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Review
The amazing untold story of Victoria before she was Queen ... Kate Williams reveals a passionate young woman beloved of her future subjects but at war with her family --Sunday Telegraph
'Examining the death of Princess Charlotte, and Victoria's own struggle for power, this is a bracing recreation'
--Scotland on Sunday
'Detailed and sympathetic' --Independent
'Passionate, exuberant and entertaining, a treasure trove of royalty, intrigue and politics ... vividly and sensitively brings to life the girl who would become Queen' - Simon Sebag Montefiore --Simon Sebag Montefiore
Becoming Queen showcases an outstanding talent from whom we can expect much more
--Matthew d'Ancona, Books of the Year, Spectator
'An illuminating biography' --Tatler, Christmas books of the year
'BECOMING QUEEN showcases an outstanding talent from whom we can expect much more' --Spectator, Books of the Year --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
'Examining the death of Princess Charlotte, and Victoria's own struggle for power, this is a bracing recreation'
--Scotland on Sunday
'Detailed and sympathetic' --Independent
'Passionate, exuberant and entertaining, a treasure trove of royalty, intrigue and politics ... vividly and sensitively brings to life the girl who would become Queen' - Simon Sebag Montefiore --Simon Sebag Montefiore
Becoming Queen showcases an outstanding talent from whom we can expect much more
--Matthew d'Ancona, Books of the Year, Spectator
'An illuminating biography' --Tatler, Christmas books of the year
'BECOMING QUEEN showcases an outstanding talent from whom we can expect much more' --Spectator, Books of the Year --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
This fresh and vivid portrayal of the young Queen Victoria is deserving of the highest praise. I cannot recommend it highly enough
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Kate Williams has followed up her excellent biography of Lady Hamilton 'England's Mistress', with this fascinating book on how Queen Victoria ascended the throne. Beginning with the troubled path that would lead to the emergence of the Victorian age, Kate Williams depicts the dissolute and the degenerate heirs of George III, and the question surrounding the future heir the young and vulnerable princess Charlotte. The first half of the book introduces the reader to the background and its many characters who all wanted a stake at the throne. It is due to Kate Williams' attention to detail that she captures a whole host of memorable figures, not least Victoria's mother and the machiavellian John Conroy.
Ultimately in this very engaging historical biography, Kate Williams has achieved in bringing to life young Victoria, spirited, intelligent, and passionate, who through a change of fortune would become one of the most important monarchs in world history. A monarch who with the love of her future husband Albert, would usher in a new optimistic age. Brilliant and my pick for the best biography of 2008.
Ultimately in this very engaging historical biography, Kate Williams has achieved in bringing to life young Victoria, spirited, intelligent, and passionate, who through a change of fortune would become one of the most important monarchs in world history. A monarch who with the love of her future husband Albert, would usher in a new optimistic age. Brilliant and my pick for the best biography of 2008.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The good: the book is engaging and detailed, and paints vivid pictures of Charlotte, Victoria and the people in their lives. The protagonists' faults or weaknesses are not overlooked, but help create rounded portraits. The writing is easy to read, but doesn't come across as lightweight. I would call it a good introduction to their lives, showing clearly how many hurdles they faced.
My reservations stem from the section on Victoria, because I am more familiar with her life than Charlotte's. Principally, the portrait of Albert that emerges reads more like caricature - the stodgy and conniving Coburg princeling - than the highly intelligent, passionately loving and inexperienced twenty-year-old he was when they married. His humour (which wasn't on display for strangers; he was shy) never rates a mention, and the author seems to take issue with him wanting to do more than just be a decorative royal stud. The overall tone leaves one wondering if Albert loved Victoria at all or was just manipulating her - an entirely unreasonable stance, given all the evidence of their lives.
Another claim made in passing has, in my opinion, no place in a serious biography. Saying that "surely" Stockmar arranged for Albert to visit a courtesan before his marriage smears both men as hypocrites. Albert's whole family background, with his mother divorced by his hypocritical and promiscuous father, and his brother's acquisition of VD at an early age, clearly made sexual license abhorrent to him. There are simply no grounds for supposing he would have visited a prostitute in preparation for his marriage.
There are also factual errors. One simple one should have been caught by editing: calling Melbourne head of the Tory party. Another shows missing research: sticking to the old tale that the dress Victoria wore to her first Privy Council was an old dyed outfit. Kay Staniland's "In Royal Fashion" discusses the dress (which survives today) and makes it quite clear it was not re-dyed. Staniland's book is not new, and given that it is about the dresses of Charlotte and Victoria, I was surprised to find it wasn't listed in the bibliography.
