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Inglorious Royal Marriages: A Demi-Millennium of Unholy Mismatrimony
It’s no secret that the marriages of monarchs are often made in hell. Here are some of the most spectacular mismatches in five hundred years of royal history....In a world where many kings, queens, and princes lacked nothing but true love, marital mismatches could bring out the baddest, boldest behavior in the bluest of bloodlines. Margaret Tudor, her niece Mary I, and Catherine of Braganza were desperately in love with chronically unfaithful husbands, but at least they weren’t murdered by them, as were two of the Medici princesses were. King Charles II’s beautiful, high-spirited sister “Minette” wed Louis XIV’s younger brother, who wore more makeup and perfume than she did. Forced to wed her boring, jug-eared cousin Ferdinand, Marie of Roumania—a granddaughter of Queen Victoria—proved herself one of the heroines of World War I by using her prodigious personal charm to regain massive amounts of land during the peace talks at Versailles.Brimming with outrageous real-life stories of royal marriages gone wrong, this is an entertaining, unforgettable book of dubious matches doomed from the start.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 2, 2014
46 people are currently reading
1075 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Carroll
31 books164 followersI used to tell people that I was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx; but the truth is that apart from the stellar education I received at the Fieldston School in Riverdale, much of who I am was shaped by my two grandmothers, who encouraged me to follow my bliss long before it became the sort of catchphrase you find on tee-shirts and new-age tchotchkes. My East Side grandmother took me to FAO Schwarz, the New York City Ballet, and afternoon tea at the Plaza Hotel, where I dreamed of becoming another Eloise. My West Side grandmother took me to the Central Park carousel and the zoo and treated me to colorful paper parasols and gummy, lukewarm pretzels from the vendors whose wares my East Side grandmother deemed too "dirty" for human consumption.
There are writers on both sides of my family, and although I always loved to write, I never anticipated that it would become my profession. I had wanted to be a ballerina; and though my club feet were corrected at birth (from the stilettos I adore now, you'd never know) and my short Achilles tendons made my toes turn in (corrected at the age of 9), I was never going to end up en pointe.
About a year later, I decided to become an actress when (if?) I grew up, and I never looked back. I majored in Theatre at Cornell University, worked in summer stock, and took classes with a couple of acknowledged masters. I performed a lot of Shakespeare and other classics in New York parks, basements, church choir lofts, and the occasional Off-Broadway theatre; then founded and ran my own nonprofit theatre company for several years. And when things got slow, and I found myself working three survival jobs simultaneously (one of them as a journalist and editor), I decided it was time to pursue an additional creative avenue.
Fast forward a decade. I'm now a multi-published author in three genres, as well as a freelance journalist. And I've also adapted a number of classic texts (Ivanhoe; The Prisoner of Zenda; The Scarlet Pimpernel; Mark Twain's The Diaries of Adam and Eve) for the stage. I began writing women's fiction and historical fiction simultaneously, but my first published novel was the urban romantic comedy Miss Match in 2002. In 2005, as I continued to write about feisty female New Yorkers, my first historical novel was published under the pen name Amanda Elyot. While keeping those literary plates spinning I made my historical nonfiction debut in the spring of 2008.
In what I laughingly refer to as my spare time, I'm still a professional actress, working when the scripts and the roles excite me.
I'm such a native New Yorker that I still don't have a driver's license, "Big Sky Country" means Central Park, and the farthest I've ever been from the Upper West Side for any great length of time was my four-year stint upstate in Ithaca, at Cornell, known for its rigorous academics and its equally harsh permafrost.
My birthday falls on the same day as two of my heroes—F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jim Henson. So I reread The Great Gatsby every year and number Miss Piggy among the great actresses of her generation. My favorite color is deep hydrangea blue, and it just kills me that it doesn't look good with red hair.
I live in Manhattan with my husband Scott—who is my hero and everything I ever dreamed of. For the past couple of years we've been considering an addition to the family in the form of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
There are writers on both sides of my family, and although I always loved to write, I never anticipated that it would become my profession. I had wanted to be a ballerina; and though my club feet were corrected at birth (from the stilettos I adore now, you'd never know) and my short Achilles tendons made my toes turn in (corrected at the age of 9), I was never going to end up en pointe.
