There are a few historical figures that I always gravitate towards. Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, is one of those figures. An accomplished individual in her own right, Louise struggled against the confines of her parents’ edicts and family bonds for much of her life. I was excited to see a new historical fiction novel exploring her formative years as a teen and a young adult. And I have to say, In the Shadow of a Queen, was everything I had hoped it would be!
Thank you to NetGalley and Austenprose for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In the Shadow of a Queen, Heather B. Moore
Princess Louise’s life is upended after her father’s untimely death. Captive to the queen’s overwhelming mourning, Louise is forbidden to leave her mother’s tight circle of control and is eventually relegated to the position of personal secretary to her mother—the same position each of her sisters held until they were married.
Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen’s wrath by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Louise involves herself in the day’s political matters, including championing the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy to finding an acceptable match for her defiant daughter.
Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Victoria, but finding a match for the princess is no easy feat. Protocols are broken, and Louise exerts her own will as she tries to find an open-minded husband who will support her free spirit.
Why You Should Read This…
Princess Louise has long been one of my favourite historical figures. She and most of her siblings quite frankly, very much did spend their lives (and legacy) in the shadow of their mother, and their father. And given that Louise was a strong personality, that must have been infinitely difficult. All of this is to say, I was thrilled to see that Louise would be the focus of a new historical fiction novel.
In The Shadow of a Queen moves through Louise’s childhood to the early years of her marriage. Much discussion of Louise focuses on her later years and marriage, so this was a refreshing look at the Princess’ life. Moore brings Louise and her family members to life and draws on historical figures and events to bring us through the story. I appreciated that Bertie was given quite a leading role, and she showcased just how complex his life really was.
Each chapter opened with a different letter; I think that the epistolary format helped to provide context and move things along without becoming clumsy or overdone! (Also, VERY happy to see that Q. Victoria’s journals weren’t used for this, because they can be quite cumbersome.) It allows us as readers to hear more from her siblings and those around the family, which only added to the story.
My favourite section of the book was seeing Victoria and Louise looking for Louise’s future husband. In the twenty-first century, it may seem absurd that she could not just go out and meet someone, but that was not reality. Her husband had to be carefully chosen, and he would stand in a difficult spot in the royal family. (Like most of the other in-law children…) And yes, although he would be The Duke of Argyll, he was still a commoner!
All in all, I think that this is a great book for anyone interested in Victoria, Downton Abbey, or The Crown!
Is In the Shadow of a Queen on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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