Reviews

Becoming Queen: How a tragic and untimely death shaped the reign of Queen Victoria by Kate Williams

chelsjulian's review against another edition

2.0

Those who enjoy this genre should not take my review into account.

This book was selected for an eclectic genre book group, and it just really wasn't for me. I found the "drama and intrigue" painfully boring and didn't manage to get further than about 1/2 way through.

madeleine_grace's review against another edition

4.0

I accidentally posted this under my mom's account.....

I FINALLY FINISHED THIS!!!!!! Oh my God! Really interesting dual biography of Princess Charlotte and Queen Victoria. There were lots of very interesting insights into such a collection of characters including a much more well-rounded portrait of the Duchess of Kent than I expected. I loved reading about Charlotte who I knew very little about before I read this. Really good, really readable....one criticism from off the top of my head is that Williams references caricatures a lot but there was only one reprint of one. It made it hard to visualize.

5 out of 50 book year

verybaddogs's review against another edition

3.0

Nice look at 18th and 19th century England, and the shaping of the modern monarchy. Nothing especially shocking or scandalous. Nice one-liner from Disraeli at the end, which is always a good way to wrap up.

briarfairchild's review against another edition

4.0

I very much enjoyed this; since I've never studied the period I didn't find it madly inaccurate or bizarre! This has made me want to read more around Victoria and the period, which is all to the good!

bookishnerdyandcurious's review against another edition

4.0

This didn't have nearly enough of Princess Charlotte's life as I had hoped in it, but that could be because of two reasons: (1) there just isn't a whole lot written about her life - the information is there, but she is mostly seen as being the one whose death changed the course of the British monarchy to what we know of it today and (2) she didn't lead a very interesting life at all, as she was sheltered and hidden away from her mother by the Prince Regent, who didn't pay any attention to her either. This, however, is a decent view of her life and death and how it shaped the Princess Victoria's view of the monarchy and of childbirth.

theknitpick's review against another edition

4.0

A thorough examination of English monarchy spanning the years of Princess Charlotte (England's almost-queen) to Queen Victoria, focusing on how these two women shaped England. Williams is thorough in her examination - albeit with sometimes abrupt changes in subject - and she covers not just Victoria's life, but that of Princess Charlotte, who is in herself a fascinating figure and whose life cast a not insubstantial shadow on Victoria's own life. A fascinating read and quite enjoyable.

ashcarpelibrum's review against another edition

5.0

I thought it was great but I’m a history buff. I had not had interest in reading info on English monarchs but became ill very early one morning when Victoria was being replayed on Masterpiece Theatre & her life intrigued me. Kate Williams did a great job of splitting the book between Princess Charlotte and Queen Victoria. It would have been difficult to understand some of decisions of Victoria’s upbringing without the background info.

jillrounds's review against another edition

3.0

Book felt very opinionated and author showed biases instead of facts.