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Review
"In a readable and empathetic biography, Dennison makes light work of his subject's long and lethargic life." (INDEPENDENT )
An engrossing biography of Queen Victorias youngest daughter that focuses on her relationship with her wilful mother. Beautifully written. (TATLER )
Dennison emerges as a natural storyteller, succeeding in the difficult task of turning a relatively uneventful, acquiescent life into a hugely satisfying biography. THE LAST PRINCESS is emotionally sympathetic and beautifully written, its detail meticulous a confidant and disarmingly impressive debut. (DAILY TELEGRAPH )
"an engrossing tale of a mother and daughter who were also a queen and her subject" (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
An engrossing biography of Queen Victorias youngest daughter that focuses on her relationship with her wilful mother. Beautifully written. (TATLER )
Dennison emerges as a natural storyteller, succeeding in the difficult task of turning a relatively uneventful, acquiescent life into a hugely satisfying biography. THE LAST PRINCESS is emotionally sympathetic and beautifully written, its detail meticulous a confidant and disarmingly impressive debut. (DAILY TELEGRAPH )
"an engrossing tale of a mother and daughter who were also a queen and her subject" (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
TATLER
"An engrossing biography of Queen Victoria's youngest daughter that focuses on her relationship with her wilful mother. Beautifully written."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful
In the shadow of the Queen - the life of the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria rediscovered
28 Jan 2007
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
HRH The Princess Beatrice was the youngest daughter and child of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort and the last of their children of die. She was married to Prince Henry of Battenberg and mother of four children: one of them Ena became Queen of Spain (the present Spanish King's grandmother). Her real historical significance however lies in the editing of Queen Victoria's journal.
Beatrice spends most of her life in the shadow of the Queen, during the Queen's lifetime but as well after her death. More than any other of the Queen's children Beatrice was absolutely dominated by her mother. This biography is therefore as well a biography on Queen Victoria and a mother-daughter relationship. Matthew Dennison delivers quite a psychological portrait of Beatrice - the effects on her by her mother's domineering and quite selfish behaviour. Therefore, it might be just that why during the book not very much emerges about Princess Beatrice herself. To a certain extend she remains a personality very difficult to grab and I suppose that is what she exactly was. There is an element of pity one feels for her. Matthew Dennison is not abstaining from criticism, especially as the does not have been a very good mother, putting her mother always first, even before her own children. The book is anyway very weak on the relationship of The Princess with her children. Her eldest son Drino Lord Carisbrooke who was pompous and effeminate or as diarist James Lees-Milne put it "really and old queen" and of whom the PoW said in 1919 "I hear that Irene Carisbrooke is great with child and Drino has retired to bed for the duration". Hardly any words on granddaughter Iris, who married for the first time in 1941 and therefore during Princess Beatrice`s lifetime.
All in all, it is lovely that after nearly 50 years a new biography of the Princess has been published and her relationship with the Queen thoroughly exposed and examined. Rightly Dennison sums up: that she was an essential component in the smooth-running of Victoria's queenship. I enjoyed this book very much as it complemented my studies of the rule and personality of Queen Victoria perfectly. For all who are interested in this period it will add much to the understanding of Queen Victoria. All in all: a book to be recommended.
Beatrice spends most of her life in the shadow of the Queen, during the Queen's lifetime but as well after her death. More than any other of the Queen's children Beatrice was absolutely dominated by her mother. This biography is therefore as well a biography on Queen Victoria and a mother-daughter relationship. Matthew Dennison delivers quite a psychological portrait of Beatrice - the effects on her by her mother's domineering and quite selfish behaviour. Therefore, it might be just that why during the book not very much emerges about Princess Beatrice herself. To a certain extend she remains a personality very difficult to grab and I suppose that is what she exactly was. There is an element of pity one feels for her. Matthew Dennison is not abstaining from criticism, especially as the does not have been a very good mother, putting her mother always first, even before her own children. The book is anyway very weak on the relationship of The Princess with her children. Her eldest son Drino Lord Carisbrooke who was pompous and effeminate or as diarist James Lees-Milne put it "really and old queen" and of whom the PoW said in 1919 "I hear that Irene Carisbrooke is great with child and Drino has retired to bed for the duration". Hardly any words on granddaughter Iris, who married for the first time in 1941 and therefore during Princess Beatrice`s lifetime.
