Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are hurtling toward winter. And I don’t mean in terms of celebrations/holidays, it is simply getting very dark, very early. (Daylight Savings Time does not help…) And when that happens, I turn to books. I need to keep myself busy to stay awake and not go to bed at 730pm. (Whenever possible, I try to read over watching television.) So, I thought I would share some of the books that I turn to for long reading sessions. These are some of my favourite royal biographies!
My Favourite Royal Biographies
Mary, Queen of Scots– Antonia Fraser
She was the quintessential queen: statuesque, regal, dazzlingly beautiful. Her royal birth gave her claim to the thrones of two nations; her marriage to the young French dauphin promised to place a third glorious crown on her noble head.
Instead, Mary Stuart became the victim of her own impulsive heart, scandalizing her world with a foolish passion that would lead to abduction, rape and even murder. Betrayed by those she most trusted, she would be lured into a deadly game of power, only to lose to her envious and unforgiving cousin, Elizabeth I. Here is her story, a queen who lost a throne for love, a monarch pampered and adored even as she was led to her beheading, the unforgettable woman who became a legend for all time.
Why You Should Read This…
I will honestly never not recommend this book. Is it the perfect biography? No, I do not believe that exists. However, this is a nuanced and thorough biography of a complex queen who still raises debate and question to this day. And given that it was written in 1969, it is fairly impressive that it remains one of the best books on Mary, Queen of Scots.
I very much appreciate that Fraser takes a balanced approach. She doesn’t worship Mary and will point out her flaws and mistakes, but also highlights her possibility. Fraser remains one of the most engaging biographers I’ve come across, and it more than pays off with this biography.
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, Robert Massie
Pulitzer Prize winner Massie offers the tale of a princess who went to Russia at 14 and became one of the most powerful women in history. Born into minor German nobility, she transformed herself into an empress by sheer determination. Possessing a brilliant, curious mind, she devoured the works of Enlightenment philosophers, and reaching the throne, tried using their principles to rule the vast, backward empire. She knew or corresponded with notable figures of her time: Voltaire, Diderot, Frederick the Great, Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette & John Paul Jones. Wanting to be the “benevolent despot” Montesquieu idealized, she contended with the deeply ingrained realities of Russian life, including serfdom. She persevered, and for 34 years the government, foreign policy, cultural development and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands. She dealt with domestic rebellion, wars & the tides of political change and violence inspired by the French Revolution. Her reputation depended on the perspective of the speaker. She was praised by Voltaire as like the classical philosophers. She was condemned by enemies, mostly foreign, as “the Messalina of the north.” Her family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers and enemies are vividly described. These included her ambitious, scheming mother; her weak, bullying husband, Peter (who left her sexually untouched for nine years after their marriage); her unhappy son & heir, Paul; her beloved grandchildren; and her favorites—the young men from whom she sought companionship and the recapture of youth as well as sex. Here, too, is Gregory Potemkin, her most significant lover & possible husband, with whom she shared a correspondence of love & separation, followed by 17 years of unparalleled mutual achievement. All the qualities that Massie brought to Nicholas & Alexandra and Peter the Great are present: historical accuracy, deep understanding, felicity of style, mastery of detail, ability to shatter myth & a genius for finding and expressing a human drama.
Why You Should Read This….
Another exceptionally talented biographer, I knew that I had to include one of Massie’s biographies here. I settled on Catherine’s biography because I think it is incredibly compelling and balances the history behind this infamous empress with the myths and legends that surround her.
Massie does a fantastic job of introducing and explaining Russian history and culture of the period, which makes this biography all the stronger. (When it comes to historical courts, a lot of people assume the English/British court as the “standard”, but each court is very much separate.) You would think it might be a tedious book but it almost reads like a novel. And if anyone’s life is interesting enough for this treatment, it is Catherine the Great.
Twilight of Empire: The Tragedy at Mayerling and the End of the Habsburgs, Greg King and Penny Wilson
On a snowy January morning in 1889, a worried servant hacked open a locked door at the remote hunting lodge deep in the Vienna Woods. Inside, he found two bodies sprawled on an ornate bed, blood oozing from their mouths. Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary appeared to have shot his seventeen-year-old mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera as she slept, sat with the corpse for hours and, when dawn broke, turned the pistol on himself.
A century has transformed this bloody scene into romantic tragedy: star-crossed lovers who preferred death together than to be parted by a cold, unfeeling Viennese Court. But Mayerling is also the story of family secrets: incestuous relationships and mental instability; blackmail, venereal disease, and political treason; and a disillusioned, morphine-addicted Crown Prince and a naive schoolgirl caught up in a dangerous and deadly waltz inside a decaying empire. What happened in that locked room remains one of history’s most evocative mysteries: What led Rudolf and mistress to this desperate act? Was it really a suicide pact? Or did something far more disturbing take place at that remote hunting lodge and result in murder?
