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Queen Bees
Queen Bees: Six Brilliant and Extraordinary Society Hostesses Between the Wars – A Spectacle of Celebrity, Talent, and Burning Ambition | Siân Evans
11 posts | 2 read | 12 to read
Queen Bees looks at the lives of six remarkable women who made careers out of being society hostesses, including Lady Astor, who went on to become the first female MP, and Mrs Greville, who cultivated relationships with Edward VII, as well as Lady Londonderry, Lady Cunard, Laura Corrigan and Lady Colefax. Written with wit, verve and heart, Queen Bees is the story of a form of societal revolution, and the extraordinary women who helped it happen. In the aftermath of the First World War, the previously strict hierarchies of the British class system were weakened. For a number of ambitious, spirited women, this was the chance they needed to slip through the cracks and take their place at the top of society as the great hostesses of the time. In an age when the place of women was uncertain, becoming a hostess was not a chore, but a career choice, and though some of the hostesses' backgrounds were surprisingly humble, their aspirations were anything but. During the inter-war years these extraordinary women ruled over London society from their dining tables and salons - entertaining everyone from the Mosleys to the Mitfords, from millionaires to maharajahs, from film stars to royalty - and their influence can still be felt today.
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Centique
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For September‘s #TitlesandTunes #dramaqueen My Drama Queens are Queen Bees. And therefore their song is Honey Honey by Abba 😂 Which may be a bit light for a drama filled play list!

Deblovestoread Great choices 1y
Cinfhen FABULOUS 🥰â£ï¸ðŸŽ¶ðŸ“š 1y
BarbaraBB Yes! Of course! Great pairing! 1y
55 likes4 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
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Yes, please!

Chrissyreadit Just out of curiosity... and checking you and @BookishMarginalia enjoy alcoholic beverages? 5y
62 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TheBookDream
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Me: It‘s nice out! I want to sit on the porch.
Bees: No.
Me: I‘ll just wait for you to go.
Bees: BZZZZ!!!
Me: 😡
So here‘s my view on this lovely day.

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Verity
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Here's my #startswithQ pick for #maybookflowers I have mentioned this book before but it's worth another mention - if you're interested the inter-war period this talks about six society hostesses in Britain. If you've read other books about the period you may be familiar with the names and it can be a little bit repetitive in patches if you already know some of the background but it's still a very good read.

25 likes3 stack adds
review
TheSloanRanger
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Pickpick

A little repetitive here and there, but I really enjoyed it otherwise! What fascinating women!

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TheSloanRanger
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Holed up in the cafe near work, hiding from the rain on my lunch break ☔

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TheSloanRanger
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Evans might be talking about Nancy Astor becoming the first sitting female MP in Britain in 1919, but the idea that she had to not just be as good but BETTER than her male contemporaries is as true today as it was then.

Hooked_on_books Yup. This seems to be true in any male-dominated situation. It's definitely true in my profession. 8y
14 likes1 comment
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TheSloanRanger
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Getting stuck into Queen Bees and I'm already feeling a thousand times more fabulous. Taking my current lack of direction as a sign that I'm actually destined to live life like the Lady Astors and Mrs Grevilles of the world👌
#thingsineedtoremember

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TheSloanRanger
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I was only supposed to visit the library to use the printers...
(Not pictured: the three Los Angeles and San Francisco travel guides I picked up too!)

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Verity
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A little bigger than I usually read on the train (because I have to haul it around all day) but I really want to read more of this. Love me some interwar history.

shawnmooney Sounds pretty darned interesting! 8y
Verity @shawnmooney it is! The 6 are l Nancy Astor, Sybil Colefax, Emerald Cunard, Laura Corrigan, Mrs Ronnie Greville and Edith Londonderry 8y
9 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Verity
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Interwar society queens. What is more up my street than that? (see my Gone With the Windsors obsession) My mum already has her name down for this after me...

10 likes2 stack adds