First of all I would like to thank Rosie at Pen and Sword for being so kind and sending me copies of these books in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Lost Queen: The Life and Tragedy of the Prince Regent’s Daughter centres on (official blurb): “As the only child of the Prince Regent and Caroline of Brunswick, Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817) was the heiress presumptive to the throne. Her parents’ marriage had already broken up by the time she was born. She had a difficult childhood and a turbulent adolescence, but she was popular with the public, who looked to her to restore the good name of the monarchy. When she broke off her engagement to a Dutch prince, her father put her under virtual imprisonment and she endured a period of profound unhappiness. But she held out for the freedom to choose her husband, and when she married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg she finally achieved contentment. Her happiness was cruelly cut short when she died in childbirth at the age of twenty-one only eighteen months later. A shocked nation went into mourning for its ‘people’s princess’, the queen who never was.“
The Lost Queen: The Life and Tragedy of the Prince Regent’s Daughter was well-written, well-researched and was such an enjoyable biography on such a fascinating woman.
Its such a shame that England lost out on having another queen. The Lost Queen was packed full of engaging and informative information about such a fascinating and unfortunately forgotten historical woman. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in Women’s history, Georgian history or history in general.
The Infamous Sophie Dawes: New Light on the Queen of Chantilly centres on (official blurb): “She was the daughter of an alcoholic Isle of Wight smuggler. Much of her childhood was spent in the island’s workhouse. Yet Sophie Dawes threw off the shackles of her downbeat formative years to become one of the most talked-about personalities in post-revolutionary France. It was the ultimate rags to riches story which would see her become the mistress of the fabulously wealthy French aristocrat Louis Henri de Bourbon, destined to be the last Prince of Condé. Her total subjugation of the ageing prince, her obsessive desire for a position among the highest echelon of French royalist society following the Bourbon restoration, and her designs upon a hefty chunk of Louis Henri’s vast fortune would lead to scandal, sensation and then infamy. The Infamous Sophie Dawes takes an in-depth look at her island background before tracing her extraordinary rise from obscurity to becoming a baroness who ruled the prince’s château at Chantilly as its unofficial queen and intrigued with the King of the French to get what she wanted. But how far did she go? The book examines the mysterious death of Louis Henri in 1830 and uses newly discovered evidence in a bid to determine the part Sophie may have played in his demise.“
The Infamous Sophie Dawes: New Light on the Queen of Chantilly was definitely an interesting read and such an unusual and quite a fascinating woman.
It is clear to see that Sophie Dawes lived an extremely eventful and colourful life. The Infamous Sophie Dawes was a well-written, well-researched, enjoyable read which explored the life of a very interesting woman.
Mrs Despard and the Suffrage Movement: Founder of the Women’s Freedom League centres on (official blurb): “Charlotte Despard, social reformer and suffragette, was always known as Mrs Despard, never Charlotte. Her name should be synonymous with those of Emmeline Pankhurst and Millicent Fawcett. Instead, she remains overlooked. Born in 1844, Charlotte’s childhood was difficult: she found solace in great literature, identifying with Milton’s Satan and the romantic words of Shelley. She married Maximillian Despard and had the opportunity to explore the world and try her hand at a career as a novelist. Widowed in her early 40s, her money and status allowed her to live a life of surprising freedom for a woman of her time. Charlotte devoted her life to improving the lot of the poor and moved to live among them in the London slums. She fought for better and fairer living/working conditions for all, supporting adult suffrage before becoming heavily involved in the fight for votes for women. She joined Emmeline Pankhurst’s Women’s Social and Political Union and when that organisation split in 1907 co-founded the Women’s Freedom League, becoming its first, much loved, president. She also served as editor and major contributor to its newspaper, _The Vote_. When suffrage activities were largely suspended after the outbreak of WW1 in 1914, she returned to her Irish roots and moved to Dublin to support the fight for Irish home rule. After some women were enfranchised in 1918 she tried to capitalise on the upturn for women’s political freedom by (unsuccessfully) running for Parliament. Charlotte’s political and public career ended tragically when she died in Belfast aged 95, penniless and alone, having given all her money to helping those less fortunate. Her quiet legacy continues to be felt to this day in causes supporting the rights of women and children.”
Mrs Despard and the Suffrage Movement: Founder of the Women’s Freedom League was such a brilliant book. Its a period of history especially women’s history that I find fascinating and would like to know more about.
Mrs Despard was such a extraordinary, smart and talented woman who did so much for the Women’s Suffrage Movement. This book was utterly fascinating, well-written, well-researched, thoroughly engaging, informative and completely enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested in women’s history.
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