All in all, it is lovely that after nearly 50 years a new biography of the Princess has been published and her relationship with the Queen thoroughly exposed and examined. Rightly Dennison sums up: that she was an essential component in the smooth-running of Victoria's queenship. I enjoyed this book very much as it complemented my studies of the rule and personality of Queen Victoria perfectly. For all who are interested in this period it will add much to the understanding of Queen Victoria. All in all: a book to be recommended.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Princess Beatrice gave up her private life, her health and most of her happiness in order to be the secretary, confidante and companion of her widowed mother. Starting with the death of her father, Prince Albert, when she was only four years old, her life was a constant reminder of funereal gloom. As her older sisters married and moved away, Princess Beatrice became the Queen's slave in most matters public and private. Such was the Queen's paranoia that her youngest daughter might grow up and want a life of her own, she forbade all talk of marriage in front of the Princess, and punished the girl by not speaking to her for eight months when she dared to fall in love and announced her wish to wed. The marriage was only allowed to go forward, and the Princess forgiven, when the couple agreed to live with the Queen for their married life, with very limited travel (their honeymoon lasted only five days, and the Queen visited for two of them).
I don't think I'd realized just how selfish Queen Victoria was until I read this meticulously researched volume. Princess Beatrice was a far more forgiving and patient woman than I could have ever been, and I veer between being in awe of her, and pitying her.
Matthew Dennison's writing style takes a while to get used to - sometimes he moves back and forth in eras and you have to go back in order to determine just what time frame he's referring to. The text is at times dangerously close to "scholarly" and for this alone I give the book four stars instead of five. I do recommend it, however, for the insights it gives into this complex, frustrating relationship.
I don't think I'd realized just how selfish Queen Victoria was until I read this meticulously researched volume. Princess Beatrice was a far more forgiving and patient woman than I could have ever been, and I veer between being in awe of her, and pitying her.
Matthew Dennison's writing style takes a while to get used to - sometimes he moves back and forth in eras and you have to go back in order to determine just what time frame he's referring to. The text is at times dangerously close to "scholarly" and for this alone I give the book four stars instead of five. I do recommend it, however, for the insights it gives into this complex, frustrating relationship.
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed reading this book very much, though I don't think I learned much that was new about the Princess. Like most biographies of Queen Victoria's children, the bulk of the book was about the princess's life when her mother was alive. I wanted to know much, much more about the period after the Queen's death. Certain areas , of course, are touched on, for example the death of the Prince Maurice in action in 1914, and also of the marriage of the Princess Ena to the king of Spain, but I would have liked more detail about the final years. Maybe there's no documentation to hand?? I would recommend this book though - one of the better royal books of recent years.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Princess Beatrice - Victoria's 'Baby'
This wonderful biography of Princess Beatrice, Victoria's youngest child, covers every aspect of her life. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Gearodin
The Last Princess
Great purchase really pleased with it and arrived in excellent condition and speedy. Very informative historically and a fascinating read of a very important royal era in history.
Published 2 months ago by northwich
enjoyable
A very informative and enjoyable book. It touched on areas of information that I hadn't come across before and helped me to see the woman that Princess Beatrice was. Read more
Published 7 months ago by anna
A Good Read
Recommended - a good read and very interesting about the life of Princess Beatrice. Not only does it shed light on the princess but also on Queen Victoria and her character. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Aligirlbear
In the shadow of the Queen - the life of the youngest daughter of...
HRH The Princess Beatrice was the youngest daughter and child of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort and the last of their children of die. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2008 by Amelrode
Princess Beatrice
I really enjoyed this book. Beatrice, although the youngest and, to some contemporary views, of the least dynastic importance, certainly played the most important role to the Queen... Read more
Published on 17 Oct 2007 by Mr. J. M. Riley
The Last Princess
A delightful book; although an enjoyable and easy read, it has clearly been widely and carefully researched, and provides challengingly thoughtful ideas about this princess who has... Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2007 by Rosemary Trewartha
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