child, Princess Louise, may be destined to remain hidden forever. What was so dangerous about this artistic, tempestuous royal that her life has been documented more by rumor and gossip than hard facts? When Lucinda Hawksley started to investigate, often thwarted by inexplicable secrecy, she discovered a fascinating woman, modern before her time, whose story has been shielded for years from public view. Louise was a sculptor and painter, friend to the Pre-Raphaelites and a keen member of the Aesthetic movement. The most feisty of the Victorian princesses, she kicked against her mother's controlling nature and remained fiercely loyal to her brothers-especially the sickly Leopold and the much-maligned Bertie. She sought out other unconventional women, including Josephine Butler and George Eliot, and campaigned for education and health reform and for the rights of women. She battled with her indomitable mother for permission to practice the "masculine" art of sculpture and go to art college-and in doing so became the first British princess to attend a public school. The rumors of Louise's colorful love life persist even today, with hints of love affairs dating as far back as her teenage years, and notable scandals included entanglements with her sculpting tutor Joseph Edgar Boehm and possibly even her sister Princess Beatrice's handsome husband, Liko. True to rebellious form, she refused all royal suitors and became the first member of the royal family, since the sixteenth century, to marry a commoner. She moved with him to Canada when he was appointed Governor-General. Spirited and lively, Queen Victoria's Mysterious Daughter is richly packed with arguments, intrigues, scandals, and secrets, and is a vivid portrait of a princess desperate to escape her inheritance.
Download or read book Prince Leopold written by Charlotte Zeepvat and published by Sutton Publishing, Limited. This book was released on 1998 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (1853-84), is acknowledged to have been the most intelligent and probably the most interesting of Queen Victoria's four sons. He was the youngest and a strong-willed attractive character, with an immense thirst for life. He was also, however, the first haemophilia sufferer in the royal family and endured continual ill health; as if haemophilia was not enough, he was also epileptic. In this biography, Charlotte Zeepvat has drawn on sources to reveal a compelling human story which also touches on the wider worlds of late 19th-century Oxford and of literature, art and politics in the Victorian period. In particular, it examines the question of haemophilia and the royal family. There are many questions to answer, such as when did the Queen and Prince Albert realize their youngest son was ill and how much did they understand of his illness? Some of Leopold's early attacks were described as "rheumatism" - was this an attempt to keep the truth concealed or a genuine misunderstanding? The book also presents a full and balanced picture of Leopold's relationship with his mother. Letters already published provide snapshots of individual quarrels between mother and son but no one has yet considered the relationship as a whole. Finally it eamines Leopold's life at Oxford, the varied and interesting friendships he developed there (with, among others, Charles Dodgson - "Lewis Carroll" - John Ruskin and Oscar Wilde), his political views and the importance of his work as unofficial secretary to the Queen.
Download or read book thelfl d written by Tim Clarkson and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2019-09-05 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story of the Lady of the Mercians. At the end of the ninth century AD, a large part of what is now England was controlled by the Vikings – heathen warriors from Scandinavia who had been attacking the British Isles for more than a hundred years. Alfred the Great, king of Wessex, was determined to regain the conquered lands but his death in 899 meant that the task passed to his son Edward. In the early 900s, Edward led a great fightback against the Viking armies. He was assisted by the English rulers of Mercia: Lord Æthelred and his wife Æthelflæd (Edward's sister). After her husband's death, Æthelflæd ruled Mercia on her own, leading the army to war and working with her brother to achieve their father's aims. Known to history as the Lady of the Mercians, she earned a reputation as a competent general and was feared by her enemies. She helped to save England from the Vikings and is one of the most famous women of the Dark Ages. This book, published 1100 years after her death, tells her remarkable story.
Download or read book Victoria Abdul Movie Tie In written by Shrabani Basu and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2017-08-29 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soon to be a Major Motion Picture starring Dame Judi Dench from director Stephen Frears, releasing September 22, 2017. History’s most unlikely friendship—this is the astonishing story of Queen Victoria and her dearestcompanion, the young Indian Munshi Abdul Karim. In the twilight years of her reign, after the devastating deaths of hertwo great loves—Prince Albert and John Brown—Queen Victoria meets tall and handsome Abdul Karim, a humble servant from Agra waiting tables at her Golden Jubilee. The two form an unlikely bond and within a year Abdul becomes a powerful figure at court, the Queen’s teacher, her counsel on Urdu and Indian affairs, and a friend close to her heart. This marked the beginning of the most scandalous decade in Queen Victoria’s long reign. As the royal household roiled with resentment, Victoria and Abdul’s devotion grew in defiance. Drawn from secrets closely guarded for more than a century, Victoria & Abdul is an extraordinary and intimate history of the last years of the nineteenth-century English court and an unforgettable view onto the passions of an aging Queen.
Download or read book Edward VII s Children written by John Kiste and published by The History Press. This book was released on 1980-01-01 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra had six children. Of the five who reached maturity, only one, the future King George V, has received much attention from biographers. The eldest son, Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence, a backward youth and a subject of scandal, died before he was thirty. The three princesses, Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife, the lifelong spinster Victoria, and Maud, Queen of Norway, were never well-known to the British public during their lifetime. In this detailed and fascinating account, John Van der Kiste has drawn upon previously unpublished correspondence from the Royal Archives, Windsor, to reveal for the first time the part this hitherto neglected group of characters played in supporting the royal family and crown during a period of transition from the Victorian age to the uncertain twentieth century.
