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Rebel Queen
It was Lady Jersey, the calculating mistress of the foppish George IV, who chose Caroline, Princess of Brunswick, to become George's wife. She selected a woman 'with indelicate manners . . . and not very inviting appearance', and George, who hadn't taken the precaution of meeting his wife before marrying her, was suitably disgusted. In 1797, just three years after their marriage, the couple separated with George writing to his wife that neither of them should 'be held answerable to the other'. Caroline took him at his word and proceeded to live exactly as she pleased, departing for Europe and a life of scandalous associations and debauched parties.
Rumors of Caroline's lifestyle soon reached George and, although he was no stranger to indiscretion himself, he determined that she would never become Queen. To the shock of the nation, he demanded that Caroline face a trial for adultery. The voice of the popular press in Britain, raised in anger for the first time in Britain, roared in disapproval at her humiliation and Caroline's unlikely role as a heroine of Radical feeling was assured.
Jane Robins re-creates this extraordinary morality tale in vivid and entertaining fashion, revealing a little-known story of surprising modernity that sheds new light on a revolution that might have been.
Rumors of Caroline's lifestyle soon reached George and, although he was no stranger to indiscretion himself, he determined that she would never become Queen. To the shock of the nation, he demanded that Caroline face a trial for adultery. The voice of the popular press in Britain, raised in anger for the first time in Britain, roared in disapproval at her humiliation and Caroline's unlikely role as a heroine of Radical feeling was assured.
Jane Robins re-creates this extraordinary morality tale in vivid and entertaining fashion, revealing a little-known story of surprising modernity that sheds new light on a revolution that might have been.
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2006
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About the author
Jane Robins
8 books121 followersJane Robins began her career as a journalist with The Economist, The Independent, and the BBC. She has made a specialty of writing historical true crime and has a particular interest in the history of forensics. She has published three books of nonfiction in the UK, Rebel Queen (Simon & Schuster, 2006), The Magnificent Spilsbury (John Murray, 2010), and The Curious Habits of Doctor Adams (John Murray, 2013). More recently, she has been a Fellow at the Royal Literary Fund.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 21, 2016
This is the second biography of Queen Caroline which I have read, and by the far the best one yet. While Flora Frasier in her book, “The Unruly Queen”, does talk about Caroline's parents, and her youth before she married Prince George IV, Robbins's book is the superior tome. Her in-depth portrait of the injured Queen is such that you never have the feeling she is completely biased, nor so critical that she does not see the entire person. Instead, and this especially so in the trial itself, she unearths not only those who were her counsel, but indeed even those within the radical press such as William Cobbett, who attempted to use the Queen's cause as their own, and thus put it in the forefront to make the case for political reform.
Caroline for her part, was not above using this for the purpose of vindication, however, given the abysmal treatment she received from those within her own class, to the government and Prince George, it is little wonder she did.
What is even more laudable about this book is how Robbins makes the case that the results of Caroline’s trial were such that without it (the trial) and the aftermath that followed, Britian as we know it may not in fact exist. Therefore, this is not just a biography but a book which speaks about social and political reform, the events within history that spur it on, and for Caroline especially, the dualities within society in the treatment of women. That Robbins makes her human and sympathetic is not difficult (Although one has to wonder at Frasier’s book, since she had ample evidence to shine a light on who Caroline was as a person and instead repeatedly chose to mock her as a “silly woman”) but more importantly, that she brings to life someone who in our day and age, would have been not only cherished, but welcomed with open arms. This is the one great sadness of Caroline’s life that she suffered; her suffering was at the expense of her being able to express any joy, without fear of recriminations. That she fought valiantly throughout her life to defend her innocence and for the right to be loved and feel love the same as her wayward husband, is something that should serve as reminder to all, that love in all its forms is never dishonorable, especially when permission is given
On 30TH TApril the Prince of Wales wrote to Princess Caroline:
“Our inclinations are not in our power, nor should either of us be held answerable to the other because nature has not made us suitable to each other.”
Surely no clearer statement could have been written.
Caroline for her part, was not above using this for the purpose of vindication, however, given the abysmal treatment she received from those within her own class, to the government and Prince George, it is little wonder she did.
