Hessian Tapestry: Hesse Family and British Royalty New edition by Duff, David (1979) Hardcover

by David Duff

Book by Duff, David

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Royalty, Biography, Germany

415 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1979

Reviews

[Raully · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite its broad title, this book actually focuses on the life of Princess Alice: daughter of Queen Victoria, Queen of Hesse, great-grandmother of the current Prince Philip. It is dated. Oh boy, is it dated in its moralizing, its royal gossip, its Edwardian syntax, and its GrandOldMan style of biography. But its still the best book out there on the subject. Being neither a tragic figure (like so many of her sisters or brothers) or the Prince of Wales, Alice is the overlooked middle child of the family. (Think: Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.) Yet she was a fascinating figure in her own right, trying to carry Victorian progressivism into an increasingly conservative and idealistic German situation. Well worth the read - if you already have the interest - but I still wish Alice merited a new biography of her own.

[Jeffrey Thiessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A welcome addition to my library. The fascinating story of the triumphs and tragedies that befell the family of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and The Princess Alice of Great Britain and Ireland, Grand Duchess of Hesse. It begins with birth of Princess Alice to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1843 and ends with the death of their daughter Victoria Mountbatten, Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven in 1950. Their family, which includes the Battenbergs cousins, reached into the Royal Houses of Britain, Germany, Russia, Greece. This book was recommended to me and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to others.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a long time to find and buy this book...so glad I did.

[Diana Cheal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched. Wasn’t a huge amount of uncovered material, and some of the stories I think have been proven to be slightly different since. I would have liked more on the more recent Hesse family, as there’s already a lot out there about the immediate descendants of QV. Well written and very easy to read. If you’re interested in learning more, then this is a very good place to start!

[Bernard Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

RE: Princess Alice (second daughter of Queen Victoria)... Just a remarkable story of Alice and siblings, their mates and children and how their lives connected Britain, Denmark, Russia, Germany, Spain, and on and on! Everyone seemed to be related... A wonderful read, really well written... Wunderbares buch!