Synopses & Reviews
The House of Windsor is a big business, though one with more ups and downs than the stock market. Prince Philip calls it The Firm, and all the royal executives and their powerful associates are supposed to make every effort to avoid even a hint of scandal that could diminish the reputation of the family business.
Unfortunately for the royals, for the past twenty years scandal and controversy have deluged the Queen' s family, putting everything at risk. Focusing primarily on the years after the death of Diana and leading up to the heir to the throne' s marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles this past April 9th, royal insider Penny Junor offers a sympathetic yet utterly candid look at a family that has made itself the world' s soap opera in THE FIRM: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor,
Can The Firm survive much longer? Will Charles or even William decide that the throne is not worth the trouble? Can this, the ultimate family business, weather this storm of spiritual (though not fiscal) bankruptcy, or will momentum and a cadre of brilliant advisors keep the enterprise in business for years to come?
THE FIRM investigates the Family' s relationship with government, the press and the people. It looks at whether the institution can reach out to those, particularly the young, who see the House of Windsor as insignificant. It asks, in short, whether the British monarchy has a future.
Penny Junor knows the answers in this sure-to-be controversial book-- the first to be published on the newly restructured royal family.
Review
"… a solid analysis of the monarchy." --
Booklist“A favorable, respectful portrait . . . should gratify those with affectionate interest in Britains monarchy.” ---Publishers Weekly
“Interesting . . . jaw-dropping . . . highly recommended.” ---Library Journal
Synopsis
The House of Windsor: Is it a hangover from the past, an expensive anachronism, a relic of a bygone age of deference and hierarchy, or is it as important and relevant as ever?
However you look at it, the royal family is a big business, though one with more ups and downs than the stock market. Prince Philip calls it “The Firm,” and all the royal executives and their powerful associates are supposed to make every effort to avoid even a hint of scandal that could diminish the reputation of the family business.
Unfortunately for the royals, for the past twenty years scandal and controversy have deluged the Queens family, putting everything at risk. Focusing primarily on the years after the death of Princess Diana and including the heir to the thrones marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Williams latest romance, acclaimed royal writer Penny Junor looks in depth at how the royal family has made itself the worlds soap opera. The Firm reveals the answers to the questions that absorb the media around the world, disclosing how the family really behaves behind closed doors in this controversial and terri?cally readable book.
About the Author
Penny Junor is a top London journalist who has covered the royal family for over twenty-five years. She is the author of previous biographies of both the Prince and the Princess of Wales and two British prime ministers. She is married with four children and lives in Wiltshire, England.