Skip to main content

Carolina of Orange-Nassau: Ancestress of the Royal Houses of Europe by Moniek Bloks: A Book Review

Carolina of Orange-Nassau: Ancestress of the Royal Houses of Europe
Author: Moniek Bloks
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography
Publisher: Chronos Books
Release Date: January 25, 2019
Pages: 97
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Carolina of Orange-Nassau (1743 – 1787) was born the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, and Anne, Princess Royal and was thus the granddaughter of King George II. It was upon the King's orders that she was named after his wife, Caroline of Ansbach. She was the first of Anne and William's children to survive to adulthood. When her father was at last made stadtholder of all seven united provinces, Carolina was included in the line of succession, in the event she had no brothers. A brother was eventually born, but due to his weak health, she remained an important figure. Carolina married Charles Christian of Nassau-Weilburg and suffered the loss of half her children, either in childbirth or infancy. Despite this, she acted as regent for her minor brother while heavily pregnant and remained devoted to him and the Dutch republic. Her children married well and her descendants sit upon the royal thrones of Europe, truly making her a grandmother of Europe. 

     My Review: Carolina of Orange-Nassau is whom many of today’s European monarchies consider an ancestor. As important as she was, not many historians have given her a detailed study. This is the first biography in English of this important figure. Carolina of Orange-Nassau is portrayed as a devoted mother and a lover of music.

    Carolina is the granddaughter of King George II and Caroline of Ansbach. Her parents were William IV, the Prince of Orange, and Anne, the Princess Royal. She married Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg. She would give birth to 16 children. Carolina had a passion for arts and was the patroness of Mozart. Unfortunately, Carolina had an illness and died at the age of 44.

   While Carolina’s life was short-lived, it seemed that she was a woman of significance. The author gives us a list of every royal who is descended from her and the list is long. Some of her descendants are King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, King Philippe of Belgium. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Harald V of Norway, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, and King Felipe VI of Spain. Thus, Carolina has made an important contribution to history.

       I was a bit disappointed by this book’s length, which is 97 pages. Because there has not been a biography of this fascinating woman, I was sad that this book was not in-depth and only gave me a brief overview about her life. Instead of a detailed story, the author just gives me a list of dates and facts without much of an explanation of who these people were. For example, the author just gives us a list of Carolina’s husband, but gives us no backstory on him or why Carolina chose him as her husband. Instead of fleshing out the facts on her life, the author spends a chapter on all the castles that Carolina has lived in, which I found interesting but completely irrelevant in a biography. I was also a little disappointed that the author was given access to many of her letters, but only included very few snippets into the book.

     Overall, this was a short and very easy to read biography of Carolina of Orange-Nassau. However, this book had the makings to be an excellent biography, but it was disorganized and not well-formed. I still recommend this for those who have never heard of Carolina and would like to read a light biography on this forgotten royal. However, for those who would like an in-depth biography on her, will still have to wait a little longer. Carolina of Orange-Nassau does bring a significant woman out from obscurity.

Rating 2 ½  out of 5 stars

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of The Bondwoman's Narrative by Gregg Hecimovich: A Book Review

  The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of the Bondwoman’s Narrative Author: Gregg Hecimovich Genre: History, Nonfiction, Biography  Publisher: Ecco Release Date: 2023 Pages: 430 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A groundbreaking study of the first Black female novelist and her life as an enslaved woman, from the biographer who solved the mystery of her identity, with a foreword by Henry Louis Gates Jr.       In 1857, a woman escaped enslavement on a North Carolina plantation and fled to a farm in New York. In hiding, she worked on a manuscript that would make her famous long after her death. The novel, The Bondwoman’s Narrative, was first published in 2002 to great acclaim, but the author’s identity remained unknown. Over a decade later, Professor Gregg Hecimovich unraveled the mystery of the author’s name and, in The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, hefinally tells her story.   ...

Nell: Marshal of Bodie (The Nell Doherty Mysteries #1) by John Edward Mullen: A Book Review

Nell: Marshal of Bodie (The Nell Doherty Mysteries #1) Author: John Edward Mullen Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense, Western  Publisher: Murders in Time Press Release Date: 2022 Pages: 300 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In the winter of 1892, the once-vibrant gold-mining town of Bodie, California is in serious decline.        Nell Doherty, an 18-year-old young woman with a wooden leg, dreams of leaving and becoming a Pinkerton detective.       When a tragic shooting presents her with an opportunity to prove she has the skills needed to work for the Pinkertons, Bodie’s justice of the peace deputizes Nell — over the loud objections of the majority of the town’s residents.      Can she prove them all wrong?       Nell digs in and investigates the shooting, with the help of Rags, her half-Irish, half-Chinese be...

The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick: A Book Review

The King’s Jewel Author: Elizabeth Chadwick Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Sphere Release Date: 2023 Pages: 456 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Wales, 1093.      The warm, comfortable family life of young Nesta, daughter of Prince Rhys of Deheubarth, is destroyed when her father is killed and she is taken hostage. Her honour is further tarnished when she is taken as an unwilling concubine by King William's ruthless younger brother Henry, who later ascends the throne under suspicious circumstances.      But it is Nesta's marriage that will really change the course of her life. Gerald FitzWalter, an ambitious young knight, is rewarded for his unwavering loyalty to his new King with Nesta's hand. He is delighted, having always admired her from afar, but Nesta's only comfort is her return to her beloved Wales. There, she cannot help but be tempted by the handsome, charismatic and danger...