My point in detailing these things is that there may equally be as many inaccuracies or dubious interpretations in the section on Charlotte. As I said - it's interesting and lively, a good introduction, but I wouldn't take it as Gospel!
My reservations stem from the section on Victoria, because I am more familiar with her life than Charlotte's. Principally, the portrait of Albert that emerges reads more like caricature - the stodgy and conniving Coburg princeling - than the highly intelligent, passionately loving and inexperienced twenty-year-old he was when they married. His humour (which wasn't on display for strangers; he was shy) never rates a mention, and the author seems to take issue with him wanting to do more than just be a decorative royal stud. The overall tone leaves one wondering if Albert loved Victoria at all or was just manipulating her - an entirely unreasonable stance, given all the evidence of their lives.
Another claim made in passing has, in my opinion, no place in a serious biography. Saying that "surely" Stockmar arranged for Albert to visit a courtesan before his marriage smears both men as hypocrites. Albert's whole family background, with his mother divorced by his hypocritical and promiscuous father, and his brother's acquisition of VD at an early age, clearly made sexual license abhorrent to him. There are simply no grounds for supposing he would have visited a prostitute in preparation for his marriage.
There are also factual errors. One simple one should have been caught by editing: calling Melbourne head of the Tory party. Another shows missing research: sticking to the old tale that the dress Victoria wore to her first Privy Council was an old dyed outfit. Kay Staniland's "In Royal Fashion" discusses the dress (which survives today) and makes it quite clear it was not re-dyed. Staniland's book is not new, and given that it is about the dresses of Charlotte and Victoria, I was surprised to find it wasn't listed in the bibliography.
My point in detailing these things is that there may equally be as many inaccuracies or dubious interpretations in the section on Charlotte. As I said - it's interesting and lively, a good introduction, but I wouldn't take it as Gospel!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I very much enjoyed Kate Williams' previous (debut) book 'Lady Hamilton 'England's Mistress', and looked forward keenly to reading her latest account of the early years of Queen Victoria and the exceptional circumstances that culminated in her reign. I was not disappointed. Kate Williams has a deceptively easy style that makes her books highly readable. Contrary to another reviewer I did enjoy the long introductory paragraphs about Victoria's cousin Charlotte - the princess who should have been Queen: so little is written of her short, tragic life and it was illuminating to become acquainted with her before moving on to the subject 'an icon of the 19th century'. The book finished rather abruptly: I know it is an account of Victoria's early years and much has been written about the rest of her reign but perhaps my disappointment at the ending is indicative of how utterly absorbing and entertaining I found this marvellous book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
So you think Victoria was a prude? Think again!
Kate Williams has written an entertaining and fascinating account of Charlotte, our 'lost' queen, who died in childbirth. Read more
Published 11 months ago by History Girl
Review of Kate Williams's "Becoming Queen"
Kate William's biography "Becoming Queen" recounts a sizable amount of British history and the improbable devolution of title of monarch onto the fragile shoulders of a girl of... Read more
Published 16 months ago by M.K.Greenwood
Victoria - Fact and Fiction
After all the film and television Victoriana of late this was an interesting read as it related the factual side of the events of Victoria's childhood and accession. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mariread
Excellent read
An excellent work. Highly recommended to those whom are interested in the end of the Regency period and the first few years of the Victorian era. Read more
Published on 3 April 2010 by Martin Oldham
Fantastic Read
This book is a fantastic read! One of the best i have read in a long time. I have read many books on Queen Victoria and after a while you get a little bored of the same... Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2010 by K. Evans
Engaging, well researched book
I bought this as I wanted an introduction to Victoria. I didn't really pay attention to the blurb about Charlotte and I thought initially, this section might have been boring,... Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2009 by Gemma
Love and loss
"Becoming Queen" is the story of a turbulent period in the British Royal Family which led to the accession of one of our most admired monarchs. Read more
Published on 16 May 2009 by Mrs. J. Vallis
very readable
excellent, easy to read (ie not too heavily academic) account of Victoria's early life ending after the birth of her first two children. Read more
Published on 21 Nov 2008 by kermit 333
Charlotte & Victoria
Queen Victoria was never meant to be Queen of England. Her cousin, Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince Regent, was the heir to the throne. Read more
Published on 18 Nov 2008 by Lynette Baines
Requires perserverance, a little heavy to begin with ...
By the time I reached the epilogue I loved this book but it was rather heavy going to begin with as we learnt about the cruel upbringing and subsequent untimely death of the... Read more
Published on 27 Oct 2008 by J. Ruthven-Fox
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