|
Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Royalty
The engrossing real life story of how Queen Victoria's favourite
son, Prince Alfred, undertook the most ambitious Royal tour, only
for Australia's overwhelming joy of having the first Royal on its
shores jolted by his decadent behaviour, then shocked by an
attempted assassination by a man trained as a priest. The British
Empire's youngest and most distant outpost found itself at the
epicentre of a new crime and empirical fears about the first
inter-continental terrorist group, a conspiracy and a 'lone wolf'.
In a resulting 'reign of terror' extraordinary steps were taken to
safeguard security with laws on treason and sedition which even the
Queen felt went too far, and the would-be assassin was hastily
executed in a miscarriage of justice led by opportunistic
politicians. This is an extraordinary and atmospheric weaving of
the stories -- some detailed for the first time -- of royal
intrigue, sexual appetite, religious bigotry, patriotic vengeance,
naked ambition, national security and moral panic. They are stories
of royals, immigrants, archbishops, republicans and the founding
fathers of Australia and issues that remain with us today. Drawing
on Royal, British and Australian archives, the compelling narrative
embraces a pivotal time in the evolution of Australia, and on the
150th anniversary reveals how a minute of madness rocked the
country to its foundations, with a legacy which helped shape
Australia's history and continues to influence and challenge us
today. Revelations' & insights in The Prince and the Assassin:
Prince Alfred's spare heir upbringing as 'the chosen one' and
prospective King of Australia; Sexually decadent royal behaviour -
An historic tour which became the model for 50 subsequent royal
tours to Aust; Religious bigotry, violence and death in early Aust;
How a young migrant trained and destined to be a priest became an
assassin; How the biggest crime in Australia shocked, shamed,
terrorised and divided the country; How Henry Parkes, 'founder of
federation', suppressed and doctored evidence, hired private spies
and criminals for political advantage; Australia suppressing civil
liberties, even making it a crime of treason to discuss
republicanism and to not drink a toast to the Queen; Australian
Catholics accused of disloyalty and an Archbishop conspiring
against the Government; Australia's most sensational trial, one of
injustice and vengeance for a crime not on the Empire's capital
list; Alfred appealing for his would-be killer to not be executed;
An Australian Government accused of promoting fear for political
advantage and committing treason and fraud.
Queen Elizabeth II is a force of stability in a turbulent, changing world. Revered for her calm dignity and sense of duty, the queen has rarely put a foot wrong in her 68 years - and counting - on the British throne. Her extraordinary reign has seen many changes: in 1953, the year of her Coronation, Winston Churchill was prime minister, Harry Truman President of the United States, and Joseph Stalin leader of the Soviet Union.
The Queen rarely lets her guard slip, but when she does, she often reveals a biting wit. Spanning the decades, this revealing guide to the words of Her Majesty is an inspiring tribute to a remarkable woman, and the perfect gift for any royal fan.
'I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something else: I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.' - First televised Christmas address, 1957.
'My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family.' - Public statement, 13 January 2020.
THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF PETER TOWNSEND, THE MAN CONSIDERED TO BE THE
GREAT LOVE OF PRINCESS MARGARET'S LIFE, EQUERRY TO KING GEORGE VI
AND HERO OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN. 'A Royal fairy tale' Sunday
Telegraph 'One of the saddest love stories of modern times' The
Scotsman 'One afternoon, at Windsor Castle, when everyone had gone
to London for some ceremony, we talked, in the red drawing-room,
for hours - about ourselves. It was then that we made the mutual
discovery of how much we meant to one another. She listened,
without uttering a word, as I told her, very quietly, of my
feelings. Then she simply said: "That is exactly how I feel, too."
It was, to us both, an immensely gladdening disclosure, but one
which sorely troubled us.' The romance between Princess Margaret
and Group Captain Peter Townsend in the 1950s rocked the British
Establishment, pulled at the heartstrings of a nation and brought
sorrow to two intensely human individuals. In Time and Chance,
Peter Townsend tells his side of the story in intensely personal
terms, and places the episode within the whole context of his full
and varied life, a story which includes great heroism in World War
II as well as his part in one of the most publicised love stories
of the twentieth century.
