If all you want is names and dates, then _Burke's Guide to the Royal Family_ is a better, more detailed source. But if you want more juice, the slightly gossipy chapters of this book -- one chapter per family group -- are informative and well-illustrated, and filled with odd tidbits . . . such as the fact that Queen Margarethe of Denmark is an artist who has designed her country's Christmas seals and also illustrated an edition of _The Lord of the Rings._

If you are wondering where Victoria's descendants are, this is the book for you. It is in two parts. The first part focuses on the families with many pictures from the author's own collection. The second part focuses on the genealogical information. The format is lucid and newcomers should have no trouble following the family lines. I highly recommend this book. It is a great addition to anyone's royal or historical library.

Queen Victoria's Descendants lists every known descendant of the queen as of the date of writing. It's a good starting point for those interested in royal history and a valuable reference work for historians and royal genealogists, but it's also an eye-opener for those who think Victoria's descendants are all rich, idle jet-setters.

I strongly recommend this book.

Nice book, a good buy if u're interested in history and stuff. By the end, u feel like u know her majesty, Queen Victoria really well. It's also pretty engrossing. But it's nothing very different from the conventional stuff. Still a highly recommended buy.

This is the third volume in Jean Plaidy's well-written "Queens of England" series of books. In it, the author details the life and reign of Queen Victoria, from her rise as a young, sheltered princess to a Queen who would give her name to an era. For over sixty years, Victoria ruled over England, longer than any monarch before her or since.

As in all the books in the "Queens of England" series, it is written in a first person narrative, creating an intimacy of style that makes the book all the more compelling and immensely readable. Replete with fascinating period detail, political machinations, public personages, and historical events that were a part of Queen Victoria's life, the author builds a sympathetic, three dimensional portrait of a woman and queen.

The author recounts the early years of Victoria and her ascension to the throne, firmly rooting the house of Hanover in English history. She takes the reader through the Queen's marriage to Prince Albert from their early innocent, halcyon days to the later, more troubled ones that would give fruit to a mature and abiding love that would span a lifetime. The book recounts the births of their numerous children, and the joys and sorrows that they would bring Victoria. The premature death of her husband at the age of forty, however, would mark Victoria for the remainder of her long life.

The often fractious relationships Victoria would have with some of her Prime Ministers is recounted, as are the one ones that were more harmonious. Familial relationships, scandals, and intrigues would also have their impact, not just on Victoria's immediate family, but on the monarchy and the world, as well. Such is the lot of a royal family, and Victoria's was no different. World events and their effect on the British Empire also pepper this book, and at the center of it all was the indomitable Queen Victoria, a monarch for the ages.

This is a wonderful book that those with a penchant for historical fiction will, no doubt, enjoy. Ms. Plaidy is a master storyteller, seamlessly weaving a tapestry of events and personalities that make this book one to be savored.

This book gives incredible insight into the world of Victoria's England and the politics that reside therein. It's saturated with history yet so engrossing you barely notice. I strongly recommend this book.

In this, her fifth book in the Plantagenet series, Jean Plaidy, renowned writer of historical fiction also known to her devoted fans as Victoria Holt, tackles the two most powerful women of the early thirteenth century, Isabella of Angouleme, the Dowager Queen of England, and Blanche, the Dowager Queen of France.

The heartbreakingly beautiful and sensual Isabella, a woman with little motherly instincts, had been married to King John of England, the most depraved, dissolute, and evil tyrant ever to rule over England, when she was just a child of twelve. John had been the youngest son of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England. Unfortunately, he did not follow in the footsteps of his father in terms of his ability to govern his widespread kingdom. When John died a mysterious death, both Isabella and England were freed from his tyranny, and his and Isabella's eldest son, though a mere boy of nine at the time, became King Henry III of England. Isabella was now the Dowager Queen of England.

