The Queen's Secret

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On top of all of these stupid secrets the fact that there were 5 million references to her weight, she's not slim, I look every kilo in this, I just love my sweets, the portrait didn't show my roundness..... Like I said earlier it made for an incredibly unflattering portrayal of the Queen Mother.

The fact that the consent procedure takes place is briefly noted in the parliamentary record. In the Commons, a minister nods when asked by the Speaker, while in the Lords a minister will read a rote passage of text. The other character in this novel is Kenilworth Castle itself. This is one place I know well, having grown up in Kenilworth, the Castle was my playground. Victoria Lamb brings the Castle to life and describes the life of Elizabeth’s court with intelligence and accuracy which gives this novel authenticity. Praise for The Royal Nanny:“ The Royal Nannyis a gem, revealing that those forgotten in history are often the true treasures.”

Reviews

We learn of Elizabeth’s early life and how she met the kings brother David. Bertie proposed to Elizabeth three times before she accepted his proposal. We learn why, but why didn’t she tell Bertie her most dreadful secret? readers will appreciate the Queen Mother's story as the woman behind the crown is given a chance to shine on her own with all her faults and glory." — Booklist

Queen Elizabeth is turned from a figure from my history lessons into a human being with very human problems. Surrounding all of this are the constant death threats and the ever present court controversies. Lamb makes the infamous queen come alive, allowing us to see the problems she would have faced as both a woman and the monarch - a woman that longs for what most people get without question yet she would have to sacrifice everything to make it possible for to be a wife would be to hand over her kingdom to her husband.The entertainment that the Earl of Leicester lays on from the very beginning has a purpose behind it – symbols of his desire to marry Elizabeth. These are all so very cleverly crafted and all relevant to the time in which they’re set. He is so devious I was never quite sure where his heart truly lay although of course the ultimate prize would be to rule beside Elizabeth, which may not have anything to do with love at all! I did feel extremely sorry for Lettice. At one point it is so clear how frustrating it was at that time in history to have your own home and children but having to please the Queen and her whims instead of living your life. The way the snippets of her childhood or past or legend of monster of Glamis are injected into the story shows a very well-thought-through writing.

If you love Jennifer Robson or The Crown you will love New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper’s novel about Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The plotting and espionage intrigued me and I enjoyed how everything tied up, despite the sadness I felt for one of the characters. This Elizabethan historical mystery is set in 1585 when Queen Elizabeth I visits Kenilworth, home of her favourite, Robert Dudley. Robert is desperate to marry Elizabeth and hopes that by wooing her at Kenilworth she will finally consent to be his wife. However, Elizabeth is as capricious as she is beautiful and with flirtatious cynicism she is content to leave Robert waiting for her decision. However, waiting in the wings is one of Elizabeth’s beautiful ladies in waiting, Lettice Knollys, wife of the Duke of Essex, who is more than happy to accommodate Robert Dudley’s attentions. Elizabeth is incensed by the growing attraction between Robert and Lettice, and undertakes the services of Lucy Morgan, a young singer in her entourage, to spy on the couple. Combined with the ostentatious portrayal of life in the Elizabethan court, is the story of Lucy Morgan, a young woman who is well used to the world of espionage.Gradually,she uncovers a plot that will have devastating consequences, not just on on Elizabeth’s court, but also on Lucy herself.

I loved this book for several reasons. The first reason is the setting, it is set over a few weeks in 1575 when Elizabeth I visits Kenilworth Castle, home of her favourite the Earl of Leicester, on her summer progress. I have read quite a lot of Tudor-set novels and most of them take place over years, for example the adult life of a famous figure or for the duration of a relationship. To dip into the life of Elizabeth I over such a short time was refreshing. It meant there was more room for the descriptions of the more mundane events in her everyday life such as getting dressed, her meals etc which made great settings for the conversations and gossip that would have been so much the part of court life. It made the events, and characters, in the book seem much more real to me.

Elizabeth, our "Queen Mum" has always been a figure of great interest to me. I was aware of how profoundly loved she was by her subjects in the UK. And, I was drawn to the twinkle in her eye and her obvious high spirits. So, I looked forward to reading Karen Harper's historical novel about her life with the King during WW2. This book piqued my curiosity because it was about the Queen Mother, a member of the royal family I don’t know much about. Well wasn't this disappointing? While I wasn't blown away with the first book, I definitely enjoyed it and after that ending, I really wanted to know how everything would turn out for Shadow and Cal. Cue giant disappointment. Elizabeth is appointed commandant-in-chief of the women’s services. Now, just the beginning of the war, the exhaustion is already touching her from all the public visits, inspecting preparedness for war.

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Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!). So, despite the oversaturation of world war II novels, which I’ve been avoiding for a long while now, I decided to give this book a try. Unfortunately nobody knows for sure but we can take a guess based on some of the facts that are already out there.