Notorious Royal Marriages
Books | History / Europe / Great Britain / General
4.1
Leslie Carroll
From the author of American Princess: The Love Story of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry comes a funny and delightful history of the royal weddings and marriages of Europe’s most famous—and infamous—monarchs. This edition includes bonus chapters!“An irresistible combination of People magazine and the History Channel.”—Chicago Tribune Since time immemorial, royal marriages have had little to do with love—and almost everything to do with diplomacy and dynasty. Clashing personalities have joined in unholy matrimony to form such infamous couples as Russia’s Peter II and Catherine the Great, and France's Henri II and Catherine de Medici—all with the purpose of begetting a male heir. But with tensions high and silverware flying, kings like England’s Henry II have fled to the beds of their nubile mistresses, while queens such as Eleanor of Aquitaine have plotted their revenge... Full of the juicy gossip and bad behavior that characterized Royal Affairs, this book chronicles the love-hate marriages of the crowned heads of Europe—from the Angevins to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry—and ponders how dynasties ever survived at all.
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Author
Leslie Carroll
Pages
528
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2010-01-05
ISBN
1101159774 9781101159774
Community ReviewsSee all
"I picked this up expecting a mildly titillating, historical gossip fest, but was pleasantly surprised. Despite the teasing cover and breezy style, this is a rather poignant account of 32 royal match-ups, ranging from the medieval Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, right through the Diana-Charles-Camilla triangle. The focus is strictly on Europe: you won't find any tidbits about Emperor Hirohito and the Meijii dynasty, or Queen Nzhinga of Angola; but all the iconic European royals make an appearance: Victoria and Albert, Nicholas and Alexandra, Mary Queen of Scots, Napoleon and Josephine, Katherine the Great, and of course Henry VIII, (the Tudor clan accounts for 9 chapters).<br/><br/>To her credit, Carroll focuses on more than the merely salacious, but on the deadly mix of power, gamesmanship and sexuality which marked each of these relationships, destroying the happiness, and frequently the lives of the participants. Edward VIII may have been able to abdicate for "the woman I love", but such tragic figures as Mary Queen of Scots, and Nicholas II were not so lucky; their unfortunate marital choices literally cost them their heads. A recurring theme is the tension between personal desire and duty: royals, especially royal women, did not own their bodies, their hearts, or their children; all were subject to the good of the state, (as Camilla Parker Bowles is only now beginning to discover). <br/><br/>Yet despite the unbearable pressures these young men and women faced to consummate (sometimes in public) and reproduce with near strangers, there are rare stories of tenderness and romantic fulfillment. Victoria's slavish devotion to Albert, even years after his death is legendary, but even the dynastic pairing of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, though a disaster for France, developed into a loving and solid marriage. Mary Rose, Henry VIII's headstrong little sister, endured a frightful arranged marriage to a decrepit king, only to elope with a dashing courtier in defiance of her outraged brother. Nicholas and Alexandra may have been terrible rulers, yet theirs was a true love match and lifelong partnership, surviving religious differences, family interference, a chronically ill child and violent revolution. Few couples, royal or otherwise, can match that achievement.<br/><br/>"
Lesley Williams