About a year later, I decided to become an actress when (if?) I grew up, and I never looked back. I majored in Theatre at Cornell University, worked in summer stock, and took classes with a couple of acknowledged masters. I performed a lot of Shakespeare and other classics in New York parks, basements, church choir lofts, and the occasional Off-Broadway theatre; then founded and ran my own nonprofit theatre company for several years. And when things got slow, and I found myself working three survival jobs simultaneously (one of them as a journalist and editor), I decided it was time to pursue an additional creative avenue.
Fast forward a decade. I'm now a multi-published author in three genres, as well as a freelance journalist. And I've also adapted a number of classic texts (Ivanhoe; The Prisoner of Zenda; The Scarlet Pimpernel; Mark Twain's The Diaries of Adam and Eve) for the stage. I began writing women's fiction and historical fiction simultaneously, but my first published novel was the urban romantic comedy Miss Match in 2002. In 2005, as I continued to write about feisty female New Yorkers, my first historical novel was published under the pen name Amanda Elyot. While keeping those literary plates spinning I made my historical nonfiction debut in the spring of 2008.
In what I laughingly refer to as my spare time, I'm still a professional actress, working when the scripts and the roles excite me.
I'm such a native New Yorker that I still don't have a driver's license, "Big Sky Country" means Central Park, and the farthest I've ever been from the Upper West Side for any great length of time was my four-year stint upstate in Ithaca, at Cornell, known for its rigorous academics and its equally harsh permafrost.
My birthday falls on the same day as two of my heroes—F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jim Henson. So I reread The Great Gatsby every year and number Miss Piggy among the great actresses of her generation. My favorite color is deep hydrangea blue, and it just kills me that it doesn't look good with red hair.
I live in Manhattan with my husband Scott—who is my hero and everything I ever dreamed of. For the past couple of years we've been considering an addition to the family in the form of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 26, 2017
Meh!!! This is my second try at a book by this author. The first one I didn't finish although I did manage to get through this one.
The author looks at 11 royal marriages which were arranged, as most were back in the early days of monarchies, and usually involved extremely young princesses (some barely into their teens). It was a power game and in almost every case these liaisons were sheer disasters. As time went on, in-breeding became a serious problem and some of these kings/queens or soon to be kings/queens were less than mentally competent...they didn't call Queen Victoria the grandmother of Europe without reason.
I just couldn't get very interested in this book....maybe it is the author's style of putting words in the mouth of the subjects which she could have no way of knowing and seem to have no basis in fact (or at least I couldn't find any from the source material). She is a popular author but just not for me.
The author looks at 11 royal marriages which were arranged, as most were back in the early days of monarchies, and usually involved extremely young princesses (some barely into their teens). It was a power game and in almost every case these liaisons were sheer disasters. As time went on, in-breeding became a serious problem and some of these kings/queens or soon to be kings/queens were less than mentally competent...they didn't call Queen Victoria the grandmother of Europe without reason.
I just couldn't get very interested in this book....maybe it is the author's style of putting words in the mouth of the subjects which she could have no way of knowing and seem to have no basis in fact (or at least I couldn't find any from the source material). She is a popular author but just not for me.
June 19, 2018
This was a funny and light hearted look at European Royalty and their escapades. This is easy and light reading. I'm only giving it 3 stars because it plays a bit loose with actual history. Extremely readable
October 10, 2014
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
Leslie Carroll's Inglorious Royal Marriages is the kind of nonfiction I wish I came across more often. It tells a story and it's wonderfully detailed, but it is at the same time playful and entertaining.
Capitalizing on public interest for gossip and celebrity drama, Carroll boldly delves into the high stakes game of royal marriage and the spectacular fallouts that ensued when husband and wife found themselves utterly incompatible. Some of the haplessly wedded royals are very known, others less so, but I found that even the sections covering material with which I was already familiar delightfully witty.
I also love that Carroll took the trouble to explain the political wheeling and dealing that led to each unfortunate alliance. Royal marriages were essentially business transactions, contracts made for wealth, power and favors and I think that incredibly important to understand when examining royal unions.
All told, Inglorious Royal Marriage is an excellent collection for those in the know as well as those discovering these stories for the first time. Highly recommended.
Leslie Carroll's Inglorious Royal Marriages is the kind of nonfiction I wish I came across more often. It tells a story and it's wonderfully detailed, but it is at the same time playful and entertaining.
