|
|
| Plot Summary of Childhood at Court 1819-1914 |
|---|
"Childhood at court 1819-1914
John Van der Kiste
Sutton (Stroud, UK), 2004
ISBN: 0750934379
This book examines the lives of princes and princesses during the Victorian and Edwardian era. The lonely formative years of Princess Victoria of Kent, later Queen Victoria, are covered in detail, and contrasted to the lively nursery days of her own nine children, and in turn of their children as well.
Among the royal children we meet in these pages are Prince Waldemar of Prussia (who sadly died of diphtheria at the age of 11), who enjoyed collecting fossils on the Isle of Wight and terrifying the Queen, his grandmother, with a pet crocodile, at Osborne House; Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, the first prince to attend public school and who enjoyed cricket much more than his studies; Princess Alice of Albany; and Prince Louis of Battenberg, who was excited when he was allowed to record his voice on a wax cylinder.
The royal matriarchs differed greatly in their attitude to children. Queen Victoria found babies to be ugly and 'very froglike', whereas Queen Alexandra, who adored youngsters, still gave children's parties to her children when they were adults.
The lives of other children who visited court are also examined. Hugh Dalton, a future senior Labour politician, resented his father's devotion to the royal family and was once notoriously rude to the elderly Queen Victoria; while on the other hand Sonia Keppel, daughter of Edward VII's mistress Alice, was often allowed to race pieces of buttered toast down the trousered legs of 'Kingy'.
"
John Van der Kiste, Resident Scholar
|
|
| Review Analysis of Childhood at Court 1819-1914 |
|---|
|
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
|
|
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Royalty bio
Yes
Period of greatest activity?
- 1800's
Subject of Biography
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
Age:
- long lived adults
Biography of famous person?
Yes
Ethnicity
- White
Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this person?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 6 ()
Misc setting
- Fancy Mansion
Century:
- 19th century
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel?
- thoughtful
Writer's slant towards subject:
- neutral
Story of entire life, or part?
- story of set of events during life
Is this a biography of several people?
Yes
Pictures/Illustrations?
- A ton 16-20 B&W
How much dialogue in bio?
- little dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life?
- 51%-75% of book
|
|
|
Click here for more information about this book
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback
Most recent discussions:
General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
James Patterson
12:08:13 PM
George W. Bush
2:32:02 AM
Anonymous
2:03:39 AM
Erin Hunters
9:00:01 PM
Betty Mahmoody
6:00:22 PM
Judith McNaught
11:55:44 AM
Iris Johansen
9:03:43 PM
Norah Lofts
1:11:37 PM
Jane Rubino
9:32:45 AM
Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky
11:28:51 PM
Faye Kellerman
12:37:41 AM
LaVyrle Spencer
7:25:23 PM
Robert James Waller
8:30:15 PM
Suzanne Weyn
12:50:03 AM
Deric Longden
2:54:11 PM
Wilma Counts
1:23:32 PM
Kin Platt
12:58:29 AM
Lilian Jackson Braun
10:05:52 PM
G.A. McKevett
10:03:31 PM
David Williams
10:03:01 PM
More message boards
|
