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Synopsis (from Goodreads):
1939. As the wife of the King George VI and the mother of the future queen, Elizabeth—“the queen mother”—shows a warm, smiling face to the world. But it’s no surprise that Hitler himself calls her the “Most Dangerous Woman in Europe.” For behind that soft voice and kindly demeanor is a will of steel.
Two years earlier, George was thrust onto the throne when his brother Edward abdicated, determined to marry his divorced, American mistress Mrs. Simpson. Vowing to do whatever it takes to make her husband’s reign a success, Elizabeth endears herself to the British people, and prevents the former king and his brazen bride from ever again setting foot in Buckingham Palace.
Elizabeth holds many powerful cards, she’s also hiding damaging secrets about her past and her provenance that could prove to be her undoing.
In this riveting novel of royal secrets and intrigue, Karen Harper lifts the veil on one of the world’s most fascinating families, and how its “secret weapon” of a matriarch maneuvered her way through one of the most dangerous chapters of the century.
Review:
I am definitely one of those people who enjoy all things English. I supposed I would be called an Anglophile. So I went in to this book very excited to learn more about the early life of the Queen Mum. This book did have some wonderful insights into life during WWII. But the majority of the book was based on wild rumors about the Queen. This was so disappointing.
What I Liked:
Setting:One of the best features of this book is the details of how life was like for the Royal Family in England during WWII. I found all of it fascinating. The Queen had to consider seemingly small details, such as the type of fabric she would wear and the kinds of foods they could eat, in order to show solidarity with everyday people. They had to balance their own safety with being supportive. Even though they were a target of the Nazi bombing blitz, they stayed most nights at Buckingham Palace. And they constantly went out to sites that were bombed to show their support. I really enjoyed how all of this was portrayed.
Characters:
I enjoyed learning more about King George and Winston Churchill. Both of these men worked together to resist the Germans. There was also tension between what a king in the modern era could actually do since England is a democracy. He couldn't command the troops or make any actual decisions about how to run the war. But he did play a vital role in keeping up the spirits of the British people.
What I Didn't Like:
Premise:
There are some explosive allegations about Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mum) in this book, such as she was born out of an affair between a French maid and her father, and that the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) tried to rape her. Quite a few times I stopped reading to look up if these things were true. What I found, was that the whole premise of the book was, in fact, based on gossip from a controversial biography that was published in 2012. This really didn't sit well with me. Presenting these things as fact, when they are merely rumors, is irresponsible and insulting to the people involved.
I particularly disliked the use of an assault as a plot device. The author uses the alleged rape attempt to explain why the Queen and King rarely had sex. She also says that because of this, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret were the result of "artificial insemination". Really? That is taking these rumors to the extreme.
Plot:
The entire plot revolved around whether or not the Queen (mum) would ever have sex again with King George. There were so many of the other things the novel could have focused on such as her relationship with the future Queen Elizabeth, or more about her involvement in the war effort. To make this the linchpin of the book was shallow.
Trigger Warning for sexual assault
Rating:
Release Date: May 19th, 2020
Author: Karen Harper
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Length: 384 Pages
Source: Edelweiss
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: While it had lots of great details of English royal life during WWII, the wildly gossipy premise undermines the story. This is a library read, at best.
I like the idea of a book about the Queen Mother, but it sounds like the execution was poor. Not to my taste I think.
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