Why You Should Read This….
Mayerling is not as well known with royal history buffs as it should be. Not only was it a horrifically sad and tragic episode in royal history, it truly was a dynasty-ending moment. (Yes, it did not cease to exist with Mayerling but any hope of a future was gone.) And for one of the most powerful dynasties in Europe.
I listened to the audiobook of King and Wilson’s book, and I vividly recall wanting to do more errands so that I could listen more. They are wonderful at giving a much- needed but complex background, as you do need to understand some key elements of Viennese society to truly dig into Mayerling. That being said, there are many moments that will catch you- I found myself incredibly moved several times throughout.
Daughters of the Winter Queen: Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots, Nancy Goldstone
From the great courts, glittering palaces, and war-ravaged battlefields of the seventeenth century comes the story of four spirited sisters and their glamorous mother, Elizabeth Stuart, granddaughter of the martyred Mary, Queen of Scots.
Upon her father’s ascension to the illustrious throne of England, Elizabeth Stuart was suddenly thrust from the poverty of unruly Scotland into the fairy-tale existence of a princess of great wealth and splendor. When she was married at sixteen to a German count far below her rank, it was with the understanding that her father would help her husband achieve the kingship of Bohemia. The terrible betrayal of this commitment would ruin “the Winter Queen,” as Elizabeth would forever be known, imperil the lives of those she loved, and launch a war that would last for thirty years.
Forced into exile, the Winter Queen and her family found refuge in Holland, where the glorious art and culture of the Dutch Golden Age indelibly shaped her daughters’ lives. Her eldest, Princess Elizabeth, became a scholar who earned the respect and friendship of the philosopher René Descartes. Louisa was a gifted painter whose engaging manner and appealing looks provoked heartache and scandal. Beautiful Henrietta Maria would be the only sister to marry into royalty, although at great cost. But it was the youngest, Sophia, a heroine in the tradition of a Jane Austen novel, whose ready wit and good-natured common sense masked immense strength of character, who fulfilled the promise of her great-grandmother Mary and reshaped the British monarchy, a legacy that endures to this day.
Brilliantly researched and captivatingly written, filled with danger, treachery, and adventure but also love, courage, and humor, Daughters of the Winter Queen follows the lives of five remarkable women who, by refusing to surrender to adversity, changed the course of history.
Why You Should Read This….
Goldstone is another one of my favourite biographers. She has written joint biographies of several different royal women from history, and I find that the joint approach has served her very well. These women did not exist in separate bubbles; their stories often intertwine. I will say, these are not academic books and you will find that she sometimes makes some tall claims, but all in all they are well-written.
I’ve enjoyed all of her books but I found this group biography in particular a strong choice. The seventeenth century rather gets “lost” for a lot of royal history buffs. And it is unfortunate, as there is so. Much. happening on the continent during this period. Daughters of the Winter Queen follows this expanding family line across Europe as Elizabeth and her daughters find their own paths. I think it is a great choice for people who mainly focus on the British Royal Family because it does tie in but also emphasises that they are very much connected to other courts and families.
Queen of the World: Elizabeth II: Sovereign and Stateswoman, Robert Hardman
Written by renowned royal biographer, Robert Hardman, and with privileged access to the Royal Family and the Royal Household, this is a brilliant new portrait of the most famous woman in the world and her place in it.
On today’s world stage, there is one leader who stands apart from the rest. Queen Elizabeth II has seen more of the planet and its people than any other head of state and has engaged with the world like no other monarch in modern history.
The iconic monarch never ventured further than the Isle of Wight until the age of 20 but since then has now visited over 130 countries across the globe in the line of duty, acting as diplomat, hostess and dignitary as the world stage as changed beyond recognition. It is a story full of drama, intrigue, exotic and sometimes dangerous destinations, heroes, rogues, pomp and glamour, but at the heart of it all a woman who’s won the hearts of the world.
Why You Should Read This….
I know, I know, there are many biographies of Queen Elizabeth II to choose from. However, this Hardman biography still stands out to me. Each chapter covers QEII’s relationship and history with a different country. It sounds basic but it is a) a way to learn about events and episodes that you might not have heard of (because quite frankly, journalists keep trotting out the same anecdotes), and b) countries that are often ignored are finally in the spotlight. (Yes, we get that the UK and US have a “special relationship”, we don’t need to only read about that…)
This is not a personal memoir in which you will discover a salacious new tidbit or scandal, but rather a look at the late Queen’s professional life through the lens of geography. And I have to say, that approach really worked for me. (Hardman’s other biographies of the royals are also fantastic.) There are an overwhelming number of books about Elizabeth, and this is one that I keep returning to.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed my favourite royal biographies!
Cheers,
The Historian
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