Frances: The Remarkable Story of Princess Diana's Mother [Hardcover]

Max Riddington (Author), Gavan Naden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

This is the story of the fascinating life of the Honourable Mrs. Frances Shand Kydd, mother to one of the most famous women in the world, Princess Diana. It features exclusive interviews and previously unseen photographs, and details the many similarities between the lives of Frances Shand Kydd and her daughter—from adultery, scandal, and divorce, to conflict with the British Establishment.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Michael O'Mara (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843170434
• ISBN-13: 978-1843170433
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Royalty > Princess Diana

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good biography, February 13, 2004

By 

SusieQ (New York) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Frances: The Remarkable Story of Princess Diana's Mother (Hardcover)

This biography finally told me a great deal about a person I knew very little about (except for gossipy bits from "Diana" bios). It is well-written, sympathetic to the subject, yet fair. You learn that Frances was the warm-hearted child of a reserved mother and an affectionate father; just a very nice, somewhat emotionally insecure girl, who unfortunately made the mistake of marrying the wrong man (The Earl Spencer), and has basically had to pay for that mistake, for her whole life.

Some of the mistakes of her own upbringing were repeated by her with her children, to the greater detriment of her two younger children. However, it could be be said that a major part of the damage done to Diana and to Charles Spencer occurred because Frances lost custody thanks to her mother & The Earl Spencer's machinations, and the mores of the time. She was sidelined as a mother, both by this failed custody action and because she removed herself from England with her new husband, seeking a new beginning. The failed custody action and what Frances' mother did caused an unhealed breach in family relations which seems to remain unresolved to this day.

It's good to read "her side", after hearing so much gossipy garbage about how she "bolted" from Diana's father for another man, and learning the real reasons behind her decision. Also, Paul Burrell's recent book portrays Frances SO badly (and I believe most unfairly). Frances deserved the chance to tell her version of events and in Max Riddington she found the means to do so. It's well done, interesting, and a must-read for those who want to hear ALL sides of the story of Frances, and to understand the character of Diana, Princess of Wales a little better too.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More of a tribute than a biography, August 22, 2009

By 

Judith "Judith" (Tampa, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frances: The Remarkable Story of Princess Diana's Mother (Hardcover)

While there are some interesting tidbits in this book, it can in no way be called an objective biography. The authors developed a close relationship with the subject and it shows. Some insight would have be interesting in the area of her alcohol use, her feelings about Diana's choice of Muslim men, Charles Spencer's womanizing, her religious conversion and her ultimate isolation from society at large. The book is instead a compilation of her philosophies about life and childrearing. With her youngest two children (Diana and Charles) clearly so badly damaged by their parents divorce, it would have been interesting to get her views on her responsibility for the end product. There is none of this. In the end, it is the last photo of Mrs. Shand Kydd in the book that says much more than the book does. Alone on her island looking sad, old and careworn.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Story of Princess Diana's Mother, October 15, 2008

By 

Ann Ford (Ann Ford) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frances: The Remarkable Story of Princess Diana's Mother (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book and thought it was well written. It was the first book to tell the life of Princess Diana's Mother, and was especially interesting since the author had interviewed Diana's mother.