Alice Keppel and Agnes Keyser


Book Description

A detailed look at the two women in the life of Edward VII during his last years. Alice Keppel, youngest daughter of a Scottish retired admiral and MP emerged from obscurity in 1898 to become the publicly acknowledged mistress of the portly, fun-loving Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII. Agnes Keyser, daughter of a prominent member of the Stock exchange, defied social expectations by not marrying, instead becoming involved in hospital charity work. Her twelve-year relationship with the king was much less in the public eye, but was just as important.




Alice Keppel & Agnes Keyser


Book Description

Raymond Lamont-Brown takes a detailed look at the two women in the life of Edward VII during his last years.




The King in Love


Book Description

An all-embracing account of the loves of that royal womaniser, Edward VII, as Prince of Wales and King. Spanning three decades, the story is set in the extravagant and hypocritical world of late Victorian and Edwardian society.




Lady Curzon's India


Book Description

As The Wife Of George Curzon, Viceroy Of India From 1899 To 1905, Mary Curzon Was The Youngest Woman To Become Vicereine And The Only American To Attain That Supreme Position. This Volume Collects Her Letters. First Edition. Ex-Libraries.




Edward VII


Book Description

“Victorian England: We know what that was supposed to mean — all priggish prudery and "we-are-not-amused" harrumphing. Except now we know it wasn't all that . . . [Catharine Arnold’s] new biography focuses — deliciously — on the women who shared the scandalously plentiful sex life of Queen Victoria's eldest son, the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII.” —USA Today Edward Prince of Wales, better known as “Bertie,” was the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Charming and dissolute, he was a larger-than-life personality with king-size appetites. A lifelong womanizer, Bertie conducted his countless liaisons against the glittering backdrop of London society, Europe, and the stately homes of England in the second half of the 19th century. Bertie’s lovers were beautiful, spirited, society women who embraced a wide field of occupations. There was Lillie Langtry, the simple Jersey girl who would become an actress and producer; “Daisy” Brooke, Countess of Warwick, the extravagant socialite who embraced socialism and stood for Parliament as a Labour party candidate; bisexual French actress Sarah Bernhardt, celebrated for her decadent appeal and opium habit; and by total contrast the starchy Agnes Keyser, who founded a hospital for army officers. One of Bertie’s most intriguing liaisons was with American heiress Jennie Churchill, unhappy wife of Sir Randolph Churchill and mother of Sir Winston. While the scandals resulting from his affairs—from suicides to divorces—were a blight on the royal family, Bertie would become a surprisingly modern monarch. His major accomplishment was transforming the British monarchy into the modern institution that we know today and ensuring its survival in a period when every other European dynasty collapsed in the wake of WWI.




The Shadow Sister


Book Description

“Riley’s engaging and mesmerizing story of self-discovery and love...can be perfectly read as a stand-alone. This book will appeal to readers of Edwardian novels and Jane Austen-style fiction.” —Library Journal (starred review) “[Lucinda Riley] is a master of plotting…This substantial book is a surprisingly quick and easy read, with engaging characters, a tantalizing glimpse of Edwardian society, and dual storylines that are inventive and intriguing.” —Historical Novel Society In this spellbinding novel, two independent women—separated by a hundred years but linked by forces larger than themselves—discover the secrets of their birth in the spellbinding third book of an epic series by New York Times bestselling author Lucinda Riley Star D’Aplièse is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father—the elusive billionaire, affectionately called Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted from across the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to their true heritage, and Star’s clue leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a new journey. A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy in her home in England’s picturesque Lake District—just a stone’s throw away from her childhood idol, Beatrix Potter. But when circumstances carry her to London, and into the home of one of Edwardian England’s most notorious society hostesses, Alice Keppel, she finds herself a pawn in a larger game; forced to choose between passionate love and duty to her family. That is, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman reveals answers Flora has been searching for… Star’s voyage of discovery takes her deep into Flora’s remarkable story, and into her own past. But the more she uncovers, the more Star begins to question herself, and her place in the world. Ideal for fans of Downton Abbey and the historical fiction of Kate Morton and Kristin Hannah, The Shadow Sister is the “perfect curl-up-in-an-armchair read” (Daily Mail) for anyone who wants to travel through the lush English countryside and explore the lives and loves of the British aristocracy.




Royal Bastards


Book Description

Since 1066 when William the Conqueror (alias William the Bastard) took the throne, English and Scottish kings have sired at least 150 children out of wedlock. Many were acknowledged at court and founded dynasties of their own - several of today's dukedoms are descended from them. Others were only acknowledged grudgingly or not at all. In the twentieth century this trend for royals to father illegitimate children continued, but the parentage, while highly probable, has not been officially recognised. This book - split into four sections: Tudor, Stuart, Hanoverian and, perhaps most fascinating, Royal Loose Ends - is a genuinely fresh approach to British kings and queens, examining their lives and times through the unfamiliar perspective of their illegitimate children.




Edward VII


Book Description

“Victorian England: We know what that was supposed to mean — all priggish prudery and "we-are-not-amused" harrumphing. Except now we know it wasn't all that . . . [Catharine Arnold’s] new biography focuses — deliciously — on the women who shared the scandalously plentiful sex life of Queen Victoria's eldest son, the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII.” —USA Today Edward Prince of Wales, better known as “Bertie,” was the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Charming and dissolute, he was a larger-than-life personality with king-size appetites. A lifelong womanizer, Bertie conducted his countless liaisons against the glittering backdrop of London society, Europe, and the stately homes of England in the second half of the 19th century. Bertie’s lovers were beautiful, spirited, society women who embraced a wide field of occupations. There was Lillie Langtry, the simple Jersey girl who would become an actress and producer; “Daisy” Brooke, Countess of Warwick, the extravagant socialite who embraced socialism and stood for Parliament as a Labour party candidate; bisexual French actress Sarah Bernhardt, celebrated for her decadent appeal and opium habit; and by total contrast the starchy Agnes Keyser, who founded a hospital for army officers. One of Bertie’s most intriguing liaisons was with American heiress Jennie Churchill, unhappy wife of Sir Randolph Churchill and mother of Sir Winston. While the scandals resulting from his affairs—from suicides to divorces—were a blight on the royal family, Bertie would become a surprisingly modern monarch. His major accomplishment was transforming the British monarchy into the modern institution that we know today and ensuring its survival in a period when every other European dynasty collapsed in the wake of WWI.




The Life and Times of the English Princes of Wales


Book Description

What do Henry Tudor, Edward of Woodstock, Edward VII and Prince Charles all have in common? They’ve all held the title The Prince of Wales. This book offers a colourful and interesting stroll through the history of the title and the men who’ve held it, as well as speculating about the future of the role. Containing a chronological list of all of The Princes of Wales, the book also provides the reader with a brief description of how they lived their lives, their relationship with their subjects and, if they became the ruling Monarch, an insight into the features that characterised their reign. Discover how the Princes of Wales of history have been involved with love, infidelity, hate, deception, war and even alleged conspiracy and murder! This is the first published book to look in depth at this important aspect of British Monarchy. It is illustrated throughout with black and white photographs and forms an invaluable addition to existing literature on British Royalty.




From Punt to Plough


Book Description

A superb examination of the history of the Fens, containing a great deal of stunning photographs.