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Becoming Queen
Becoming Queen | Kate Williams
11 posts | 5 read | 19 to read
'I will be good,' promised the thirteen-year-old Victoria, when she understood that she would be Queen of the most powerful country in the world. That, of course, is a matter of opinion. And there are other layers to the story. With a combination of novelistic flair and historical accuracy, Kate Williams begins by relating the heartbreaking story of Princess Charlotte, the Queen who never was, and her impact on the young Victoria. Our perception of Victoria the Queen is coloured by portraits of her older, widowed self - her dour expression embodying the repressive morality propagated in her time. But Becoming Queen reveals an energetic and vibrant woman, determined to battle for power. It also documents the Byzantine machinations behind Victoria's quest to occupy the throne, and shows how her struggles did not end when finally the crown was placed on her head. In the late eighteenth century, monarchies were in crisis across Europe. Discontented with their mad King, George III, and his spendthrift offspring, the English pinned their hopes on the only legitimate grandchild: Princess Charlotte, daughter of George, Prince of Wales. But Charlotte died at the age of twenty-two, a few hours after giving birth to a stillborn son. A grieving nation immediately began venerating her as someone who would have made an ideal Queen while Charlotte's rackety uncles embarked on a race to produce the next heir. No one thought that little Victoria, daughter of the Duke of Kent, would ascend the throne. She, in turn, became increasingly determined to take control of her own destiny, and clashed constantly not only with her hugely ambitious mother but with her protg and household comptroller, the Irish adventurer, John Conroy. After she became Queen, ministers, even her beloved Prince Albert, still attempted to steal power away from her. Revealing how Charlotte's death shaped Victoria's reign and laying bare the passions that swirled around the throne, Becoming Queen is an absorbingly dramatic tale of secrets, sexual repression and endless conflict. After her lauded biography of Emma Hamilton, England's Mistress, Kate Williams has produced a most original and intimate portrait of Great Britain's longest reigning monarch.
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MallenNC
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It‘s not Tuesday but I wanted to answer this!

1. I enjoy reading about royalty — fiction and nonfiction!

2. This nonfiction book is about Queen Victoria AND Princess Charlotte, whose untimely death was the reason Victoria became queen.

#Two4Tuesday

TheSpineView Never too late to play! 👍🌞🤩 2y
13 likes1 comment
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MallenNC
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I am fascinated by #royalty so I have a lot of books on the subject. This one is about Princess Charlotte and Queen Victoria. If Charlotte had lived, Victoria would never have become queen. #ReallyRandomFebruary

OriginalCyn620 Love the Funkos! 5y
MallenNC @OriginalCyn620 Thanks! She‘s cute with the corgi. 5y
32 likes2 comments
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MallenNC
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Reading really is my main #Hobby and I wish I was into a craft. I do like to travel though. This was taken at Kensington Palace during my last trip. #SelfImprovementSept

OriginalCyn620 Awesome pic! ❤️😊 5y
bookseller_cate Love that garden! 5y
Nute Nice! 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great pic!! ❤️❤️ 5y
37 likes4 comments
review
Shay
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Pickpick

Williams‘ portrait of two princesses has been published as Becoming Queen Victoria. While it certainly is an account of how Victoria gained the throne, it dedicates equal attention to Princess Charlotte, the woman who would have been queen but for her early death. By profiling them together, Williams highlights the perils facing a female monarch in the realms of marriage & family, creating a rather personal history.

Full review: goo.gl/dJ8BBH

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saresmoore
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This poem by Lord Byron speaks to the immense pressure placed on Princess Charlotte to be the royal the people so desperately wanted.

I appreciate Williams' incredible attention to detail & nuance and her objective, but not unfeeling approach to this history. I can see that it's important to understand the life and times of Princess Charlotte as a foundation for Victoria's significance in the monarchy.

Hobbinol Goodness! I don't know how I got so far behind on all your wonderful posts.😬I won't let that happen again! 8y
saresmoore @Hobbinol I understand! I'm starting to have trouble keeping track of my favorite Litsy users—the endless scrolling is mind-numbing! Perhaps an iPhone note cheat sheet is in order. 8y
52 likes2 comments
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saresmoore
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Self-care in brunch form. The weather is cool and gorgeous, so we've postponed formal lessons in favor of enjoying the beautiful day, which means I'm taking time to read and indulge in a piece of spelt & flax toast with grass fed butter. Mmmm.