Capitalizing on public interest for gossip and celebrity drama, Carroll boldly delves into the high stakes game of royal marriage and the spectacular fallouts that ensued when husband and wife found themselves utterly incompatible. Some of the haplessly wedded royals are very known, others less so, but I found that even the sections covering material with which I was already familiar delightfully witty.
I also love that Carroll took the trouble to explain the political wheeling and dealing that led to each unfortunate alliance. Royal marriages were essentially business transactions, contracts made for wealth, power and favors and I think that incredibly important to understand when examining royal unions.
All told, Inglorious Royal Marriage is an excellent collection for those in the know as well as those discovering these stories for the first time. Highly recommended.
October 16, 2020
Books of this sort tend to be too shallow and gossipy to be engrossing, but Leslie Carroll's look at some spectacularly mismatched royal couple from 500 years of European history was not only entertaining but also detailed and well researched enough to make for quite interesting reading.
October 29, 2014
For me, Leslie Carroll’s non-fiction works have always been an entertaining romp that I look forward to reading. This installment in the series, Inglorious Royal Marriages, is no different. I was excited to pick it up and dig right in. The pages whirl by in a blur as we move from one mismatched couple to the next dancing across Europe. The stories range from the spouses who don’t get along because of differences in sexual appetites, to those who were serial philanderers, to those who were just plain cruel to each other. What the stories have in common is the wonder that these things actually happened!
Leslie writes with a wit and sharp tongue which is very apparent in her books, which makes them fun and refreshing reads. You certainly can’t call this dull! She also has a thesaurus style vocabulary, so expect to be looking up a good many words. While this is great in improving your language skills, it can start to wear on you after the 20th time referring to the dictionary.
My only real issue with this book is that 90% of the stories felt extremely familiar to me. Of the twelve stories related in this tome, there were only three that I didn’t have some level of knowledge of; the bulk of the selections were on the heavy hitters – Margaret Tudor, Henry VI, Charles II, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I. While I know that to some extent it is those very names that will sell this book, I would have liked to have seen a few more less common entries – more along the lines of the varied selection in Royal Romances. Additionally, the flow of the book wasn’t optimal for me. To some extent it felt like stories were being partially retold in subsequent chapters as in some cases they were family relations. This could be in effort to tie disparate chapters together, but for me it felt repetitious.
Of those notable figures chronicled in this volume, I would have to say that my favorite has been the combined chapter on Isabella Romola de Medici and Eleonora di Garzia di Toledo. A little intrigue, murder, and new faces spiced this chapter up!
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog and received for review.
Leslie writes with a wit and sharp tongue which is very apparent in her books, which makes them fun and refreshing reads. You certainly can’t call this dull! She also has a thesaurus style vocabulary, so expect to be looking up a good many words. While this is great in improving your language skills, it can start to wear on you after the 20th time referring to the dictionary.
My only real issue with this book is that 90% of the stories felt extremely familiar to me. Of the twelve stories related in this tome, there were only three that I didn’t have some level of knowledge of; the bulk of the selections were on the heavy hitters – Margaret Tudor, Henry VI, Charles II, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I. While I know that to some extent it is those very names that will sell this book, I would have liked to have seen a few more less common entries – more along the lines of the varied selection in Royal Romances. Additionally, the flow of the book wasn’t optimal for me. To some extent it felt like stories were being partially retold in subsequent chapters as in some cases they were family relations. This could be in effort to tie disparate chapters together, but for me it felt repetitious.
Of those notable figures chronicled in this volume, I would have to say that my favorite has been the combined chapter on Isabella Romola de Medici and Eleonora di Garzia di Toledo. A little intrigue, murder, and new faces spiced this chapter up!
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog and received for review.
September 19, 2018
There is a glorious abundance of fascinating historical material in this book -- simply too much for me to process. But if you are looking for a twisty story of romance and intrigue upon which to base your next BBC series, I believe every single chapter contains more source material for your purposes than you will ever be able to fit into 12 hours of costumed teleplay.
August 29, 2014
Interested in reading more than the history books tell us about some mismatched royal couples? This book, by author Leslie Carroll, is chocked full of short stories about dynastic marriages gone wrong. Royal couples so mismatched, their marriages were utter failures.
