Queen Victoria at Home [Paperback]

Michael De-la-Noy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2005

Author Michael De-la-Noy takes us on a conducted tour of the many homes of Queen Victoria and crafts an intimate domestic portrayal that adds depth and complexity to her legend. Apart from Balmoral Castle, the home she loved best, there was Kensington Palace, where she was born; Buckingham Palace, where she was the first monarch to take up residence; Windsor Castle, the origins of which stretch back to William the Conqueror; the exotic Royal Pavilion in Brighton; and Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight, where she died. What emerges from this intimate domestic portrayal is, alongside her self-centeredness and obsession with the anniversaries of deaths, a great deal of humor, shrewdness and compassion. She often showed generosity and affection to her servants: not merely did she turn a blind eye to drunkenness below stairs but also showed real concern when they were ill. Although she drove the male members of her household to distraction by insisting on conducting business with them by correspondence, this very human and domestic queen retained the love and loyalty of all who served her. This book provides a revealing and thorough portrait of the domestic side of Queen Victoria's reign.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This popular English biographer focuses on the family side of the British queen Victoria's long reign--or, as De-la-Noy himself so eloquently identifies his intended purview, "a deliberately non-chronological distillation of Queen Victoria's more personal life, her relations with her family, household and servants." Upon her birth, Victoria stood only fourth in line to the throne; how she succeeded to it, at age 18, is the stuff of good royal drama. And, too, succession to the throne at such a relatively young age gave her the power to throw off the inhibiting influence of her mother, to marry the man of her choosing (her handsome cousin Prince Albert), and to enjoy an exceptionally long tenure as monarch (the longest reign in English history). Her nine children's education and religious instruction are discussed, as are the queen's various royal residences. Biographies of this great lady abound, but this one stakes out its own territory, in the process making a valuable contribution to the popular literature on the long-reigning queen. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'God knows how willingly I would always live with my beloved Albert and our children in the quiet and retirement of private life' - Queen Victoria, 1844; 'Sane and elegant.' - Spectator; 'Witty and entertaining.' - Times Educational Supplement; 'Transparently excellent' - Guardian; 'Riveting.' - Sunday Telegraph; 'Balanced and informative.' - The Economist --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (January 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786714514
• ISBN-13: 978-0786714513
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,751,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > British > Queen Victoria

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Victoria "Lite", April 27, 2004

By 

Arthur H. Roach "arturzinho" (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Queen Victoria at Home (Hardcover)

This book is a reflection on the life of Queen Victoria by someone who is clearly fascinated by her and who probably knows everything there is to know about her. It is easy to read and does not require you to know a great deal about her already in order to make any sense out of the book.
On the other hand, if you are already well-read about Victoria, this book, in my opinion, brings little that's new. But if you are willing to take the journey with this author and let him share his thoughts in the way usually reserved for a dear old friend, then you will find a pleasant un-bumpy ride along the way.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars easy book about victoria, June 11, 2008

By 

S. D. Simmons "s.d. simmons" (charleston ,s.c.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Queen Victoria at Home (Paperback)

this good bood on basic facts about queen victoria and her era.this is a easy read.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars, June 30, 2008

By 

Andromeda (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Queen Victoria at Home (Hardcover)

An easy read on Queen Victoria. This book adds nothing new but simply rehash everything that you've read in other biographies on Queen Victoria. Its not a bad book it is very well written and I enjoyed it very much. But if your expecting any new information on her you won't find it in this book.