History, sex, scandle-what more could you want: (2010-05-21)
This book goes into some of the more interesting royal marriages of the last 1000 or so years.
There are many, many marriages that are discussed. While not all the information is exactly new to people interested in royalty or history it is chock full of very interesting storys of royal marriages.
The book starts with the marriage(s) of Eleanore of Aquitaine and ends with the marriages of Prince Charles of Wales.
During the intervening years she details the notable marriages of people such as
1. Isabelle of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon
2. Juana la loca and Phillip the hansome
3. Catherine of Aragon and her marriages to Arthur and Henry
4. Mary Tudor (the sister of Henry VIII) and her marriages to the King of France and Duke Charles Brandon
5. Henry II of France and Catherine de Midici
6. Henry VIII's marriages to Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and Catherine Howard
7. Mary, Queen of Scotts and her three marriages
8. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
9. Franz Joseph of Austria and his cousin Elisabeth
10. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Tsarina Alexandra
and many more that will keep you entertained for hours.
Light-hearted and amusing: (2010-03-22)
This is not what I'd call overly-researched and the author throws her own personal opinions around a bit more than I am used to in a work of non-fiction, but each chapter is a quick and dirty ('scuse the double entendre) overview of a different period in European history with a lot of juicy tidbits about the marriages and affairs of various Royals tossed in to spice things up. I can forgive the various assumptions the writer makes, such as calling Jane Seymour a mealy-mouthed Milquetoast and Marie Antoinette a bubbleheaded spendthrift, because after all, who really knows? At least she didn't repeat the tedious "Let them eat cake" myth.
Great reading but in need of editing and fact checking: (2010-02-08)
Overall, I enjoyed this book tremendously, it covered several centuries of royal marriages in various countries of Europe. Its series of accounts of royal marriages began with Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine through Prince Charles' and his first and second wives, Lady Diana Spencer and Camilla Parker Bowles. All six marriages of Henry VIII are chronicled plus include chapters on legendary matches of Victoria and Albert; Ferdinand and Isabella; Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; the Duke and Duchess of Windsor; and Napoleon and Josephine. Readers should also appreciate the chapters on the stormy marriages of George I and Sophia Dorothea of Celle; Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley; George IV and Caroline of Brunswick as well as the true love matches of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville; Nicholas and Alexandra; and the love gone sour marriage of Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth. The author's writing makes this book absorbing and a must for historians and royal watchers. Carroll includes a bibliography for further reading.
I hope that future books about other royal marriages will be written by this author--there are many others that would be worthy subjects: for example Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh; George V and Queen Mary; Edward VII and Queen Alexandra; Charles I and Henrietta Marie; and Louis Napoleon and Empress Eugenie.
One quibble is the fact checking/editing. For instance: Andrew Parker Bowles is called Tom Parker Bowles at times; Guilford Dudley was not Edward Seymour's son; Princess Diana married at age 20 not age 19; and Prince Charles said "whatever in love means" not "whatever love means."
An excellent book for those already familiar with the royals and to those who are just starting their research on royal couples throughout history.
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