The focus is not just England and France, we learn about many other mismatched couples from other areas of Europe. Two Italian duchesses were actually murdered by their respective husbands!
Some of the stories in this quick read of a book will leave you hungering for more, while a few will just have you shaking your head and thinking yourself grateful for not being born into these crazy families.
Some of my favorites: Margaret of Anjou and her English King Henry VI, The Medici's, and Anne of Austria and her French King Louis XII.
Due to the nature of the many short stories, this is a quick, fun read. If you enjoy European history, you will enjoy this book.
The focus is not just England and France, we learn about many other mismatched couples from other areas of Europe. Two Italian duchesses were actually murdered by their respective husbands!
Some of the stories in this quick read of a book will leave you hungering for more, while a few will just have you shaking your head and thinking yourself grateful for not being born into these crazy families.
Some of my favorites: Margaret of Anjou and her English King Henry VI, The Medici's, and Anne of Austria and her French King Louis XII.
Due to the nature of the many short stories, this is a quick, fun read. If you enjoy European history, you will enjoy this book.
October 28, 2016
I always enjoy Leslie Carroll and this was another enjoyable read.
November 3, 2024
Nicholas II and Alexandra were not first cousins..... it's so frustrating when people writing history books don't actually bother to do any research. A simple Google search would have given her the answer. This is only one example of many historical inaccuracies in this book.
I also find it mildly annoying that she tries to make this as gossipy as possible, throwing in a lot of random exclamation marks, and using American slang such as "the old cow", or "flibbertegibbet" when in reference to someone.
I find that particularly offputting. Another thing that I find irritating is that she makes excuses for them, no matter what they did.
And frankly… Many of them were just terrible. The mother of Edward III, Isabella of France, for example, spent money like water, and was a co-conspirator to literally keep her son off the throne, while keeping her lover on it. She had absolutely no problem with Mortimer flaunting himself as the de facto king of England right in front of her son, in public, at grand exhibitions and feasts.
Mary was a wholly inept ruler, frankly, and wouldn't listen to her ministers, or the will of the people.
The author attempts to say that this is not true, then literally within the next paragraph explains that Mary refused to listen to them on foreign policy, as well as in her marriage partner.
That's a nice contradiction that is glossed over, the author doesn't seem to even see the hypocrisy.
Mary was nothing but a spoiled little child in my opinion, she literally threatened that if she had to marry someone of her own realm, (as her ministers were trying to suggest to her), she would refuse to sleep with him, kill herself within three months, and leave the kingdom without a sovereign or an heir, throwing it into Civil War and bloody massacre.
Yeah, that totally sounds like The reasoning of a politically astute and adult woman🙄🤦🏻♀️.
The author then turns the tables on Elizabeth, claiming she was just as bad as Mary in terms of persecution of religious zealots. The difference being, the pope, his priests in England etc. were literally trying to assassinate Elizabeth on a daily basis. The pope even gave to dispensation to any Catholic that would "rid the world of this heretical woman".
As Catholics would hide priests in their homes, it is not unfounded to think that any Catholic family within the realm could very well be harboring an assassin.
On the other hand, she also likes to blame the women for the actions of the men around them. She makes speculations that are completely outlandish, not to mention a bit homophobic. That if "so and so had married so," then the man would not have ever cheated.
Yeah right.
Or "her actions made her husband more homosexual".
Yeah I hate to tell you… But that's really not the way it works.
The author seems to put a lot of motives and thoughts into peoples heads that we have absolutely no evidence for whatsoever.
It is fine to raise speculation, based on legit sources of information. But to simply see women through modern glasses, not to mention the authors own personal (and bigoted) viewpoint, is not only inaccurate, but does a disservice to history.
I also find it mildly annoying that she tries to make this as gossipy as possible, throwing in a lot of random exclamation marks, and using American slang such as "the old cow", or "flibbertegibbet" when in reference to someone.
I find that particularly offputting. Another thing that I find irritating is that she makes excuses for them, no matter what they did.
And frankly… Many of them were just terrible. The mother of Edward III, Isabella of France, for example, spent money like water, and was a co-conspirator to literally keep her son off the throne, while keeping her lover on it. She had absolutely no problem with Mortimer flaunting himself as the de facto king of England right in front of her son, in public, at grand exhibitions and feasts.
