Henry and Mary Ponsonby: Life at the Court of Queen Victoria [Hardcover]

William Kuhn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2002

The popularity of any monarchy shows peaks and troughs. But when Henry Ponsonby became Queen Victoria’s private secretary, her popular image was in such hopeless disarray that even Victoria herself came increasingly under attack. As her private secretary and protector at large, Ponsonby realized that the court had failed to adjust to a shift in the media and political sentiment. Dramatically rewriting the royal message as her most intimate adviser, his ironic take on the monarchy left it in its strongest ever position when he died fifteen years later. This entertaining biography paints a seldom seen, intimate picture of the inner workings of the monarchy. William Kuhn received unparalleled access to the Royal Archives and those of the Ponsonby family. While insider material on the monarchy is hard to come by, Henry and Mary Ponsonby wrote to each other regularly and wittily about the day to day events at the court, and its strategy for survival. Their vivid letters deal with such timeless issues that they could have been written by the Queen’s advisers today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This biography is a pleasure to read, offering a nice balance between anecdote and analysis. It should appeal to anyone interested in better understanding the important role that individuals have played in making the monarchy more suitable for a democratic age." -- Albion

About the Author

William Kuhn is an associate professor of history at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin and spends part of the year in the UK.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Duckworth Publishers (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0715630652
• ISBN-13: 978-0715630655
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,979,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A meticulous and scholarly biographical portrait, November 13, 2002

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Henry and Mary Ponsonby: Life at the Court of Queen Victoria (Hardcover)

Henry & Mary Ponsonby: Life At The Court Of Queen Victoria by William M. Kuhn (Associate Professor of History, Carthage College) is the informed and informative, meticulous and scholarly biographical portrait of Henry and Mary Ponsonby, two high-ranking courtiers who served Queen Victoria during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Henry & Mary Ponsonby is an enthusiastically recommended, intimate portrayal of court life which offers unique insights into the recent history of Great Britain's royal family in general, and the court of Queen Victoria in particular.