Synopses & Reviews
Its 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 werent murdered by them, as were two of the Medici princesses were. King Charles IIs beautiful, high-spirited sister Minette” wed Louis XIVs younger brother, who wore more makeup and perfume than she did. Forced to wed her boring, jug-eared cousin Ferdinand, Marie of Roumaniaa granddaughter of Queen Victoriaproved 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.
Review
Praise for Leslie Carrolls Royal Books
“An irresistible combination of People magazine and the History Channel.”—Chicago Tribune (5 Stars)
“Thoroughly enjoyable.”—Booklist
“For those who tackled Hilary Mantels Wolf Hall, and cant get enough of the scandal surrounding Henry VIIIs wives, [Notorious Royal Marriages is] the perfect companion book.”—NewYorker.com
Synopsis
In royal courts bristling with testosterone—swashbuckling generals, polished courtiers, and virile cardinals—how did repressed regal ladies find happiness?
- Anne Boleyn flirted with courtiers; Catherine Howard slept with one. Henry VIII had both of them beheaded.
- Catherine the Great had her idiot husband murdered and ruled the Russian empire with a long list of sexy young favorites.
- Marie Antoinette fell in love with the handsome Swedish count Axel Fersen, who tried valiantly to rescue her from the guillotine.
- Princess Diana gave up her palace bodyguard to enjoy countless love affairs, which tragically led to her early death.
In this impeccably researched, scandalously readable follow-up to her New York Times bestseller Sex with Kings, Eleanor Herman reveals the truth about what has historically gone on behind the closed door of the queen's boudoir.
Synopsis
In this sequel to the bestselling Sex with Kings, Eleanor Herman reveals the truth about what goes on behind the closed door of a queen's boudoir. Often trapped in arranged marriages with virtual strangers, many royal ladies found solace in the courtiers, soldiers and clergymen who flocked to the courts of Europe.
In Sex with the Queen, Herman reveals the tantalizing truth about the crowned heads of Europe: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, whose transgressions -- real or imagined -- were seen by Henry VIII as punishable by death; Catherine the Great of Russia, who had her husband murdered and then seized both the throne and her pick of lovers; and Marie Antoinette, whose love for Swedish count Axel Fersen could not save her from the guillotine. Impeccably researched, Sex with the Queen chronicles history's most fascinating and scandalous royal dalliances.
New York Times bestselling author and historian Eleanor Herman graduated from Towson State University with a degree in Journalism. She has worked for numerous international publications, most recently as Associate Publisher of NATO's Nations and Partners for Peace. She is married and lives in McLean, Virginia, where she researches and writes about women's history.
"A lot more fun than Danielle Steel or Dan Brown." -- Washington Post Book World
Synopsis
In royal courts bristling with testosterone— swashbuckling generals, polished courtiers, and virile cardinals— how did repressed regal ladies find happiness? Anne Boleyn flirted with courtiers; Catherine Howard slept with one. Henry VIII had both of them beheaded. Catherine the Great had her idiot husband murdered and ruled the Russian empire with a long list of sexy young favorites. Marie Antoinette fell in love with the handsome Swedish count Axel Fersen, who tried valiantly to rescue her from the guillotine. Princess Diana gave up her palace bodyguard to enjoy countless love affairs, which tragically led to her early death.
In this impeccably researched, scandalously readable follow-up to her New York Times bestseller Sex with Kings, Eleanor Herman reveals the truth about what has historically gone on behind the closed door of the queen's boudoir.
About the Author
Leslie Carroll is the author of several works of historical nonfiction, womens fiction, and, under the pen names Juliet Grey and Amanda Elyot, is a multipublished author of historical fiction. Her nonfiction titles include
Royal Romances,
Royal Pains,
Royal Affairs, and
Notorious Royal Marriages. She is also a classically trained professional actress with numerous portrayals of virgins, vixens, and villainesses to her credit, and is an award-winning audio book narrator.
A frequent commentator on royal romances and relationships, Leslie has been interviewed by numerous publications, including MSNBC.com, USA Today, the Australian Broadcasting Company, and NPR, and she was a featured royalty historian on CBS nightly news in London during the royal wedding coverage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. She also appears as an expert on the love lives of Queen Victoria, Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great, and Napoleon on the television series The Secret Life of [fill in the name of famous figure]” for Canadas History Channel. Leslie and her husband, Scott, divide their time between New York City and Washington, D.C.