Mary was a wholly inept ruler, frankly, and wouldn't listen to her ministers, or the will of the people.
The author attempts to say that this is not true, then literally within the next paragraph explains that Mary refused to listen to them on foreign policy, as well as in her marriage partner.
That's a nice contradiction that is glossed over, the author doesn't seem to even see the hypocrisy.
Mary was nothing but a spoiled little child in my opinion, she literally threatened that if she had to marry someone of her own realm, (as her ministers were trying to suggest to her), she would refuse to sleep with him, kill herself within three months, and leave the kingdom without a sovereign or an heir, throwing it into Civil War and bloody massacre.
Yeah, that totally sounds like The reasoning of a politically astute and adult woman🙄🤦🏻♀️.
The author then turns the tables on Elizabeth, claiming she was just as bad as Mary in terms of persecution of religious zealots. The difference being, the pope, his priests in England etc. were literally trying to assassinate Elizabeth on a daily basis. The pope even gave to dispensation to any Catholic that would "rid the world of this heretical woman".
As Catholics would hide priests in their homes, it is not unfounded to think that any Catholic family within the realm could very well be harboring an assassin.
On the other hand, she also likes to blame the women for the actions of the men around them. She makes speculations that are completely outlandish, not to mention a bit homophobic. That if "so and so had married so," then the man would not have ever cheated.
Yeah right.
Or "her actions made her husband more homosexual".
Yeah I hate to tell you… But that's really not the way it works.
The author seems to put a lot of motives and thoughts into peoples heads that we have absolutely no evidence for whatsoever.
It is fine to raise speculation, based on legit sources of information. But to simply see women through modern glasses, not to mention the authors own personal (and bigoted) viewpoint, is not only inaccurate, but does a disservice to history.
January 11, 2017
What do you get when you are forced by your parents to marry for position, usually to a family member as close as your first cousin? A very unhappy life. This book highlights many of those marriages. I found it interesting that although infidelity was a way of life, especially for royal marriages, most of the wives were completely wrecked when their husbands partook in it. I guess it's one thing to know it will happen and it's another to actually live it. Since the beginning of time woman wanted to be the center of their husbands' worlds but rarely they were, even if their husbands loved them. Not even a Queen could command her husband's full attention.
I like how the author broke down each marriage into chapters. I also liked how the author didn't only focus on the marriages, but she made sure to give the reader the highlights of historical events that were taking place at the time. The book is a great read and also a great history lesson. I especially loved the chapters dealing with the English and French royal marriages.
I like how the author broke down each marriage into chapters. I also liked how the author didn't only focus on the marriages, but she made sure to give the reader the highlights of historical events that were taking place at the time. The book is a great read and also a great history lesson. I especially loved the chapters dealing with the English and French royal marriages.
August 24, 2021
This delightful history follows eleven historical figures who, due to their position and royal families, found themselves in arranged marriages that went very poorly. Arranged in chronological order spanning from the early 1400s through the twentieth century, this novel provides insight into the marriages of Henry VI, Margaret Tudor, Lady Jane Grey, Mary I, Isabella Romola de Medici, Louis XIII, Philippe of France Duc d'Orleans, Charles II, Maria Carolina of Austria, Princess Marie of Edinburgh, and Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
This was well researched and informative but reads like historical gossip (in a good way). Each chapter was just in depth enough to provide context and a thorough overview. I also appreciated that it hones in on some historical characters who, while prominent in their day, are often overlooked in historical works or biographies. This book is written in an entertaining, more light hearted tone of voice than most histories and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
This was well researched and informative but reads like historical gossip (in a good way). Each chapter was just in depth enough to provide context and a thorough overview. I also appreciated that it hones in on some historical characters who, while prominent in their day, are often overlooked in historical works or biographies. This book is written in an entertaining, more light hearted tone of voice than most histories and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
July 29, 2018
This book is both fun and educational. While the author does refer to events that would be important in world history, and the various subject's roles in them, the focus is the relationships of the various royals and their marriages specifically. That being said, the read is easy and worthwhile for anyone who enjoys history. The book helps fill in details, gaps, and stories that maybe left out of a more 'serious' biography.
