Description
Book SynopsisBy kind permission of Her Majesty The Queen, this book has been based on extensive research over many years in the Royal Archives and elsewhere. The author was the first official Curator of the Royal Photograph Collection. Queen Alexandra was a private person who destroyed or left instructions to destroy, much of her archive, but nevertheless enough remains in the form of original documents, such as engagement diaries and letters and informal information, to chart her life more completely than ever before and to attempt to rectify the negative or dismissive attitude towards her which has gained credence in some previous works. This method, rather than drawing mainly from over-salted and peppered memoirs written much later, aims to show her character, enables readers to get to know her and to appreciate what an enormous amount a senior member of the royal family has to accomplish, while still remaining the loving daughter, sister, wife and mother, and keen supporter of the arts, welfare and education, that Alexandra was. During her life she met many famous, notable and intriguing people, while her own journey - from the young, modest Danish Princess who married the Prince of Wales in 1863, to the popular Queen Consort of King Edward VII, and the beloved Queen Mother - saw her personal development and courageous struggle against disability, especially deafness. She was a generous, thoughtful and caring woman, who maintained her sense of humour and interest in all kinds of things and under sometimes challenging circumstances. She could be a lively correspondent and her letters will help readers to understand her far better than has hitherto been possible. This book is long and detailed and readers may like to dip in and out of it, finding stories in all parts, rather than reading it straight through, but it might claim a place among the variety of entertainments which are comforting us in these difficult times.
Table of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Illustrations; Queen Alexandra's descent from King Henry VII of England; Chapter 11844-1860A Danish Childhood; The House of Glucksburg's descent from the Danish Royal Family; ; Chapter 2 1861-1862 "She .. . longs to go to England"; Chapter 3 1863-1864 "We love each other greatly"; Chapter 4 1865-1869 "An entirely new world"; Chapter 5 1870-1874 "When I was in trouble I called upon the Lord and He heard me"; Chapter 6 1875-1879 "When I might have gone [to India] .. . he would not let me"; Chapter 7 1880-1884 "I think we are bound to try and help those who are so near and dear to us"; Chapter 8 1885-1889 "Yes indeed we are a most happy family"; Chapter 9 1890-1894 "My darling Eddy"; Chapter 10 1895-1899 "I am going to make my will .. . and begin tearing my letters"; Chapter 11 1900-1904 "Nothing like Perseverance"; Chapter 12 1905-1909 "I think we all learn to be Diplomats from experience" ; Chapter 13 1910-1913 "My overwhelming sorrow and unspeakable anguish"; Chapter 14 1914-1918 "A horrible butchery on innocent people"; Chapter 15 1919-1925 "How I wish he was still with me"; ; Genealogical Tables; Unpublished Sources; Bibliography; Index Notes; Index of Queen Alexandra and King Edward VII; Index of Persons; General Index
