The first half of the book delves into the life and tragic death of Princess Charlotte, who everyone looked forward to having as their future queen. Unfortunately for them and for Charlotte, she dies before this can happen. There is all the usual family scandal you'd expect to find in a royal family, twisted around with fascinating characters, people struggling for their own grasp at power, royal butt kissing, playing your cards right and a peek at the lifestyles within the era.
We are then introduced to Victoria and her uber-controlling spaz mother whose main goal in life is to manipulate her child into thinking she is a pathetic dope who is so incredibly lucky to have her as a mother so that she may guide her (read: be her regent and rule the country through her) and lead her into whither she ought go. Victoria has to distance herself from her crae crae uncles who everyone hates since they are out of touch loonies in order to be seen as a welcomed and viable option for next sovereign. The irony and stick of it is that the hour she becomes queen, Victoria decides that her mother is bye-bye now, moves her room out of her mother's (yes, she was that controlling - she even told her to write a diary of the thoughts and events of the day so that she could read through it at night, nice, baby, nice) and her first command as queen is to spend one hour alone.
The story fascinates from there, contains her thoughts as she had recorded them and her search for her prince, and I'm guessing their married life and (9!) children (I can't say for sure, I'm not done with the book yet). If you like biographies and you like reading about monarchs and crazy court life, this one will keep your attention.
Two thumbs up.
Peace, love, and read!
Ms. Daisy
