William's Princess: The Love Story that will Change the Royal Family Forever

by Robert Jobson

Having courted throughout his time at St. Andrews University, Kate Middleton and Prince William are now a permanent item. Having managed to maintain a rather low profile so far, Kate has recently been issued with her own security force, similar to that of Camilla, Prince Charles’s consort. This move has been widely interpreted as the beginning of getting Kate accustomed to the media spotlight into which she will step by marrying Prince William. From an upper-middle class background, she is seen as a much-needed breath of fresh air by the monarchy, and her grooming has already begun in earnest—and crucially, with Her Majesty’s approval.

Genres: Biography

262 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2006

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An early biography of Will and Kate, however probably half the book was of Charles and Camilla or other non-Will/Kate topics, which didn't really contribute to their story. Also, there were several spelling or grammatical errors, more than I've seen in something that wasn't a uncorrected proof. But it did provide some perspective on early Will and Kate's relationship, as the book was published before they were even engaged.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was basically just a journalist's collection of publicly available information from news articles, and it was extremely sexist, making the assumption that a young woman's goal in life is to "land" a man.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

William's Princess by Robert Jobson
John Blake Publishing Ltd, 2006
254 pages
Non-fiction; Royalty
3.5/5 stars

Despite the title, the focus of this book is not so much Catherine Middleton and her relationship with Prince William as it is about the future of the monarchy in particular the rather unpopular Prince Charles and how Will and Kate's relationship will affect the monarchy.

While I was disappointed because I do want to learn about the future Princess William, I thought that the broader focus helped the book. Instead of just giving a biography of their relationship (and this was published in 2006 so it misses a lot), the book examines Diana, Charles, and how Queen Elizabeth is slowly but surely cutting back on her engagements to give her self some breathing space as she ages and to help prepare for the transition to Charles. Jobson writes continually of the unpopularity of Charles, especially in comparison to his mother and son. I wonder if that is still the case now, five years later. I suspect he is still less popular than them but that the division is not as extreme as it was.

I also enjoyed Jobson's intrusions in the story; unlike Nicholl's work, the entire book was framed that way and did not jar me whenever he appeared to explain his own involvement. Occasionally he elucidates on the story he broke and emphasizes the credibility of his anonymous sources. I am also pretty sure I've seen Jobson on television, which made him feel more familiar and endeared him to me.

Overall: Misleading title but solid writing.

[KRom · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a Royal watcher - so this book was something I thought would be entertaining. And it was. But honestly, the same info can be gotten from the gossip rags, I imagine.

[Claire]

Maybe this book would have been more entertaining in 2006....maybe not. There wasn't any more to the story than you could find in People or a variety of other outlets.