Customer Reviews

Real Princesses: An Inside Look at the Royal Life

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There are books which are "Junior Dictionaries" -- dictionaries in rudamentary form, for children. There are "Junior Encyclopedias" --
simplified encylopedias for children. There are science books for young readers, and history books for young readers. Even economics books for young readers. All with "just the facts, m'am" -- the basics, so as not to confuse young minds which may not be ready for all the complexities and contradictions of books for grown-ups on these subjects.

This book, "Real Princesses", by Valerie Wilding, is a lovely, large-format book about a subject that interests just about every little girl -- and many grown-up ladies, too: Princesses! And not fictional princesses from story-book land -- No! This book is all about REAL Princesses!

This book, and books like it, should prove increasingly popular as the years go on. "Indigo children" -- children born with varying -- but usually greater-than-average interest in royalty, psychic abilities, impatience, rebelliousness with authority, and a belief that maybe their parents arent the people they live with, but are somehow in outer space, or English aristocrats or something, are being born in ever-increasing numbers these days. In New Age philosopy, these "indigo children", (and also the heretofore more rarely born "Indigo Adults" of "Generation X" and before), are supposed to be the next step in Human Evolution! NOT free from faults, but having thought patterns which are -- er -- slightly different from others -- the great number of Indigo children being born today, (as well as the fewer, now grown Indigo Adults from genertions past), will REALLY enjoy reading this book, and any other book like it! But, of course, this book is NOT for Indigos only! Anyone can enjoy it, I think....

Subtitled, "A Look At Royal Life", this book is filled with both photographs of real princesses, and lovely, imagination-filled drawings of Princesses and other, sometimes surprising aspects of Royal life, mostly by Lucy Truman. (Exceptions are given on the copyright page -- but the sources of these exceptions -- mostly photgraphs -- are not.)

Princesses of many, many countries are pictured -- from Princess
Francina Ndiande of the Ndebele tribe in Africa, to Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, and her sister, Princess Madelaine of Sweden, to Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand. Royal families in exile, such as the Greek Royal Family, are not forgotten, nor are historic princessses from long ago. Each photo and drawing is accompanied by a caption -- and any royal-watcher, no matter how young or old, can learn something new from at least one of these captions. In the "Princess Profile" of Princess Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, for example, it states: "Princess Wilhelmina had three older half-brothers, so she never expected to be queen. Sadly, all her brothers died, so when her father died, too, Wilhelmina found herself Queen of the Netherlands --at age ten. She reigned for fifty years, gave up her throne for her daughter, and became a Princess once more." HOW her brothers died, how she herself died, and WHY she gave up her crown to her daughtr are not mentioned in either caption or text -- but this is a children's book, remember, and it gives only the most basic of facts...which curious readers of any age can, of course, follow up from other sources.

There are twenty-nine chapters in this book, each on two facing pages, as well as an Index, and the answers to the "Princess Teasers" throughout the book.

Here is a sample "Princess Teaser", its answer, and an abbrieviated Table of Contents:

Princess Teaser: Which princess competed against her husband in a sailing race....and won? (Answer: Page 64.....((Or, in this review, at the end of the review!))

(ABBREVIATED) CONTENTS:

What Is A Princess?
Ruling Lines of Europe
African And Middle Eastern Royals
Family
Traditional or Modern?
Do All Princesses Become Queens?
Living in A Palace
Princesses Without Palaces
No School!
A Formal Education?
Food Fit For A Princess
Designer Dresses!
Is It All Fun?
So Being Royal Is Easy?
Do Princesses Work?
Princess Professions
Sporty Princesses
Wedding Day: The Dress
Wedding Guests and Gifts
Diana: Lady to Princess
Diana, Queen of Hearts
British Princesses
Index
Answers To Princess Teasers

At the beginning of each chapter, under the title, is a colourfully boxed, introductory sentence or two. Under the chapter "Tradional or Modern?" are the sentences:

Are Princess's families the same the world over? Not at all. Some are very wealthy and have a lavish lifestyle, while others live more simply"

Thoroughout the book are also colourfully boxed "Princess Facts", such as "Outfits for Occasions must be planned months in advance."

The Index lists the names of over a hundred Princesses, from Ancient Egypt to the present day.

All in all, this is a fine, and very wonderful book, for little girls and big ones, (and boys and men, too!), who want to know all about REAL princesses, past and present! { : )

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Oh, yes....the answer to the "Princess Teaser"? It's Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, (illustrated on page 7).