Meanwhile, across the English Channel in France, Blanche, the granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England, had married Louis VIII of France. Her grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had handpicked her for that explicit purpose, as Eleanor had sensed in Blanche one such as she, a person with the wit and drive to be a strong queen. The marriage of Blanche and Louis had been a happy one, until an untimely death took Louis, who had been a well-meaning, though weak, king. Their handsome son, Louis, would become King Louis IX of France at the age of twelve. The beautiful Blanche, a virtuous and regal woman, was now the Dowager Queen of France.

When Isabella and Blanche would meet, it was clear that neither woman had much love for the other. When King John of England died, Isabella remarried Count Hugh of Lusignan, the man to whom she had originally been betrothed a lifetime ago, before King John had abducted her and made her his child bride. The fact that Joanna, her daughter with John, was now betrothed to Hugh did not deter Isabella from her determination to marry her first love. So, in addition to being the Dowager Queen of England, Isabella became a Countess through her marriage to Hugh, who was a vassal of France.

This was an untenable situation for Isabella, who despised Blanche and refused to give her and her son the homage that they were due. Isabella ruled her husband Hugh through her ability to provide many amorous and sensuous delights, causing him to commit many grave errors in judgment that were to cause much disharmony in his life. Isabella was single-minded in her determination to cause Blanche as much trouble as possible. She plotted and intrigued against the French crown and no perfidy was too great, encouraging her son, Henry, to try to regain the lands that his father, King John, had recklessly lost to the French. Blanche, however, was not oblivious to Isabella's hatred of her and, being a clever woman, made the necessary moves to keep her in check. One day, however, Isabella went too far and attempted the ultimate act of treason. It was an act that was to cause the tempestuous Isabella of Angouleme to come to an ignominious end.

This is a well-written and interesting work of historical fiction, revolving around two women who wielded a great deal of influence in early thirteenth century England and France. Replete with historical detail, the author paints a living picture of the political intrigues of the day. Historical figures are made three dimensional, adding a vibrancy to this enjoyable book, which those who love historical fiction of this period should enjoy.

This is a wonderful book! it is part of the plantagenet series and as the rest is beautifully written and full of historical information. Highly reccomended!

María Estuardo(Mary, Queen of Scots) fue la figura central de un complot político, que le costó finalmente la vida. Esta mujer, que fue reina de Escocia, de Francia, y firme aspirante al trono de Inglaterra, vivió en el siglo XVI, en un tiempo de cruentas guerras religiosas entre católicos y protestantes. Vivió en prisión durante casi 20 años, buscando la compasión de la Reina de Inglaterra, hasta su juicio y fatal desenlace en el castillo-prisión de Fotheringay. Si usted es un apasionado de la novela histórica, este es un libro que no debe dejar de leer...

This is historical fiction at its finest. Masterfully written, the author weaves a spellbinding tapestry of events that chronicles the life of Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scots, while in captivity.

The book details her stay at the castle on the island of Lochleven in Scotland, while at the mercy of her illegitimate half brother and self-proclaimed Regent, the Earl of Moray. It recounts her daring escape from her Scottish captors, as well as her woefully misguided decision to flee to Enland, rather than to France or Spain.

Instead of the succor that the beautiful, charming, and very Catholic Mary, an anointed Queen, expected to receive from her cousin, the wily and Protestant Elizabeth I of England, Mary found, instead, an uneasy captivity. From the moment of her entry to England, she was in effect a prisoner, commuted from castle to castle with a never ending succession of jailers whose task was to ensure that she did not escape. It was a captivitry that was to span nineteen years.

Filled with the political intrigues and conspiracies that abounded in sixteenth century England and Scotland, the book paints a sympathetic portrait of Mary, a queen that ruled with her heart, rather than with her head. She was a woman who was at a disadvantage in negotiating with her cousin, as Elizabeth, unlike Mary, ruled with her head and not with her heart. Elizabeth was very much aware of the political realities of the time and sensitive to Mary's own claim by blood to the English throne, making Mary someone to be kept in check, rather than helped.

