A review by bookwormmichelle
A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy by Helen Rappaport

4.0

Hmm. This was really pretty well done, hard to classify. Perhaps a "biography of a marriage/widowhood." Interesting observations, especially for British history buffs, lots of details on Albert, Victoria, WHY it seemed everyone took Albert's illness lightly at first, and chronicling the self-absorption of Victoria before, during, and after Albert's death and how that impacted the monarchy--which came close at one time to really losing popular support when Victoria withdrew from public life. I had no idea just how self-involved Victoria was. Interesting to compare it to the very well done Victoria's Daughters which I read a few years ago. And an entertaining "What did Albert really die of?" exploration in an appendix at the end.