Queen Victoria's matchmaking : the royal marriages that shaped Europe Cover Image

Book

Queen Victoria's matchmaking : the royal marriages that shaped Europe / Deborah Cadbury.

Summary:

An exploration of Queen Victoria's matchmaking exploits details how she used her grandchildren to further the influence of the British Empire, despite their own plans and the turmoil that rocked Europe starting in the nineteenth century.

"A captivating exploration of the role in which Queen Victoria exerted the most international power and influence: as a matchmaking grandmother. As her reign approached its sixth decade, Queen Victoria's grandchildren numbered over thirty, and to maintain and increase British royal power, she was determined to maneuver them into a series of dynastic marriages with the royal houses of Europe. Yet for all their apparent obedience, her grandchildren often had plans of their own, fueled by strong wills and romantic hearts. Victoria's matchmaking plans were further complicated by the tumultuous international upheavals of the time: revolution and war were in the air, and kings and queens, princes and princesses were vulnerable targets. Queen Victoria's Matchmaking travels through the glittering, decadent palaces of Europe from London to Saint Petersburg, weaving in scandals, political machinations and family tensions to enthralling effect. It is at once an intimate portrait of a royal family and an examination of the conflict caused by the marriages the Queen arranged. At the heart of it all is Victoria herself: doting grandmother one moment, determined Queen Empress the next."--Jacket.

Record details

ISBN: 9781610398466
ISBN: 1610398467
Physical Description: 382 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm
Edition: First US edition.
Publisher: New York : PublicAffairs, [2017]
Copyright: ©2017

Content descriptions

General Note:	Originally published in hardcover and ebook edition by Bloomsbury Publishing in September 2017.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 331-369) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	Part one: Vain the ambition of kings, 1887-1891. "A good sensible wife" ; Vicky and Frederick ; Ella and Sergei ; Alix and Eddy ; Eddy and Hélène ; Eddy and May -- Part two: The high summer of royalty, 1892-1901. George and Missy ; Missy and Ferdinand ; George and May ; Nicholas and Alix ; Ena and Alfonso ; The fall.