January 7, 2020
Leslie Carroll covers the lives of several royals who had disastrous marriages. In the rules of aristocrats....marriage was a transaction of individuals who had to be equal in rank, there wasn't any thought to the individuals and their personalities and temperaments. Some of these individuals faired better than others but Carroll covers some of the worst.
This book is full of detail. Carroll has created another great book on Royals!!!
This book is full of detail. Carroll has created another great book on Royals!!!
February 23, 2025
I have a whole set of books from this author that I got during an Audible sale. I am really looking forward to reading the rest. This particular book covers a host of royal marriages and all of the drama and scandal that occurred within the bonds of matrimony. Some of these stories I was already aware of, but this was still an entertaining book that was decently researched.
June 12, 2017
This book was so much fun! The stories are entertaining and easy to read. This book made great reading for the treadmill or for downtime at the office. I will definitely be reading more of Carroll's books.
October 22, 2019
An interesting read
For the most part I enjoyed this book. The writing was a little too colloquial American in some places and there were a few irritating editing errors. However, the research seemed thorough and and it was interesting to read these stories.
For the most part I enjoyed this book. The writing was a little too colloquial American in some places and there were a few irritating editing errors. However, the research seemed thorough and and it was interesting to read these stories.
July 27, 2017
An interesting look at some of the more difficult royal marriages throughout European history. Well written and engaging with plenty of intrigue to keep in exciting.
August 8, 2017
Leslie Carroll continues the trend of making me love every single book of hers I pick up.
June 28, 2018
I really enjoy reading about royalty and this book offered up all the juicy gossip about marriages that didn't go well. If you enjoy reading about royal history, you will enjoy reading this book!
July 25, 2018
Like her earlier book on royal marriages, she manages to pack a lot of general history into each story.
September 5, 2021
When you don't think you like your in-laws or your mother's sibling... read this little trope. You will instantly realize that your family isn't all that bad.
May 22, 2022
05/21/2022
May 5, 2023
Listened to this while I had disastrous hockey games on mute and it made them much better tbh. Men continue to be trash.
January 4, 2025
Leslie Carroll has written a few books like this and they're a lot of fun.
August 10, 2017
I am a big fan of Leslie Carroll, both from this series of non-fiction history compendium books as well as from her Marie Antoinette historical fiction series (I read and loved the first one and was so excited to find out that Juliet Grey is actually a pen name for Leslie Carroll). This one was really good, although I feel like she got a lot of the big-name drama marriages in her "Notorious Royal Marriages" book and this one was everything else she wanted to cover. Nothing wrong wth that; still quite entertaining.
March 15, 2017
I like that it didn't include the just the most well-known "inglorious marriages," such as that of Marie Antoinette or any of Henry VIII, though there are a few some will be familiar with (such as Mary I). I also give it points for choosing from multiple nationalities. The writer was good at providing both background info and that relevant to each marriage without using a tone that made me want to nod off.
September 9, 2014
Author and professional actress Leslie Carroll is most likely the “go-to” person for most anything involving Royal history, especially romances, marriages, and the women and men of the court whose love-filled dramas centuries later are still the tales of juicy gossip.
Leslie has recently released another book in her non-fiction series of Royal dramas featuring romance and marriage, called Inglorious Royal Marriages: A Demi-Millennium of Unholy Matrimony. It’s filled with stories spanning 500 years of marriages at court gone wrong. These mismatched marriages aren’t surprising to hear about since most of them were arranged for political or international gain, but what makes the book fun is Leslie’s spin on each of the stories that she chose for within the book.
Some of the couples you’ll know easily, such as Mary I of England and Phillip II of Spain, yet surprisingly enough though I thought I knew most of their information, I still learned a lot. Leslie seems to have a way of telling a detailed story, with humor and fact, that creates a connection with the reader on an emotional level. These people we sometimes forget were real people actually come to life on her pages and at least speaking for myself, I felt their sadness, loss, frustration, and emotion as if I knew them personally.
In a time when many still all watch the Royal Weddings and births, read the tabloid headlines of Royals while checking out groceries, and dive into knowing all the personal information of Prince William and Kate, this book gives us a gossip-eyed view of these historical disfunctional couples as if they lived among us today. However, Leslie’s writing is very top-notch, so that you must understand that her sections on each couple are filled to the brim with historical fact and highly detailed. Her vocabulary and writing level is very high and I feel that this book is for the educated reader who wants more heavy prose. It rides the fine line between being a novel that could be used for historical fiction research on any certain couple (she’s so knowledgeable she is like a walking encyclopedia) and an entertainment piece that is delightful enough to get lost in for a few hours of alone time.
