The Stuart Princesses

by Alison Plowden

Now in paperback -- "Plowden deploys her extensive knowledge of Tudor and Stuart times to provide a series of skillfully written studies". -- Antonia Fraser, The TimesThis book makes a fresh study of the six princesses of the House of Stuart who lived through the violent social and political upheavals of the 17th century. One is the direct ancestress of the present British royal family, one was the mother of a king of England, and one died in prison at the age of fourteen. Another became Madame de France and two were English queens regent.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Historical

234 pages, Hardcover

First published February 22, 1996

Reviews

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to learn more (or at least, a little) about the Winter Queen/Queen of Bohemia, Liselotte and Minette. I've been reading a lot about the Stuarts, and these three in particular are mentioned quite a bit, but I never really knew who they were. This book did help me in that regard, and I did really enjoy reading it.

However, it doesn't talk about the female Stuarts individually. Each woman blurs into each other in the writing, so the book would be on the topic of the Winter Queen (on which over half the book is dedicated) and then it would randomly talk about Liselotte, who was the favourite of said Winter Queen. I'd be sitting there and thinking "yeah... but who is she?"

It also felt quite lacking for not talking about the women in equal length. For example, the Winter Queen was discussed from birth to death, which covered half of the book, but Queen Anne, who was Queen of Britain and the final Stuart monarch was covered half in her sister's chapter and a couple pages in the random epilogue. It also didn't cover all of the Stuart princesses or Queens so it's not entirely comprehensive.

All in all, a very good introduction, but not amazing if you want more detail.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although overall I did enjoy this book, I felt that not enough detail was given to the lives of each princess. As perhaps an introduction to the Stuart princesses, this book is great but for somebody like myself, looking to further my existing knowledge, it falls short.
The author writes well. The chapters flow perfectly and she manages to stay on topic. There are plenty of notes for sources at the back of the book which is good.
The pictures in the book are in black and white which is disappointing as I always prefer nice glossy colour photos of the subjects.
I was highly disappointed with the detail given to Queen Anne, she only had a few pages at the end of the book. Surely a reigning monarch deserves at least one chapter of their own, right? I'd have liked to see more about her relationship with her exiled father, her husband, her dominant friend Sarah Churchill and her many pregnancies.
I did however enjoy the amount of space given to Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia. She would be the Stuart princess that I knew the least about and a fair bit of the book was based around her, her marriage, queenship and her relationships with her immediate and extended family.
As I said, this book is a good book to use as an introduction to the lives if the Stuart girls. If you're looking for a more, in depth bio of their lives, this isn't the book for you.

[EleanxrC. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed and informative account of the intriguing and often tragic lives of the Stuart dynasty, focusing on the women of the family. Written in an almost narrative style, it was interesting and easy to follow and made each character memorable, yet including sufficient historical evidence and information.

[Bethan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this was a good read from an historian point of view. It was riddled with boring references and tiresome information that seemed out of place,
I thought it would be more of a story type rather than based of facts and historic details. Must read for history fanatics though.

[Karen Floyd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book as far as it went, but not all of the Princesses were given equal space. I was hoping to learn a lot more about Charles I's daughter Elizabeth, but she was barely mentioned. I know there is more information about her out there, so I was quite disappointed. Of the six princesses covered, James I's daughter Elizabeth was given the fullest biography, with Charles I's youngest daughter, Minette, being second. They are covered from birth to death. The other girls are given varying amounts of space. This book is a good introductory overview and I learned a lot, just not about the princess I was most interested in.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and informative look at the Stuart women--most particularly Elizabeth of Bohemia, Charles II's sister Minette, and Queen Mary II and Queen Anne. I thought at times that a bit more historical context would have been helpful, especially regarding the English Civil War, and I thought that Anne's reign got rather short shrift. Still, this was an excellent introduction to the lives of these women, particularly Elizabeth of Bohemia and Minette.

[Andrea Wall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well written history book! Of course you have to actully like history before reading it or you'd find it dull.
Make susre your awake when reading it because they people lead very detailed lives and you have to pay attention to keep the many different characters in line.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the Stuarts is my favourite era after the Tudors. This is about the story of Charles I and II's sisters. Great to find out more about them. Women who shaped the history of that time but so often forgotten. Brilliant.