Lacythebookworm Brunch is the best! Love your picture ❤ 8y
Hobbinol Fit for a queen!🙂 8y
Christine 😋 8y
See All 16 Comments
saresmoore @Lacythebookworm I agree! And thank you. ☺️ 8y
saresmoore @Hobbinol It's the roasted beets that brought it to a royal level, right? 8y
Cinfhen Definitely a perk of homeschool 💕and that salad looks heavenly 😇 8y
valeriegeary Yum! 8y
saresmoore @Cinfhen I fight a constant stream of shaming thoughts about my flexible approach to homeschool. But both children spent the morning peaceful and happy with books, so I'm calling Shame's bluff! 8y
LauraBeth Sound like a good lesson plan to me 😀 8y
Cinfhen I second @LauraBeth happy kids, reading!!! That's a win 😊 8y
saresmoore @LauraBeth @Cinfhen Thanks for the encouragement! 😘😊 8y
LeahBergen I love your butter dish! 8y
saresmoore Thank you, @LeahBergen ! I'm a sucker for pretty blues and greens. 8y
DebinHawaii Great shot! 👍😀 8y
saresmoore Thanks, @DebinHawaii ! I spent a solid minute scooting things around and shifting them by millimeters to get the right composition. 😆Some would purport that I'm a perfectionist with too much time on her hands... 8y
80 likes1 stack add16 comments
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saresmoore
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It's taking me some time to get through this book because I keep having to reference the family tree to figure out who rules what exactly. BUT, the writing is so good! Williams is painting some pretty spectacular mental images for me.

72 likes1 stack add
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everfree7

Is anyone watching the new BBC miniseries Victoria? It is wonderful!!!

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saresmoore
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We are headed out of town for a few days, but of course I needed to pick up my holds first. Some light reading for the trip? (I also packed three books from home and a Kindle. 🙂)

CocoReads I get that. I'm going on a camping trip in May (the first one since I was a teenager because I hate camping) and am already trying to figure out how many books I should take for a weekend trip 8y
SharonGoforth A girl needs options!! Have a great trip 😊 8y
saresmoore @CocoReads I hate camping, too! But hopefully you'll get some scenic, peaceful reading time! 8y
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saresmoore @SharonGoforth Thank you! We are going to see family, so my girls will be getting spoiled. :) 8y
LauraBeth Enjoy 😀 8y
saresmoore @LauraBeth Thank you! It's always nice to visit my momma. 😁 8y
shawnmooney Did you know that I'm mad about Queen Victoria? The first biography I read of her – 900 pages long – was when I was about 12 years old! I've read several since then. I'm curious to see what you think of this one, which I have not yet read. :-) 8y
saresmoore @shawnmooney Gah! That's fantastic! I know very little about her, but have felt an urge to get to know her. I tend to follow my intuition and I have a good feeling about this book. 8y
71 likes1 stack add8 comments
review
BethFishReads
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Pickpick

Interesting look at the whys and hows of Victoria's rise to the British throne. It's really a double biography (Charlotte & Victoria) from George III to Victoria's early years as queen. Now I'll have to read the biography VICTORIA (tag in comments) to get the ins and outs of her reign. Audio read by Katharine McEwan is worth the listen. A few odd inflections, but a listenable performance. #audiobook #biography #history

BethFishReads This is the biography I was talking about (edited) 8y
megfab I am dying to read the new Baird bio, will be picking it up from the library tomorrow! 8y
LitHousewife I'm going to add this to my list. 8y
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BethFishReads @megfab hope it's great 8y
MallenNC I read Becoming Queen Victoria a few years ago and loved it. I didn't know anything about Princess Charlotte before that book. 8y
55 likes5 stack adds7 comments
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BethFishReads
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Getting ready for the upcoming PBS series on Queen Victoria's life. This biography is so interesting; I'm learning a lot about the royal family under George III and his children. What a dysfunctional group! Narrator Katharine McEwan is doing a good-enough job. Not a particularly spectacular performance, but she's expressive without the theatrics. I'm marathon listening. @penguinrandomhouse

WhatDeeReads I'm so excited to the PBS series. I was planning to read 8y
BethFishReads @Lucky_Ladee I have that too! Not sure I'll get to it soon 8y
WhatDeeReads @BethFishReads I don't know when I'll get to it. It's just on the endless TBR. 8y
48 likes2 stack adds3 comments