During her sixty-three-year reign, Queen Victoria gathered around herself a household dedicated to her service. For some, royal employment was the defining experience of their lives; for others it came as an unwelcome duty or as a prelude to greater things. Serving Victoria follows the lives of six members of her household, from the governess to the royal children, from her maid of honor to her … honor to her chaplain and her personal physician.
Drawing on their letters and diaries—many hitherto unpublished—Serving Victoria offers a unique insight into the Victorian court, with all its frustrations and absurdities, as well as the Queen herself, sitting squarely at its center. Seen through the eyes of her household as she traveled among Windsor, Osborne, and Balmoral, and to the French and Belgian courts, Victoria emerges as more vulnerable, more emotional, more selfish, more comical, than the austere figure depicted in her famous portraits. We see a woman who was prone to fits of giggles, who wept easily and often, who gobbled her food and shrank from confrontation but insisted on controlling the lives of those around her. We witness her extraordinary and debilitating grief at the death of her husband, Albert, and her sympathy toward the tragedies that afflicted her household.
Witty, astute, and moving, Serving Victoria is a perfect foil to the pomp and circumstance—and prudery and conservatism—associated with Victoria’s reign, and gives an unforgettable glimpse of what it meant to serve the Queen.
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I enjoyed it immensely.
Boring.
Interesting but not not great
So interesting to hear about the people who served Victoria.
Taken from letters, diaries, and journals of Queen Victoria’s household staff and the Queen herself, the book certainly projects a different picture of the queen than the PBS series “Victoria.” Victoria was self-absorbed, selfish, immature, whiny, and a “drama queen” who relished funerals, enjoyed wallowing in grief, and claimed she was overworked, despite doing virtually nothing other than controlling everyone’s lives. While neglecting her duties, she spent inordinate time deciding who would sit where at dinner, determining the servant pecking-order, limiting the time household members could spend with their families, and generally being a pain in the neck. She dressed as such a frump that even the gentlemen of the court commented on it. It brings a whole new meaning to the term “Victorian Age.”
This was very interesting in telling the stories of lots of employees of Queen Victoria. There were parts that got long winded, but for the most part it was very informative and an easy read. Some of the things those poor people were expected to do!
It was interesting and very informative of what Queen Victoria was like and how she managed her homes, children and servants. I felt compassion for the maids who served at her beck and call, and for those who advised her. It was a complicated existence, and not always rewarding. Because she had been so sheltered as a child, she really had no idea how her subjects lived and how her actions would affect them.
Well written and informative.
I only read about half of this book as I found the information interesting but seemed to be boring.
Collective letters, etc. of those who served Queen Victoria to the end of her life. Interesting insight to the times.
A little slow, but I was looking for a historical read and this book was wonderful. Bye the end, each character was a strong independent individual.
With the PBS series running, I am glad I read this. It gives factual information from those who served Victoria. It does get a little wordy, even for a history buff but still full of interesting facts.
This book transported me to a fascinating time and provided an inside look at arguably Britain’s most famous ruler. Well written
It’s been awhile since I read it. But it gave me a good idea of Queen Victoria’s personality and thoughts.
I enjoyed it.
wanted to read quotations from diary not authors synopsis
Dry and boring, but informative if you are interested in British history. Watching PBS “Victoria” on Masterpiece Theater and wanted to see how close the series came to viewpoints in this book.
AFter watching Victoria on PBS, it was fascinating to read about the ‘real’ Victoria and her household. Loved the book.
It was too dry for me. I was excited to read because I have been into Masterpiece Theaters Victoria series. It just didn’t keep my interest.
Puts the reader there – living with Victoria in her time. Also gives personal insights about historical politicians and regal figures plus life in the backstairs .
It looks like the people who made PBS’s Victoria read the book. Kind of interesting, but not compelling.