Serving Victoria: Life in the Royal Household [9780062269928]

Overview

“A vivid, entertaining and often comical portrait of life at court.” —Wall Street Journal

“Compelling. . . . The rhythm of court life at Windsor or Balmoral is the backdrop to a rich human drama, a story of people existing in uneasy intimacy with the royal family.” — Daily Telegraph (London)

Based on the letters and diaries of six members of Queen Victoria's household, Serving Victoria offers unique insight into the queen and her court. Seen through the eyes of her servants—including the governess to the royal children, her maid of honor, her chaplain, and her personal physician—Victoria emerges as more vulnerable, more emotional, more selfish, more comical than the austere figure depicted in her portraits.

We see a woman prone to fits of giggles, who wept easily and often, who shrank from confrontation yet insisted on controlling the lives of those around her. We witness her extraordinary and debilitating grief at the death of her husband, Albert, and her sympathy toward the tragedies that afflicted her household.

A perfect foil to the pomp and circumstance, prudery and conservatism that has become synonymous with Victoria's reign, Serving Victoria is an unforgettable glimpse of what it meant to serve the queen.

This detailed portrait, drawn from recently unearthed primary sources, reveals:

• Primary Source History: Drawn from the never-before-published letters and diaries of six key members of the royal household, including a governess, a maid-of-honour, and the Queen's personal physician.
• A Private Portrait of a Queen: A Victoria who giggled, wept, and shrank from confrontation, emerging as a far more vulnerable and emotional woman than her austere public image suggests.
• Life Inside the Palace: An unforgettable glimpse into the daily lives, social anxieties, and surprising dramas of those who served the Queen at Windsor, Osborne, and Balmoral.
• The Aftermath of Albert's Death: Witness Queen Victoria's extraordinary and debilitating grief at the death of her husband and its profound impact on the entire court.