From Sarah Bradford, the best-selling author of George VI,
Elizabeth and Diana, the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth
II, now celebrating the Platinum Jubilee -- her 70th year on the
throne Elizabeth II has lived through the Abdication, the Blitz and
World War Two, the sex and spy scandals of the swinging sixties,
the Cold War and the nuclear threat, the fall of the Berlin Wall,
and a global pandemic. She has known 14 US Presidents including
JFK, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump, and other world leaders like
President Mandela and Pope John XXII. Her Prime Ministers have
ranged from Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher to Boris
Johnson. Her own family experiences, a mixture of happiness and
crisis, weddings and divorces, and, in the case of Diana, violent
death, have been lived in the glare of tabloid headlines. More than
2 billion people watched the wedding of her grandson Prince William
to Catherine Middleton in 2010 shortly before she made the first
State Visit to Ireland by a British monarch for 100 years. Our
world has changed more in her lifetime than in any of her
predecessors': the Queen has remained a calm presence at the
centre, earning the respect of monarchists and republicans. How has
she done it? 'Bradford has a real grasp of history and the ability
to make it spark into new life' Sunday Telegraph 'Bradford's forte,
ever since she was a history-mad girl, is thinking herself into
other lives' Daily Telegraph
The tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of
England (1509-1547) is one of the most fascinating in all history,
not least for his marriage to six extraordinary women. In this
accessible work of brilliant scholarship, Alison Weir draws on
early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic
reports to bring these women to life. Catherine of Aragon emerges
as a staunch though misguided woman of principle; Anne Boleyn, an
ambitious adventuress with a penchant for vengeance; Jane Seymour,
a strong-minded matriarch in the making; Anne of Cleves, a
good-natured and innocent woman naively unaware of the court
intrigues that determined her fate; Catherine Howard, an
empty-headed wanton; and Catherine Parr, a warm-blooded
bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time.
The life, career and medieval biography of Gruffudd ap Cynan, king
of Gwynedd 1095-1137. The reign of the North Welsh king Gruffudd ap
Cynan [1075-1135] marked the culmination of a century of rapid
social and political change. A product of three cultures [Welsh,
Irish and Scandinavian], Gruffudd faced a Wales dividedby Norman
incursion and dynastic rivalry; his re-creation of his kingdom saw
him acting on the wider (and often deadly) stage of Anglo-Norman
politics, and surviving where more `traditional' Welsh rulers
failed. His reign encouraged a new growth in Welsh literature and
creativity, and is often looked upon as a literary `golden age'.
This collaborative biography analyses key aspects of the career and
context of this remarkable king. Dr K.L. MAUNDteaches in the School
of History and Archaeology, University of Wales, Cardiff. Other
contributors: DAVID MOORE, C.P. LEWIS, DAVID E. THORNTON, K.L.
MAUND, JUDITH JESCH, NERYS ANN JONES, CERI DAVIES, J.E. CAERWYN
WILLIAMS
Anna was the 'last woman standing' of Henry VIII's wives - and the
only one buried in Westminster Abbey. How did she manage it? Anna,
Duchess of Cleves: The King's 'Beloved Sister' looks at Anna from a
new perspective, as a woman from the Holy Roman Empire and not as a
woman living almost by accident in England. Starting with what
Anna's life as a child and young woman was like, the author
describes the climate of the Cleves court, and the achievements of
Anna's siblings. It looks at the political issues on the Continent
that transformed Anna's native land of Cleves - notably the court
of Anna's brother-in-law, and its influence on Lutheranism - and
Anna's blighted marriage. Finally, Heather Darsie explores ways in
which Anna influenced her step-daughters Elizabeth and Mary, and
the evidence of their good relationships with her. Was the Duchess
Anna in fact a political refugee, supported by Henry VIII? Was she
a role model for Elizabeth I? Why was the marriage doomed from the
outset? By returning to the primary sources and visiting archives
and museums all over Europe (the author is fluent in German, and
proficient in French and Spanish) a very different figure emerges
to the 'Flanders Mare'.
With her glossy dark hair, classic looks, natural appearance and
cut-glass accent, Kate Middleton displays all the poise and
breeding expected from the wife-to-be of the heir to the throne.
Sophisticated beyond her years, Kate has charmed William's louche
circle of friends as well as the House of Windsor. Yet behind her
polished veneer lies the extraordinary tale of an impoverished
working-class family that overcame deprivation and adversity to
rise to the upper echelons of society. Claudia Joseph has spoken to
members of Kate's family and friends, who have provided an
intriguing insight into the extraordinary journey her family has
made from the mining villages of Durham to the gates of Buckingham
Palace. Drawing on exclusive interviews and containing previously
unpublished photographs, this is the authoritative account of Kate
Middleton's life so far.
|
You may like...
PROTOTYPE 1
Astrid Alben; Rachael Allen; Theis Anderson; Rowland Bagnall; Tara Bergin; Emily Berry; Crispin Best; Paul Buck; Jen Calleja; Thomas A Clark; Laurie Clark; Esme Creed-Miles; Emily Critchley; Jake Elliott; Laura Elliott; SJ Fowler; Amy Key, Michael Kindellan; Caleb Klaces; Gareth Damian Martin; Robert Herbert McClean; Wayne Holloway-Smith; Kirstie Millar; Catrin Morgan; Richard Price; Leonie Rushforth; Rachel Snowdon; Rebecca Tama s; Ollie Tong; Kandace Siobhan Walker; Ahren Warner; Stephen Watts; Ralf Webb; Eley Williams; Alison Honey Woods; Madeleine Wurzburger
Paperback
R308
Discovery Miles 3 080
|