It’s truly magnificent enough to really have its own History Channel series and each section is its own mini-documentary. I also adore Leslie’s own commentary within the book, and am especially partial when she is supportive of the women. Though she went in depth into each couple, I was left intrigued enough that I wanted to do my own research further.
One of my favorite sections quite surprised me, in fact. I loved her take on Bloody Mary and her sympathy to her plight. I had never been much of a Mary fan, but I understood how her loyalty to her religion and family. I didn’t realize how much she had wanted to have a baby. I also enjoyed the romp of a story about Monsieur, Philippe of France, Duc d’Orleans and Henriette-Anne as I found it quite humorous, even if slightly sad. His and her romps were so rampant I suppose my head was spinning as if I was attached to their chandelier spying and someone twirled it around.
If you enjoy historical fiction featuring Royals and elite of past centuries, then this book is the non-fiction piece for you to read alongside them. Leslie will give you the real picture in this book, as well as in her other non-fiction titles in the same vein, and create for you an entire buffet of marvelous factual frosting in which to top your fictional cake.
I was given this book in exchange for honest review.
Leslie has recently released another book in her non-fiction series of Royal dramas featuring romance and marriage, called Inglorious Royal Marriages: A Demi-Millennium of Unholy Matrimony. It’s filled with stories spanning 500 years of marriages at court gone wrong. These mismatched marriages aren’t surprising to hear about since most of them were arranged for political or international gain, but what makes the book fun is Leslie’s spin on each of the stories that she chose for within the book.
Some of the couples you’ll know easily, such as Mary I of England and Phillip II of Spain, yet surprisingly enough though I thought I knew most of their information, I still learned a lot. Leslie seems to have a way of telling a detailed story, with humor and fact, that creates a connection with the reader on an emotional level. These people we sometimes forget were real people actually come to life on her pages and at least speaking for myself, I felt their sadness, loss, frustration, and emotion as if I knew them personally.
In a time when many still all watch the Royal Weddings and births, read the tabloid headlines of Royals while checking out groceries, and dive into knowing all the personal information of Prince William and Kate, this book gives us a gossip-eyed view of these historical disfunctional couples as if they lived among us today. However, Leslie’s writing is very top-notch, so that you must understand that her sections on each couple are filled to the brim with historical fact and highly detailed. Her vocabulary and writing level is very high and I feel that this book is for the educated reader who wants more heavy prose. It rides the fine line between being a novel that could be used for historical fiction research on any certain couple (she’s so knowledgeable she is like a walking encyclopedia) and an entertainment piece that is delightful enough to get lost in for a few hours of alone time.
It’s truly magnificent enough to really have its own History Channel series and each section is its own mini-documentary. I also adore Leslie’s own commentary within the book, and am especially partial when she is supportive of the women. Though she went in depth into each couple, I was left intrigued enough that I wanted to do my own research further.
One of my favorite sections quite surprised me, in fact. I loved her take on Bloody Mary and her sympathy to her plight. I had never been much of a Mary fan, but I understood how her loyalty to her religion and family. I didn’t realize how much she had wanted to have a baby. I also enjoyed the romp of a story about Monsieur, Philippe of France, Duc d’Orleans and Henriette-Anne as I found it quite humorous, even if slightly sad. His and her romps were so rampant I suppose my head was spinning as if I was attached to their chandelier spying and someone twirled it around.
If you enjoy historical fiction featuring Royals and elite of past centuries, then this book is the non-fiction piece for you to read alongside them. Leslie will give you the real picture in this book, as well as in her other non-fiction titles in the same vein, and create for you an entire buffet of marvelous factual frosting in which to top your fictional cake.
I was given this book in exchange for honest review.
January 24, 2025
A very well-researched and interesting book. I am surprised Mary Queen of Scots didn’t make the cut. A very interesting, but sometimes depressing, book when you see so much pain that could have been avoided.