Based upon actual historical figures and events, the author creates three dimensional characters and infuses them with all the pomp and pageantry of the time. It is a stirringly written narrative that fully engages the reader. Those who love historical fiction, as well as those who have an interest in the life of Mary Stuart, the beleaguered Queen of Scots, will most certainly enjoy this book, as will anyone who simply loves a well written and compelling story.

This is the story of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII of England by Catherine of Aragon. The book tells of her life and how she secured the crown after her step-brother Edward VI died, despite conspiracies to prevent this becoming so.

Jean Plaidy, known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, continues her "Queens of England" series of books with this, her sixth volume. It is a well written and engrossing work of historical fiction written as a first person narrative by Mary Tudor, daughter of King Henry VIII of England and Queen Katherine. Mary would eventually become Queen of England in her own right and leave a legacy whereby her subjects would remember her as "Bloody Mary".

As the only child of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, the future seemed rosy for the Princess Mary. She lived a fairytale life until her father, obsessed with begetting a male heir, fell for the charms of Anne Boleyn. From that moment on, life would never be the same for Mary. Her world was torn asunder, as her father became someone whom she did not recognize. His cruelties to her and her mother, Katherine, would leave an indelible mark on her life. Divorcing her mother to marry the notorious Anne Boleyn and splitting from the Catholic Church of Rome, Henry would set England on a course that would change history. It would also serve to reinforce Mary's Catholicism, the faith of her pious, long suffering mother.

Upon the death of her father, Mary would, along with her half sister Elizabeth, daughter of Henry and Anne Boleyn, become a pawn in the political intrigues of the day in which religion would become a focal issue. When Mary became Queen after the premature death of her sickly half brother, Edward VI, son of her father, Henry, and his hapless third wife, Jane Seymour, she tried to make England return to the Catholic Church of Rome. Under the guidance of some of her advisors, she would make horrific examples of those who would fail to embrace what she viewed as the true faith, a policy that would not endear her to her subjects. This, unfortunately, would be her legacy and would, ultimately, shape the future religious identity of England.

This is an absorbing story of one woman's struggle to survive the vicissitudes of life, the feckless love of her father, the King, the political intrigues of her day, the threat of imprisonment and death, and a loveless and childless marriage to Phillip of Spain. It is the story of a woman whose road to the throne was paved with many obstacles, and her ultimate acquisition of the crown would confer little happiness upon her. It is a spellbinding account of a life lived entirely in the shadow of the crown.

This is the first volume in the Georgian saga by Jean Plaidy, a master storyteller and prolific writer of historical fiction. It is the tragic tale of a German Princess who would go on to become the wife and captive princess of the uncouth boor who would one day be crowned as George I of England.

William of Celle and his wife Eleanore had a beautiful, pampered daughter, Sophia Dorothea. His younger brother, Ernest Augustus, ruled in the rival principality of Hanover. He was married to Sophia, daughter of the King of Bohemia. Together they had a number of children, the oldest of whom was George Lewis, an ugly, coarse, and boorish man, born to be a soldier, rather than a statesman or diplomat.

There came a time when Sophia Dorothea, as a result of some underhanded political intrigues, was forced into a loveless marriage with her first cousin, George Lewis, much to her and her mother's despair and dismay. George Lewis was also not thrilled with the match, given as he was to coarser delights. Sophia Dorothea, however, tried to make the most of her unpleasant situation, buoyed by her own innate charm and disposition.

In the end, however, Sophia Dorothea became undone by her love for the dashing Count Konigsmarck of Sweden. Through the political machinations and intrigues of the jealous and sexually insatiable Clara von Platen, her father-in-law's long time mistress and Konigsmarck's spurned lover, Sophia Dorothea and Count Konigsmarck were betrayed. Ruined, Sophia Dorothea ended her days as a captive princess, the tragic and pitied Princess of Celle. George Lewis would go on to undeserved heights as George I of England, and the house of Hanover would become a force with which to be reckoned.

