Queens of Georgian Britain by Catherine Curzon
* Thank you so much Pen & Sword Books for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!
Synopsis:
Once upon a time there were four kings called George who,
thanks to a quirk of fate, ruled Great Britain for over a century. Hailing from
Germany, these occasionally mad, bad and infamous sovereigns presided over a
land in turmoil. Yet what of the remarkable women who were crowned alongside
them? From the forgotten princess locked in a tower to an illustrious regent, a
devoted consort and a notorious party girl, the queens of Georgian Britain
lived lives of scandal, romance and turbulent drama. Whether dipping into
politics or carousing on the shores of Italy, Caroline of Ansbach, Charlotte of
Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Caroline of Brunswick refused to fade into the
background. Queens of Georgian Britain offers a chance to step back in time and
meet the women who ruled alongside the Georgian monarchs, not forgetting Sophia
Dorothea of Celle, the passionate princess who never made it as far as the
throne. From lonely childhoods to glittering palaces, via family feuds,
smallpox, strapping soldiers and plenty of scheming, these are the queens who
shaped an era.
My review:
Queens of Georgian Britain by Catherine Curzon introduces
the reader to the consorts of the four King Georges: Sophia Dorothea of Celle,
Caroline of Ansbach, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Caroline of
Brunswick. This book would make a fantastic introduction to the Georgian royal
family, or if you are already familiar, but want to refresh your knowledge,
then Queens of Georgian Britain is the ideal book for you!
All four women are fascinating, their lives were filled with drama
and tragedy. Their children were either used as weapons against them or became
thorns in their sides. The four Georges all had their faults and being married
to them must have been very difficult. It looked like Charlotte of
Meckelenberg-Strelitz might have a happy ending with fifteen children and a
loving husband, but alas, even her marriage descended into misery when her husband,
George III was taken over by mental illness.
I loved the inclusion of Sophia Dorothea of Celle, wife of George I and mother of George II. Although she never became queen due to her affair with Phillip Von Konigsmarck, which led to George divorcing her and imprisoning Sophia for the rest of her life. It felt right to have her included in the book, there’s a lot of family trauma that is passed down through the generations of Georges, and her mention in the book helps to explain some of these. (I believe the author has written a separate book about Sophia Dorothea of Celle, which is going straight on my Wishlist!)
Even though they are all amazing to read about, my favourite
of the Georgian Queens is Charlotte, I know that Curzon has recently written a
biography about her ‘The Real Queen Charlotte: Inside the Real Bridgerton Court’
also published by Pen & Sword. So, look out for that if you want to read
more about Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, I am extremely excited to read it!
Curzon’s books are always a joy to read, she has written extensively about the 18th century - check out Pen and Sword’s website - her writing is witty and light-hearted, while getting straight to the point. Curzon did a great job of fitting 4 women’s lives into one book. I highly recommend Queens of Georgian Britain; I learnt a lot from this book and thoroughly enjoyed reading it!
Link to buy here
Don't forget to check your local independent bookshops and you can also buy directly from Pen & Sword.
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