What is even more laudable about this book is how Robbins makes the case that the results of Caroline’s trial were such that without it (the trial) and the aftermath that followed, Britian as we know it may not in fact exist. Therefore, this is not just a biography but a book which speaks about social and political reform, the events within history that spur it on, and for Caroline especially, the dualities within society in the treatment of women. That Robbins makes her human and sympathetic is not difficult (Although one has to wonder at Frasier’s book, since she had ample evidence to shine a light on who Caroline was as a person and instead repeatedly chose to mock her as a “silly woman”) but more importantly, that she brings to life someone who in our day and age, would have been not only cherished, but welcomed with open arms. This is the one great sadness of Caroline’s life that she suffered; her suffering was at the expense of her being able to express any joy, without fear of recriminations. That she fought valiantly throughout her life to defend her innocence and for the right to be loved and feel love the same as her wayward husband, is something that should serve as reminder to all, that love in all its forms is never dishonorable, especially when permission is given
On 30TH TApril the Prince of Wales wrote to Princess Caroline:
“Our inclinations are not in our power, nor should either of us be held answerable to the other because nature has not made us suitable to each other.”
Surely no clearer statement could have been written.
February 1, 2021
The cover of this edition has a quotation from a letter written by Jane Austen: "Poor woman, I shall support her as long as I can, because she is a Woman, and because I hate her Husband." This basically sums up my attitude to Caroline, too. Certainly there's nothing particularly interesting or admirable about her as a person; she was a pretty ordinary person, by all accounts, basically goodhearted but utterly uneducated and unserious and with a fairly serious lack of impulse control. She was always going to be a terrible match for the British Prince of Wales--but then who could George have married that would have produced a happy marriage? She would have been a pretty good person if she'd just married an ordinary man who liked her and got on with her life. She was unsuited to the role she was thrown in to, and the man she was married off to was a colossally awful person (though he had some good qualities, and like his unhappy wife, he'd have been a decent person if he hadn't been a royal). What's really interesting about Caroline is the way she became a figurehead for anyone opposed to the monarchy or the government or to George personally (like Jane Austen, who despised him and resented the hell out of being forced to dedicate one of her books to him). The whole story is, on a personal level, sad and sordid and unpleasant. On a political and larger cultural level, it's hugely interesting.
April 28, 2011
Ah.. tis nice to slip back into some quality non - fictch. I love a bit of controversial history. This time - Regency England. Really had no idea of this drama. I knew that The Regent, later George IV (son of the mad one) wasnt too fond of his wife Caroline of Brunswick and was allready secretly married to a Catholic. I wasnt aware of the Queens story though. Shunned immediately - three people in the marriage scenario, he had countless mistresses, she was dismissed to her own court in Blackheath. This was only 20 years prior to Queen Victoria. She heads of round Europe being loud and vulgar but seemingly quite loveable, comes back to get charged with adultery so that the old sod can try and divorce her. Public outrage with Diana style peoples princess anti-monarch feeling. Brink of civil war as radicals support the Queen over the King. Poor luv cant get into the coronation to get crowned herself - goes hurtling round all the gates to the Abbey trying to get in and embarrassing herself. Real life Regency drama, cracking good read.
January 15, 2017
This is the first book I have read about Queen Caroline and I always read several before I dismiss someone as not my cup of tea. However, the drama portrayed in this book is very childish, and I feel a lot of that was the authors tone, inability to keep the story in line due to his enslavement to chronological order. Some of the best biographies and books about historical periods have been slightly out of order and go back and forth a little in order to explain the point better or to illustrate a concept, making it easier to follow the narrative in the end. In this book, I was left Googling several background people and their stories, just so I understood what was going on in this one.
Caroline seems to have borne the brunt of a unfortunate marriage and king in a time when a powerful, independent and outgoing Queen was not only discouraged, but hated. Unable or unwilling to change herself to suit the British way, it seems that her life took several bad turns and that her husband the King did little to smooth the edges of what became a disastrous divorce.
I will read more biographies by some different authors of Queen Caroline and then read some of King George IV and possibly his father, but for now I hold that this may not be the Queen story I was hoping to read.
Caroline seems to have borne the brunt of a unfortunate marriage and king in a time when a powerful, independent and outgoing Queen was not only discouraged, but hated. Unable or unwilling to change herself to suit the British way, it seems that her life took several bad turns and that her husband the King did little to smooth the edges of what became a disastrous divorce.
I will read more biographies by some different authors of Queen Caroline and then read some of King George IV and possibly his father, but for now I hold that this may not be the Queen story I was hoping to read.
April 21, 2014
I think Jane Robins is an excellent writer. The volatility of the period taking into account what the ruling classes had seen in the rest of Europe, was expertly portrayed.