This is a wonderful account of the tragedy that befell Sophia Dorothea and an excellent one of how the house of Hanover rose to prominence in England. Well written and absorbing, it is a page turning book for all those who enjoy historical fiction.

Of Jean Plaidy's Georgian Saga books I've read so far, I rate this one the best because it has a more complex and satisfying plot. But then, this is one of the most fascinating of the romantic tragedies the British monarchy has given to the world. This book is a damned good bodice-ripper--full of lust, passion, jealousy and intrigue in the Court of Hanover. Unfortunately, the beautiful princess is not rescued by her handsome lover but is imprisoned by her loathsome husband who goes on to become King George I of England.

The story of the beautiful, tragic Sophia Dorothea is well told by this artful translator of historic biography. Plaidy's novels are fairly close to historical fact without being tediously so.

"Queen Victoria's Grandchildren" is not particularly long-- about 130 pages-- but it is large-format (about 8 1/2 by 11 inches). It is a photographic tribute to Queen Victoria's grandchildren. It has been divided into sections, one section for each of the grandchildren. These vary in length from one page to five pages. Except for two grandchildren who died in very young infancy, at least one photograph-- usually more-- is included with each section. I've read a lot of books on Queen Victoria and her various offspring, and many of the photos are new even to me. There is a slight bias, of course, to the more-photographed grandchildren. (A lot of photographs of King George V, Queen Marie of Rumania, and Empress Alexandra of Russia, etc.) But two or three pictures are included of all of them, including the ever-elusive ones who died in childhood (except for the two babies). I especially enjoyed finding a picture of the ever-elusive Prince Frederick (Frittie) of Hesse.

The text serves more as a synopsis of the person's life to provide background for the pictures; there are no real analyses or insights. The writing is usually very simplistic, but get this book for the pictures.

This book provides a wonderful history of the grandchildren of Queen Victoria. As well as being detailed and interesting, this book is also rich in photos of the royal family. Through this book, the reader can gain clear insights into this fascinating family and their unique personalities and how their intermarriage linked all of the houses of Europe together. A helpful family tree is also included, and I liked the format of this book, the way it was divided into sections.

This book about Victoria's daughters was very entertaining and informative but sometimes a little contradictory and shaky on the facts. There is alot of information that you don't get in other books about Victoria and her family which is really interesting. The only problems are that the author contradicts himself, especially in regard to the oldest, Victoria. An Uncommon Women describes her much better. Overall this was a very informative book and I'd recommend it, but I'd also recommend that other books about the subject be read also.

Starting when I was a small girl, I had always found the life of Queen Victoria to be very interesting. When I found this book I could hardly wait to read it. While it did seem to jump around a bit, I found it to be a good read. It had always amazed me that the youngest of Victoria's daughters died one hundred years after the birth of her eldest sister. Now because of this book, I know what happened inbetween.

I was impressed with the book. Having been interested in Victoria and her family for as long as I can remember, it was really nice to read at length about her daughters. Although I have read several books about Victoria's eldest daughter Vicky, I haven't read much about her other 4 daughters in detail until I read this book. It was also nice to find out that although they were princesses, they had feelings and opinions and dreams like we all do.

This is an intimate look into the life of "Vicky," the oldest daughter of Queen Victoria, who is married to Frederick, Crown Prince of Prussia ("Fritz"). Vicky was educated by her father, Prince Albert, and was probably the brightest of their offspring. Queen Victoria was an avid letter writer and expected the same from Vicky. There are numerous, appropriate, excerpts from letters written over the years. The author also manages to weave into the story the political & social climate in Europe that affected the events in Vicky & Fritz's lives. After reading this book I have often wondered if events of the early 20th Century (i.e. WWI & WWII) would have been different had Fritz reigned longer than a few months? At the end of the book, you will feel as though you really "know" the Empress Frederick.

It is difficult to raise Vicky from the pages of history, and so easy to merely dismiss her as another royal, married for the sake of politics, but she is so much more, and Pakula uncovers that.

Vicky is a complex woman, brilliant but without the tact that is so necessary at the Prussian court. Her nemeses, Bismarck, and later, her own son, Wilhelm II, ensure that none of Vicky's liberal ideas are ever implemented. Her husband waits 30 years to get on the throne and then dies 9 days later.

The oldest daughter of Queen Victoria had a happy marriage, a husband who adored her, and an absolutely disastrous political life. History would have been so much different had she been allowed to succeed her mother, instead of Bertie.

Vicky, Princess Royal of Great Britain and Empress Frederick of Germany, was raised by her parents Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with a specific purpose. She was to be the instrument by which the divided Germany of her youth was to be unified and remade in the image of Britain, a constitutional monarchy with leanings towards liberal democracy. Vicky did her best to accomplish this, and to a point she succeeded. She was a great and positive influence on her husband Frederick (Fritz) and helped wean him away from the Prussian militarism in which he had been raised. Unfortunately, Vicky was unable to overcome the influence of Otto von Bismarck on her father in law Kaiser William I. Bismarck united Germany, but as an absolute monarchy with only a travesty of representative government. More tragic was Vicky's failure to influence her son and Fritz's heir, the future Kaiser William II. When "Willy" came to the throne after Fritz's tragic death in 1888, he inexorably led Germany down the road to World War I.

Since Vicky failed, why read her story? Because she was a brilliant, brave, charming, stubborn woman dedicated to her principles. She loved her family and both her countries with all her heart. Today she should be remembered as a woman who could have changed so much history for the better had she only had the chance.

In the beginning, the book is confusing and doesn't spark the reader's interest. Victoria makes continual references to someone she calls "a Certain Person," and a group of people she calls "Them." When I first started to read the book, I couldn't infer which of the characters she was talking about. However, once the reader has figured who the "Certain Person" is, the book is much easier to read, and becomes interesting.

Victoria's life may look lavish and appealing on the outside, but she feels that she has no privacy. Her actions are carefully watched. She is worried that someone will find her diary (which is actually a ledger used to record cows' names) and show it to her mother's advisor, Captain Conroy. She records her frustration at Captain Conroy and how he is controlling her mother. She writes about her uncle, the King of England, and her fears about his health. She is afraid of and can't stand another of her uncles, Uncle Cumberland, and his spoiled son George.

After you've gotten through the beginning, this book is an excellent read.

Ten-year-old Victoria is a princess, but her life is anything but easy. Her father died when she was less than a year old, and she has no memories of him. Being a princess means having no privacy, which is why she decides to write her personal thoughts and feelings down in a secret diary. She describes her life at Kensington Palace, attending parties, going on summer holidays by the sea, her tiresome lessons, her dislike and distrust of her mother's financial advisor, her worries over the deteriorating health of her uncle, who is the King, and more. In this book, the young Victoria, between ages ten and twelve, comes alive as a very real girl with feelings, hopes, and dreams. I highly reccomend this newest book from the Royal Diaries series.

Ten-year-old Victoria might be the princess of England but her life is horrible. Being the princess deprives her of all her privacy except for the secret diary which is her only refuge. Her personal thougts can only be a secret there. In her precious diary she describes the fact that her father the former King of England who died when she was just a baby, and the sad fact that she has not a single memory of him, and the fact that for this reason her mother treats her like a baby and won't allow her to have a regular life fearful she would get sick. She also describes her life with the tiresome parties, lessons, and going to the palace by the sea. However she also has bigger things to worry about such as her mother's personal advisor who she feels is up to no good and distrustful while handling the fact the her uncle, now the King of England's health is deterioting. Young Victoria pours her feeling out in this book on her hopes, aspiration, and the duty of being princess that weighs down on her. In this book about the longest ruling queen of England you will truly see the feelings of a young girl who is truly helpless about the world around her but still carries hope. In many ways you can relate some of her life to ours today. I love this new Royal Diaries book and I think this debut title by Anne Kirwan couldn't have been better!