The story of five women who shared one of the most extraordinary and privileged sisterhoods of all time.Vicky, Alice, Helena, and Beatrice were historically unique sisters, born to a sovereign who ruled over a quarter of the earth’s people and who gave her name to an era: Queen Victoria. Two of these princesses would themselves produce children of immense consequence. All five would curiously … curiously come to share many of the social restrictions and familial machinations borne by nineteenth-century women of less-exulted class.
Victoria and Albert’s precocious firstborn child, Vicky, wed a Prussian prince in a political match her high-minded father hoped would bring about a more liberal Anglo-German order. That vision met with disaster when Vicky’s son Wilhelm– to be known as Kaiser Wilhelm– turned against both England and his mother, keeping her out of the public eye for the rest of her life. Gentle, quiet Alice had a happier marriage, one that produced Alexandra, later to become Tsarina of Russia, and yet another Victoria, whose union with a Battenberg prince was to found the present Mountbatten clan. However, she suffered from melancholia and died at age thirty-five of what appears to have been a deliberate, grief-fueled exposure to the diphtheria germs that had carried away her youngest daughter. Middle child Helena struggled against obesity and drug addition but was to have lasting effect as Albert’s literary executor. By contrast, her glittering and at times scandalous sister Louise, the most beautiful of the five siblings, escaped the claustrophobic stodginess of the European royal courts by marrying a handsome Scottish commoner, who became governor general of Canada, and eventually settled into artistic salon life as a respected sculptor. And as the baby of the royal brood of nine, rebelling only briefly to forge a short-lived marriage, Beatrice lived under the thumb of her mother as a kind of personal secretary until the queen’s death.
Principally researched at the houses and palaces of its five subjects in London, Scotland, Berlin, Darmstadt, and Ottawa– and entertainingly written by an experienced biographer whose last book concerned Victoria’s final days– Victoria’s Daughters closely examines a generation of royal women who were dominated by their mother, married off as much for political advantage as for love, and finally passed over entirely with the accession of their n0 brother Bertie to the throne. Packard provides valuable insights into their complex, oft-tragic lives as daughters of their time.
more
I love historical stories and this was as close as possible to giving us a window into not only Queen Victoria’s reign but her legacy through her children.
The historical details are sometimes difficult to follow, but it is fascinating history. Victoria’s children are remarkably diverse. Their lives are not the happiest. Their influence on history is worth knowing.
I found most of the book interesting because these were real people and this was real history. But, for me anyway, when one of the daughters married some European nobility, which was most of the time, there was an excruciating history of the minor royal family the daughter was marrying into. I could have done with a few paragraphs on that, instead of chapters.
The book started out well, but became tedious by the end.
I’m only about half way through and was getting bored. And, I love history. I’ll try to finish later.
Well written and informative. In the process of learning what happened to each of Victoria’s daughters you learn a great deal of European history.
I felt rather sorry for the daughters who had their lives dictated to them by family husbands and dynasties
Being the daughter of Queen Victoria was not an easy task. The book centers on their lives away from their overbearing mother.
If you have been watching the Queen Victoria series, you will have questioned the historical accuracy of the presentation. With good reason. This book follows the lives of female progeny of this queen. It is an accurate, interesting account which most readers will find fascinating. I highly recommend it.
This was a very slow read for me, which is unusual. If you are not a fan of historical minutae, cannot keep a very complex genealogy with many branches of a family tree, or a map of 19th century Europe in your head, this might not appeal to you. The attention to detail is great, but it can be overwhelming. The photos are a bonus.
The story of Victoria’s nine children and forty grandchildren and their fates was fascinating. They lived in a world of European royalty that vanished in WWI. It also showed the dismal state of medicine at the time, as various accidents and illnesses ended their lives in sad ways. A glimpse into what minor royalty was like in the 1800s—all those German duchies before the unification of Germany.
Good book of the history of Queen Victoria’s daughters. Very interesting and entertaining.
There was too much that wasn’t about her daughters. It tended to ramble.
Most biographical books are dry as a desert, but this one is so easy to read! I’m not quite finished with it yet, but I’m loving it so far. If you like the Victorian time period, or Queen Victoria’s family, you’ll like this book.
Interesting historical read. Glad to satisfy my curiosity about the true life people & those royal characters from Queen Victoria’s family & era.
I read it several years ago and I enjoyed it very much.
At times it got difficult to keep up with all the family lines.Also dry at times though very well researched and we’ll written but sefinately not a page Turner. But would make a great read for history buffs.
Oddly fascinating. Who knew?
This book gets down to the nitty gritty in the life of Queen Victoria. It sheds light on the monarchy and the difficulties faced by the royals during the Victorian Era. I have read many books about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, but this one unmasks the queen and the difficulties faced by their children because of Victoria’s attitude toward life. I believe this book shows just how dysfunctional the royal family was because of Victoria’s lack of concern f or her children. This shows all of the narcissistic qualities in Victoria. History should not treat her kindly
I learned a lot about the children of Albert and Victoria (not just the daughters). There were a lot of people to keep track of, but the author did a good job separating the stories. I definitely recommend this book to English history buffs.