I didn’t originally plan it on purpose when I was planning out my Women’s History Month posts, but it turns out that this is a month of group biographies. Not only do I think that group bios are fantastic because we often get to learn more about these lives that may not be given an entire book of their own, we get to see a wider context and how they interact and influence each other. The Interwar period is one of great transitions and flux in Great Britain, especially for the aristocracy- this a fantastic “peek behind the curtain”! Let’s get into Queen Bees by Siân Evans.
Queen Bees: Six Brilliant and Extraordinary Society Hostesses Between the Wars, Siân Evans (Titled Great Hostesses in UK)
In the aftermath of the First World War, the previously strict hierarchies of the British class system were weakened. For a number of ambitious, spirited women, this was the chance they needed to slip through the cracks and take their place at the top of society as the great hostesses of the time. In an age when the place of women was uncertain, becoming a hostess was not a chore, but a career choice, and though some of the hostesses’ backgrounds were surprisingly humble, their aspirations were anything but. During the inter-war years these extraordinary women ruled over London society from their dining tables – entertaining everyone from the Mosleys to the Mitfords, from millionaires to maharajahs, from film stars to royalty – and their influence can still be felt today. Great Hostesses looks at the lives of six of these remarkable women, including Lady Astor, who went on to become the first female MP, and Mrs Greville, who cultivated relationships with Edward VII, as well as Lady Londonderry, Lady Cunard, Laura Corrigan and Lady Colefax.
Written with wit, verve and heart, Great Hostesses is the story of a society on the brink of revolution, and the extraordinary women who helped it happen.
Why You Should Read This…
This book has rather mixed reviews but I very much enjoyed it! (I did the audiobook, fyi,) The six hostesses covered in the book vary wildly in terms of both their social positions and their life stories. We often see the male royals and politicians of the period glamorised (ie. Edward, the Prince of Wales at the time, and Winston Churchill) but fairly little attention gets paid towards the women who ran the social side of society. And it is important to recognise- the social side cannot be diminished or dismissed as trivial. The shooting weekends, parties, and lunches that these women hosted were the setting for countless crucial moments and connections in history. (Even now, we still see the debate of “does networking actually happen after work”?)
It seems that people either love or hate this structure- it is arranged chronologically, meaning we follow all six women at the same time rather than each one’s story start to finish. I loved this, because you get a feeling for the wider context and what was happening at the same time. Their lives were intertwined, and it makes sense to write it that way.
My one suggestion is to look up the six hostesses quickly before starting if you aren’t familiar. You don’t need to read full biographies or anything, just a quick intro to who they are!
Is Queen Bees by Siân Evans on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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