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A review by herreadingroom
An Indiscreet Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Defiant Daughter by Georgie Blalock
4.0
This beautifully covered book focuses on Princess Louise, the 6th child and 4th daughter of Queen Victoria. It is a well written and fascinating novel of historical “faction” which gives a compelling insight into the life and times of this amazing woman.
When Princess Louise’s father Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria plunged herself and her royal court into a prolonged period of mourning which Princess Louise ultimately became extremely unsympathetic to declaring that her mother appeared to thrive on her self inflicted misery. She found that her life, and that of her other unmarried siblings, was stultifying, deeply boring and utterly stifling under Queen Victoria’s iron rule.
Princess Louise discovered a deep love of art and sculpture and became an accomplished artist and sculptress herself after Queen Victoria was persuaded to allow her to attend the National Art Training School. It was here that she met and fell in love with Edgar Boehm. The novel explores how their relationship develops at a time when such indiscretions were deemed highly reprehensible, most especially for someone of Princess Louise’s royal standing.
Princess Louise longed to be an ordinary person and wanted to live an ordinary life far from the confines of royal restrictions and her mother’s strict regimes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sumptuous book - far from the assumed opulence, grandeur and privilege that royal life might provide, this book revealed an altogether different perspective of the world behind royal curtains and introduces the reader to this remarkable woman who was an unconventional and “rebellious” royal determined to find her own way outside of royal walls, and was a strong advocate of the feminist cause.
I found it absolutely fascinating and thoroughly compelling in equal measure - it had me rooting for this feisty siren all the way!! Highly recommended.
When Princess Louise’s father Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria plunged herself and her royal court into a prolonged period of mourning which Princess Louise ultimately became extremely unsympathetic to declaring that her mother appeared to thrive on her self inflicted misery. She found that her life, and that of her other unmarried siblings, was stultifying, deeply boring and utterly stifling under Queen Victoria’s iron rule.
Princess Louise discovered a deep love of art and sculpture and became an accomplished artist and sculptress herself after Queen Victoria was persuaded to allow her to attend the National Art Training School. It was here that she met and fell in love with Edgar Boehm. The novel explores how their relationship develops at a time when such indiscretions were deemed highly reprehensible, most especially for someone of Princess Louise’s royal standing.
Princess Louise longed to be an ordinary person and wanted to live an ordinary life far from the confines of royal restrictions and her mother’s strict regimes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this sumptuous book - far from the assumed opulence, grandeur and privilege that royal life might provide, this book revealed an altogether different perspective of the world behind royal curtains and introduces the reader to this remarkable woman who was an unconventional and “rebellious” royal determined to find her own way outside of royal walls, and was a strong advocate of the feminist cause.
I found it absolutely fascinating and thoroughly compelling in equal measure - it had me rooting for this feisty siren all the way!! Highly recommended.