The young George III was a poignant figure, humdrum on the surface yet turbulent beneath: hiding his own passions, he tried hard to be a father to his siblings and his nation. This intimate, fast-moving book tells their intertwined stories. His sisters were doomed to marry foreign princes and leave home forever; his brothers had no role and too much time on their hands - a recipe for disaster.
At the heart of Tillyard's story is Caroline Mathilde, who married the mad Christian of Denmark in her teens, but fell in love with the royal doctor Struensee: a terrible fate awaited them, despite George's agonized negotiations. At the same time he faced his tumultuous American colonies. And at every step a feverish press pounced on the gossip, fostering a new national passion - a heated mix of celebrity and sex.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
A joy to read, full of wit and fascinating detail. This is history told by a master storyteller -- Princess Michael of Kent * Mail on Sunday * A rollickingly good read * Observer * Stella Tillyard tells this astonishing tale with bravura * Sunday Telegraph * A very good read. There is pace, colour and well-researched writing -- Leslie Mitchell * Literary Review * In this superbly engrossing and revelatory book, Tillyard's detective instincts and clever narrative structure work together to inform and delight -- Min Wild * Independent on Sunday * Dr Tillyard's masterful and entertaining accounts of the fates of George's brothers are poignant reminders of the curse of being born royal -- Ben Wilson * Spectator * A ripping good yarn, told with convincing authority * The Times * The numerous fans of her Aristocrats (in which number I include myself) will not be disappointed: here is the same judicious mixture of intimacy and scholarship -- Antonia Fraser * Sunday Times * A Royal Affair is an entertaining tale ...Tillyard's account of the brothers is heroic...[she] tells this astonishing tale with bravura -- John de Falbe * Daily Telegraph * She has returned to what she knows-and does-best, teasing out the bonds of love, hate and pretend indifference that bind siblings, no matter what their historical pedigree, into a cat's cradle of consequence * Economist *
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ISBN-13
978-1-4090-1769-1 (9781409017691)
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Schweitzer Klassifikation
Stella Tillyard has been described by Simon Schama as 'a phenomenally gifted writer'. Her books include Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox,1740-1832; Citizen Lord: Edward Fitzgerald, 1763-1798, and most recently Tides of War. She has lived in the USA and Italy and now lives in London.
