Back again, with another book bite! Although life somehow feels busier when you don’t have to go somewhere, I’m grateful to have a bit more reading time on my hands. I find that I am choosier about what I read these days. And by that I mean that I will pick up 5 different books before settling on one…. I’ve got quite a few royal biographies waiting to be read, as you could imagine. And after starting several, this Queen Mary biography has more than kept my attention this week!
King George V and Queen Mary tend to get brushed off for their more exciting relatives. Edward VII, George’s father, the perennial playboy? His antics kept the nation enthralled for decades. The Prince of Wales aka Edward VIII aka the Duke of Windsor? Still a popular topic. However George and Mary deserve their spotlight- Mary is one of my favourite modern royals! And I’m glad I’ve been saving this Queen Mary biography, as it’s been a highlight of this weird time…
Queen Mary, James Pope-Hennessy
As official biographer, the author had access to private papers which helped unfold the moving story of Princess May of Teck’s impoverished childhood, her significant reign and her old age as the much admired Queen Dowager; she saw her fiancee, husband and three sons die, and another abdicate before her own death in 1953.
I was saving this James Pope-Hennessy biography of Queen Mary to compare with Anne Edward’s Matriarch. And it absolutely hasn’t disappointed. Written in the late 1950s shortly after her death, it is an exciting and encompassing biography. I admit, I have two chapters left, but it’s really brought Princess May of Teck to life. Pope-Hennessy’s research is second to none, and his style is effortless. The only thing to consider is length- at over 700 pages, it is a reading investment. However, this might be the perfect time to dig in…
If you are interest in Queen Mary’s fashion, you can read my thoughts on her dresses in the Royal Women exhibition in Bath!
What is your favourite Queen Mary biography?
Cheers,
The Historian
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