I felt very sorry for Caroline she was out of her time. She was a friendly and flirty woman who didn't want to just fade into the background. As a woman she was used and abused by men and women alike. George comes across as a spoilt child. The cheek of a man who prosecuted a wife for adultery whilst he knew very well he had not only married someone else in secret but had several children with other women.
It's unfortunate that Caroline lost the taste for the fight at the end as she could have really damaged George.
This book also shows how the 'lower' classes were manipulated by the press. Public opinion directly affected government for the first time and the ruling classes maybe released (or feared) that they had their positions because the mass population allowed them to.
I felt very sorry for Caroline she was out of her time. She was a friendly and flirty woman who didn't want to just fade into the background. As a woman she was used and abused by men and women alike. George comes across as a spoilt child. The cheek of a man who prosecuted a wife for adultery whilst he knew very well he had not only married someone else in secret but had several children with other women.
It's unfortunate that Caroline lost the taste for the fight at the end as she could have really damaged George.
This book also shows how the 'lower' classes were manipulated by the press. Public opinion directly affected government for the first time and the ruling classes maybe released (or feared) that they had their positions because the mass population allowed them to.
February 9, 2017
A surprisingly good account of a period in British history that is now often forgotten, but at the time was a huge political event, threatening the downfall of the entire system of monarchy. And at the centre of it all was a woman who was eccentric, crass and unpredictable in her behaviour; whose cause nevertheless tapped into the latent restlessness and rage of the common people. A fascinating read in the context of Brexit and Trump, it shoes how quickly popular feeling can lead to massive political upheaval, and in the end devour itself and burn out, destroying its figurehead in the process.
November 10, 2009
A great resource on Queen Caroline's adultery trial in 1820, with loads of detail and an excellent bibliography. I had no idea the trial was such a big deal, or that it seemed so plausible to contemporaries that it might lead a revolution in England. The writing got a bit purple in places (especially towards the beginning) and the author had a strong bias in favor of Queen Caroline, but on balance those are minor flaws. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in the politics of the era.
January 27, 2018
It is an interesting book, specially if you like historical themes
August 31, 2025
Robins narrates the life of Caroline and her trial, explaining clearly the complicated political and personal implications for her, George IV, and Britain.
October 5, 2014
The subtitle for this book is 'The Scandalous Affair That Nearly Ended a Monarchy.' Believe it or not, it won't seem like hyperbole when you read the book. It's the story of the dissolute Prince, then Regent then King George IV and his wife Caroline of Brunswick. A typical royal arranged marriage--George apparently never had any intention of being a husband to anyone and made it quite clear at his first meeting with Caroline. Caroline is interestingly complex--silly, naïve and selfish, with generally poor judgment but occasionally right on target. Plus you can't help but put yourself in her shoes and wonder how anyone could be sensible and sane in the environment she had to live in.
The trial in the House of Lords brings home the sad fact that, really, nothing's changed--power corrupts, politics brings out the worst in most people and how easy it is to manipulate the masses.
The lack of a 5 star review is for the writing--the author felt the need to include every single bit of her research.
The trial in the House of Lords brings home the sad fact that, really, nothing's changed--power corrupts, politics brings out the worst in most people and how easy it is to manipulate the masses.
The lack of a 5 star review is for the writing--the author felt the need to include every single bit of her research.
September 19, 2007
This was the second book I read in my big read of queen-related biography. It was not nearly as good as The Queen of Fashion, but still enjoyable. I did not realize that George IV (the Prince Regent under George III) had a nasty divorce from his wife Caroline. I also did not realize how many nasty (insulting to the Prince) cartoons (lampoons) were printed at the time. There were passages that made me laugh, but the writing was not as strong as I would have hoped.
April 26, 2023
A well-written and approachable history of the trial insisted upon by Queen Caroline's husband, who hated her from their first meeting (though not, apparently, because of anything she did or said) and events leading up to it. I recently read a much more extensive book about Caroline's life, including the trial, so this one didn't have much new information for me, though there were a few additions that made it worth reading.
July 2, 2012
Becoming Queen Victoria by Kate Williams had a more interesting presentation of Queen Caroline's trial, her marriage, and the death of Princess Charlotte than this biography which was devoted to the subject.
September 11, 2015
A juicy history of a turning point in British politics - the rise of the common man, as they stood behind Queen Caroline. Certainly lots of gossip but also good insights into how the monarchy interplayed with parliament.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews