The Daughters of George III: Sisters and Princesses
Curzon sketches the lives of King George III of England and Queen Charlotte’s six unusual daughters in this entertaining history. Though devoted parents, the monarchs kept their daughters close long past marriageable age, and Curzon explores why in a series of chronological profiles that touch on each princess’s major life events, personality traits, and possible scandals.
Curzon depicts girls of spirit and intellect whose potential is squashed, restricted to grim and secluded lives controlled by their choleric mother. The political upheavals of George’s realm are footnotes to the domestic dramas of their father’s illnesses, brothers’ rebellions, and family losses, though intrigues around marriage give a glimpse into the larger state of Europe at the time. The individual profiles lead to frequent repetition where depth might have been desired, but the tone is gossipy and bright, and the research draws from solid primary and secondary sources. Though meant for a general audience, the volume provides a useful summary for scholars and an illuminating look, for readers of historical fiction, at what life was like for royal women in the later Georgian court. Recommended.
