Childhood at Court 1819-1914 [Paperback]

John Van der Kiste (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

What was childhood like for the princes and princesses in the Victorian and Edwardian period? Here their education, recreation and general upbringing is discussed, from Queen Victoria's isolated and lonely childhood, to the children of King George V and Queen Mary. We see glimpses of Prince Waldemar of Prussia, who enjoyed collecting fossils on the Isle of Wight and terrifying his grandmother with a pet crocodile; Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, who was the first prince to attend public school despite enjoying cricket much more than education; and Prince Louis of Battenberg, who introduced the 'Katuf' into his family, and recorded his voice on a wax cylinder. Contrasts are drawn between childhood at the English court and that of the Queen's decendants at European capitals, as well as the differing attitudes of royal parents. For example, Queen Victoria found babies to be "very froglike", whereas Queen Alexandra still gave children's parties to her children when they were adults.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Van der Kiste, who lives in Devon, is a well known and resoected writer of historical biographies, such as Queen Victoria's Children , Princess Victoria Melita and Crowns in a Changing World.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750934379
• ISBN-13: 978-0750934374
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,219,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Van der Kiste read Librarianship at Ealing Technical College, where he edited the students' journal Stamp Out. He has published over forty books, including titles on historical biography, local history and true crime, music, fiction, and edited a Christmas anthology. He lives in Devon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Luck of Birth, February 19, 2004

By 

"water-witch26" (Hampshire, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Childhood at Court: 1819-1914 (History/16th/17th Century History) (Hardcover)

I found this book an enthralling read from start to finish. It transported me through time to the Victorian and Edwardian eras - a fascinating study of the lives of the matriarchal Queen Victoria, her children and grandchildren.
John Van der Kiste paints a vivid picture of the lifestyle of the aristocracy. I couldn't help comparing their lives to the poverty-stricken living in squalor, but that is for a different book.

The book begins with the story of Queen Victoria's own childhood which it goes into in some detail. It shows how she developed from a shy and insular young girl to a matriarch of the first order. We are then taken through the early married life of the Queen and the Prince Consort and the birth of each of their nine children.

There is a lot of fascinating detail in this book about the family life of the Queen. There are many anecdotes about the children, and although contact between parent and child was much less than we would have in a modern day family, it is plain that Victoria and Albert were loving and devoted parents who took a keen interest in the development of their children.

As time progresses we are introduced to the Queen's grandchildren and great grandchildren. It is interesting to read of the contrast in the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra as parents, as unlike Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as you could wish. They were much more lively and fun loving and this really comes across as you read further.
There are some wonderful anecdotes about King Edward and his grandchildren. His geniality sparkles from the page.

There seems to have been an about turn with George V who was a much more distant parent. It was interesting to read about all his children, as one usually hears most about the two brothers who later became King.

If you like English or European history you will find this book fascinating. It gives a flavour of the time and is eminently readable without being too heavy, even when going into politics, and without being frothy.
It is fascinating to learn of the inter-personal relationships within this massive family descending from one remarkable lady.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and felt that the individuals almost leapt from the page. I understood far more about them and their role in England's future having read it.

To make a history book riveting takes a particular talent and this author seems to have this in abundance. John Van der Kiste has a talent for getting right into a subject so that you can really imagine that you are there as an observer.

I highly recommend this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Uncommon View of Royalty, July 13, 2004

By 

John D. Cofield - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Childhood at Court 1819-1914 (Paperback)

Childhood at Court is an entertaining look at the lives of royal children at the British Court from 1819 to 1914, roughly the lifespan of Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII. There have been innumerable biographies of Queen Victoria and her children, but none that have focussed only on their childhoods. This book therefore fills a gap, and does so with an interesting, fresh style which makes use of plenty of anecdotes, some well known, others more obscure. I was interested to come across some of these stories, because I have read many histories and biographies of the period, and many of Van der Kiste's anecdotes were brand new. Both Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII had childhoods best described as dysfunctional, but its interesting to see how the future king seems to have learned from his parents' mistakes and given his own children a happier upbringing. Queen Victoria also seems to have mellowed as she grew older, and its nice to read about the antics her younger grandchildren and great-grandchildren were allowed to get away with, like slapping the Queen's hand and saying "Naughty Grandmamma!!"

This is a nice addition to anyone's library of books about royals or books about children.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Growing up Royal: a new take on an old topic, June 1, 2010

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Datim Shopper "datim" (San Diego, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Childhood at Court 1819-1914 (Paperback)

This is a very well written book. Written clearly and concisely, it is as much entertaining as it is informative. People who like books about European royalty will surely enjoy and appreciate the carefully researched material contained therein. Happily, it is also written in a relaxed tone which makes reading this book all the more pleasurable. If you think you've read the last word on this topic, think again! This is more than just another recitation of commonly known biographical details of Europe's royals. Through careful and meticulous research, the author is able to produce previously little known details about the lives of the people in this book.