Farewell in Splendor: The Passing of Queen Victoria and Her Age [Hardcover]

Jerrold M. Packard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995

An analysis of the British Empire during the time that immediately followed the death of its longest reigning monarch offers insight into a nation on the brink of change and the political and international climate that surrounded it. 25,000 first printing. $15,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After reigning as Britain's queen for 63 years, Victoria died at her palace on the Isle of Wight on January 22, 1901. In this highly readable account, Packard (Sons of Heaven) painstakingly details Victoria's last days, her funeral and the public mourning that followed. Although he expresses admiration for the queen's indomitable will, he views her as a self-indulgent and unforgiving woman. Victoria lived in seclusion for 40 years following the death of her husband, Albert. She deprived her eldest son, Bertie, heir to the throne, of any role in government, Packard argues, because Bertie could not live up to Albert's image. The deathbed scene, with Bertie and his sisters jockeying with Kaiser William of Germany (Victoria's favorite grandson) to be nearer their mother, comes vividly to life. Packard also provides biographical sketches of the Queen's relatives and attendants as well as a synopsis of political events of the time, including the Boer War. Photos not seen by PW. BOMC selection.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

For Packard, the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 represented the closing of the golden age of imperial Britain. Still embroiled in the Boer War, which was draining both strength from and confidence in the imperial ideal, the British empire would never be quite the same in the years after Victoria's death. Packard, who has written extensively on other royal families, here deftly interweaves a chronicle of Victoria's death watch with the larger issues on the world stage. His portrayals of members of the queen's vast family, particularly her son the future Edward VII and her grandson the German kaiser William II, are fascinating. Unfortunately, Victoria herself is seen here as a rather rigid and certainly uninspiring figure. Those who take a jaded view of royalty are bound to ask what all the fuss was about; however, confirmed Anglophiles should find even the more trivial details about the royal family to be enlightening and quite interesting. Jay Freeman

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525937307
• ISBN-13: 978-0525937302
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > British > Queen Victoria

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Mourning, September 15, 2004

By 

Sarah Granger (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farewell in Splendor: The Passing of Queen Victoria and Her Age (Hardcover)

If anyone ever perfected the art of mourning, it was Queen Victoria. Plunging the court into black on the death of the Prince Consort, the Queen maintained full mourning until her own death forty years later.
This book brings to life the final days and subsequent funeral of the monarch who ruled longer than any other in English history. We see Victoria, old and failing, clinging to life. The doctors trying to balance Victoria's last wishes with those of her family. The family frictions as the clan gathers: the Prince, who had waited so long for the throne; the princesses about to lose precedence; Kaiser Wilhelm, a reigning emperor who loved his grandmama but was resented by aunts, uncles and cousins. And the people, waiting outside the palace gates for the next bulletin on the Queen's health. Victoria reigned for 64 years; many were born and grew to old age in her reign. The passing of the Queen was an epic event - literally the end of an era.

A fascinating behind the scenes look at the staging of a state funeral - a funeral for a woman who had devoted much of her life to funereal trappings. The Queen was dead; God save the King

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book about and interesting woman, January 28, 2002

By 

Maureen Ogorman "leneker" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farewell in Splendor: The Passing of Queen Victoria and Her Age (Paperback)

I liked the book. I thought it had a lot of information well presented but also found it to be less than perfect.

"Farewell in Splendor" is an interesting and readable account of the last week in the life of Queen Victoria and her funeral. When an old woman has nine children and forty grandchildren, it is easy to see that there is bound to be confusion and differences of opinion about her care. However when that woman is also the Empress of the largest empire on earth. The difficulties seem to multiply for each of her subjects. This is the case in 1901 as Victoria, the doyen of Royalty, finally fades after a record breaking sixty-four years on the throne.

Jerrold M. Packard has written two books on the subject of Victoria and her family. I found that much of the background material in this book was a reprieve of "Victoria's Daughters". Since any book about the death of Victoria is bound to have a limited audience, much of the background material seemed to be out of place in a book devoted mostly to a three-week period. I think that people willing to read about Victoria's death might already know something about her life.

From the book, I get have a strong impression that Packard simply does not like Queen Victoria and saw her only as a mean and selfish old woman. I'll grant you that in many ways she was, but in this book so many of her more endearing traits are omitted. It draws a rather one-sided picture of Victoria and not the most flattering side. I think that a little more balance would have served this book well.

I like that fact that the book was easily readable and had many interesting facts to present. His parenthetical remarks really added to the book and helped it rise above being a rehash of newspaper accounts and old. Letters. However, I also found that on occasion there was too much trying to show how much better the late 20th century was from the 19th. His interjection of the modern mind-set into the Edwardian/Victorian eras was a more of hindrance than help.

I did enjopy the book and think is a solid additon to the world of victoria Liturature but I would not reccommend it as a starter book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well crafted analysis of an overlooked historical event., May 9, 2001

By 

mirope "mirope" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Farewell in Splendor: The Passing of Queen Victoria and Her Age (Paperback)

The focus of this book is the death and funeral of Queen Victoria. The topic is well-researched, and Jerrold Packard does an excellent job of suitably setting the scene. As he describes the days leading up to the legendary queen's death, he artfully illuminates the cast of supporting characters. Thanks to Victoria's prolificate offspring, this includes most of the European nobility. Packard also examines Victoria's daily life, both personal and public. Furthermore, the significance of the great monarch's passing is put into context by his succinct analysis of the political situation in England and abroad. All in all, a very interesting and well-written book that will whet your appetite for more information about this fascinating era.