The Real Queen Charlotte: Inside the Bridgerton Court by Catherine Curzon: A Book Review

The Real Queen Charlotte: Inside the Bridgerton Court
Author: Catherine Curzon
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography
Publisher: Pen and Sword History
Release Date: 2022
Pages: 224
Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Known to millions as the imperious matriarch of Bridgerton’s court, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was still a teenager when she was chosen to be the bride of King George III. Shy, innocent, and sheltered, the orphaned princess and her youthful groom carried the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.

The placid and unassuming young couple symbolized a new beginning, but soon those hopes began to sour. Charlotte and George’s marriage lasted for nearly 60 years and produced more than a dozen children, but it was beset by unrest at home, war in the colonies, and the king’s encroaching madness.

As the royal couple battled against their critics, their political opponents, and sometimes even their own family, Charlotte learned what it really meant to be queen. Locked in a bitter struggle with her eldest son for the king’s future and with her daughters for their freedom, the timid young girl grew into an insular and domineering woman that few dared to cross.

Shouldering the burden of family disputes, ambitious courtiers, and the care of the man she adored, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz presided over one of the most tumultuous eras that the monarchy has ever seen. As tragic as it was glittering, this is the story of her extraordinary life.

My Review: Queen Charlotte has recently become a popular icon for being featured in the highly acclaimed series, Bridgerton. There is a tv series based on her life coming out soon. Yet, this biography of Queen Charlotte proves that she was different from what the drama has portrayed her to be. Queen Charlotte was a German princess who married King George III. She initially had a good relationship, but When King George III started his descent into madness, Queen Charlotte’s happy married life was over.

Queen Charlotte was a woman who experienced many tragedies. She was a queen who was not interested in politics but was interested in solely caring for her family. She would grow to become a lonely, suspicious, and bitter woman. Yet, she remained dutiful to her husband. Queen Charlotte was also very charitable. There were times that I did not agree with her actions. She was very strict, especially with her daughters. Still, I found her to be a very tragic figure. She had to deal with her husband’s madness, and the pain knowing that her husband had already forgotten her.

Overall, this was a very comprehensive, though short, biography of Queen Charlotte. Because it is very concise, the biography does not go into much detail about her. Instead, it only highlights the major events of her life. Thus, I wished that it was longer because I think there is enough information to make a full book. Still, this is a good introduction to Queen Charlotte, and it allowed me to separate fact from fiction. I just hoped to look for a more in-depth biography on her. I recommend this for fans of The First Iron Lady, The Lost Queen, and The Georgian Princesses!

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley: A Book Review

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) Author: Lucinda Riley Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Atria Release Date: 2015 Pages: 463 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to

A Noble Cunning: The Countess and the Tower by Patricia Bernstein: A Book Review

A Noble Cunning: The Countess and the Tower Author: Patricia Bernstein Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: History Through Fiction Release Date: March 7, 2023 Pages: 266 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A Noble Cunning is a novel based on the true story of persecuted Catholic noblewoman Winifred Maxwell, who rescued her husband from the Tower of London with the help of a group of devoted women friends in 1716. A Noble Cunning is a novel based on the life of Winifred Herbert Maxwell (1680-1749), who became the Countess of Nithsdale in 1699. Set amidst the 1715 Rebellion against England’s first German king, George I, the novel depicts the ruthless persecution of Catholics and the relentless determination of protagonist Bethan Glentaggart to save the life of husband Gavin after he is captured and condemned to death. Bethan faces down a mob attack on her home, travels alone from the Scottish Lowlands to London through one of the wo

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath

History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Search This Blog