September 19, 2014
I enjoy learning new things about history, and this book provided many insights into areas that are often overlooked. Carroll helped break past common myths to show the true history of these relationships. She was harsh when she needed to be, but still gave fair consideration to all sides. In addition, her book provides a look into the histories surrounding the unhappy couples.
On the other hand, I had several small issues with the book. First of all, a couple of the sections just didn't seem to have enough information compared with others. For instance, the double section on the Medicis gave considerable attention to Isabella but not nearly as much to Eleonora, whom I would have liked to learn more about.
Second, her scope was rather limited compared to what I had hoped for. She only considers marriages within Europe, and even then mostly limits herself to certain areas such as England, France, and Italy; for instance, I would have appreciated a chapter on Joanna the Mad of Spain. It would have been interesting if she had included royal marriages from other areas of the world such as Asia.
Most importantly, I am a little concerned on her sources. She provides an ample bibliography at the end, but it consists largely of secondary sources, with few if any primary sources. Given the many quotes she makes during the book, I would have liked to know the sources they came from. I am sure Carroll thoroughly researched the topic, but I would find it more comforting if she could justify her arguments with primary sources.
Even so, the historical narratives are very compelling. I was often moved by the cruel yet human ordeals the women had to go through, and how others have tried to distort their histories. At least they can rest easy now that their true stories have been reborn.
On the other hand, I had several small issues with the book. First of all, a couple of the sections just didn't seem to have enough information compared with others. For instance, the double section on the Medicis gave considerable attention to Isabella but not nearly as much to Eleonora, whom I would have liked to learn more about.
Second, her scope was rather limited compared to what I had hoped for. She only considers marriages within Europe, and even then mostly limits herself to certain areas such as England, France, and Italy; for instance, I would have appreciated a chapter on Joanna the Mad of Spain. It would have been interesting if she had included royal marriages from other areas of the world such as Asia.
Most importantly, I am a little concerned on her sources. She provides an ample bibliography at the end, but it consists largely of secondary sources, with few if any primary sources. Given the many quotes she makes during the book, I would have liked to know the sources they came from. I am sure Carroll thoroughly researched the topic, but I would find it more comforting if she could justify her arguments with primary sources.
Even so, the historical narratives are very compelling. I was often moved by the cruel yet human ordeals the women had to go through, and how others have tried to distort their histories. At least they can rest easy now that their true stories have been reborn.
September 24, 2014
Inglorious Royal Marriages is a compendium of tales of some of the bad marriages between kings and queens and other royals throughout history. As most students of history know, marriages in the royal realms were more often made for dynastic reasons rather than for anything so bourgeois as love. Many of these unlucky brides and grooms didn't even speak the same languages let alone get along. While there are some marriages that managed to work out - even move beyond civil - this book is dedicated to some of the worst.
Each chapter brings one royal and their marriage(s). Along with their personal tale(s) of woe the history and politics of the time are woven through the story because these affairs would not be what they were without these factors. Trying to extend borders through marriage is almost always a way to make sure two people are going to have conflicting interests and those interests are going to make it hard to live happily ever after.
Ms. Carroll does an excellent job of presenting the players and the surrounding politics in a concise and easy to read manner so that even if you are not a rabid consumer of historical fiction you will be able to understand the players and the times driving each disastrous union. It read like fiction and to me that is about the best compliment you can give a non-fiction book. Even in reading about characters who are well known to me I found that there were still things to learn so I was eagerly turning the pages no matter if it was a familiar figure like Margaret of Anjou who was married to the hapless Henry VI or the the lesser known (at least to me) Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coberg and Gotha.
Each chapter brings one royal and their marriage(s). Along with their personal tale(s) of woe the history and politics of the time are woven through the story because these affairs would not be what they were without these factors. Trying to extend borders through marriage is almost always a way to make sure two people are going to have conflicting interests and those interests are going to make it hard to live happily ever after.
Ms. Carroll does an excellent job of presenting the players and the surrounding politics in a concise and easy to read manner so that even if you are not a rabid consumer of historical fiction you will be able to understand the players and the times driving each disastrous union. It read like fiction and to me that is about the best compliment you can give a non-fiction book. Even in reading about characters who are well known to me I found that there were still things to learn so I was eagerly turning the pages no matter if it was a familiar figure like Margaret of Anjou who was married to the hapless Henry VI or the the lesser known (at least to me) Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coberg and Gotha.
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