Despite the title, this is a lively jaunt through ALL the royal courts of Europe, not just that of Great Britain, and is all the better for it – because she points up the intricate genealogical ties that bind the families together.
And what dysfunctional families they are! Here in all their craziness and cruelty are the big royal names of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. They were traumatised by childhood neglect, riven by hatred, forced into marriage, separated from their true loves, abused, indulged, ignored and lauded. Sometimes murdered. These are fascinating human stories, some of them not known to me. I learned a lot, and I was completely hooked.
Political events are described succinctly so that the essential humanity of the characters shines through. Curzon has wisely divided the book into sections – Birth, Marriage, Scandal and Death – so that we can follow some of the personalities through from their beginnings to their deaths. The style friendly and accessible without ever being simplistic.
Catherine Curzon, who writes online as ‘Madame Gilflurt’, is one of the biggest names in Georgian era
blogging. She is also an accomplished writer of fiction.
Highly recommended.
Life in the Georgian Court by Catherine Curzon
Publisher: Pen & Sword
£15.99
ISBN: 9781473845510
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