The Secret Wife of King George IV [Hardcover]

Diane Haeger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000

Although it was illegal, secret, and against the express commands of his famously mad father, King George IV of England married twice -- once for duty and once for love. While Caroline of Brunswick eventually became his lawful queen, it was the beautiful Maria Fitzherbert, recognized as his wife by the Catholic Church but not by the laws of England, who claimed his heart. In the hands of author Diane Haeger, their relationship becomes a mesmerizing love story, filled with intrigue and passion. The characters and drawing rooms of early 19th-century England come alive to create a portrait of the age that is colorful and resonant with historical detail.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Maria Fitzherbert, the secret wife and true love of King George IV, is the protagonist of Haeger's (Beyond the Glen) alluring historical romance, based on the true story of the 18th-century monarch's illegal marriage. At 29 a widow of independent means, Maria is determined to live for herself. Newly arrived in London in 1784, she is flattered by the attentions of the Prince of Wales, but knowing his reputation as a womanizer, she responds only cautiously to his protestations of undying love. She is well aware that as a Catholic, she is unacceptable as the bride of an Anglican monarch. Risking his throne and his mad father's rage, George secretly marries Maria, vowing to love her forever. But their clandestine union is ill-fated. Maria is unhappy with the dishonesty and intrigue to which George must resort to preserve the monarchy--including his eventual marriage to the German princess Caroline of Brunswick. Haeger paints a lively picture of 17th-century London, carefully constructing a realistic social milieu, and detailing political intrigue, legal issues and the demands of high society. Charles Fox, Richard Sheridan and Queen Charlotte make convincing cameo appearances, but Haeger is most successful in the textured characterization of her two protagonists. She plausibly depicts George's flawed nature and his emotional war between love and royal duty, and Maria's position, rendered untenable by her religious code. (Mar.)

Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A rollicking retelling of one of the great forgotten romances of history...Fine popular entertainment." --Margaret George, author of The Memoirs of Cleopatra

"A beautiful love story. The era is colorfully depicted. This is a novel that will entrance historical readers (especially fans of Jean Plaidy) and delight Regency fans."--Romantic Times

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 373 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312244207
• ISBN-13: 978-0312244200
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,882,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely outstanding work of historical fiction, February 25, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Wife of King George IV (Hardcover)

In 1784 London, the Prince of Wales is attracted to the newly arrived widow, Maria Fitzherbert. Though he declares his undying love for Maria, she refuses to believe the notorious philanderer. Additionally, Maria knows that as a Catholic, she is unacceptable by the Anglican Church as a wife of the next king.

George vows his love and secretly marries Maria. However, duty to the sate comes first for the regent and he openly weds Princess Caroline. Though Maria remains his only love, George worries he might lose her due to her unhappiness over hiding their relationship, which the Catholic Church would recognize as the binding one.

THE SECRET WIFE OF KING GEORGE IV is an excellent historical fiction that provides an in depth account of the loving but clandestine relationship between Maria and George IV. The story line is filled with intrigue and real personage that make the late eighteenth century seem vividly alive, a feat few writers can do well. George,s conflict between love of country and love for a woman is well written and turns the Regent into a flesh and blood person, not the caricature typically seen in his cameo appearances in Regency novels. With her wealth of detail cleverly interwoven into a fabulous plot, Diane Haeger has written a triumphant tale that will provide much delight to fans of historical fiction and Regency romance.

Harriet Klausner

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The woman who would not be Queen, November 9, 2002

By 

Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Wife of King George IV (Paperback)

This is the story of the ultimate damsel in distress. When Maria Fitzherbert came to London in the 1784, she knew little about the infamous son of the King, George IV, heir to the throne, other than his reputation. George lived a profligate life as a gambler, womanizer and drunkard. In his early twenties, a few years younger than the widow Fitzherbert, he became obsessed with her, demanding that they marry, although she was a fervent Catholic, abhorrent to the Crown at that time because of her religion. Swayed by the intensity of their mutual passion, the couple secretly married and she was issued a Papal degree of the validity of the union before God.

Rumors were rife: either they were married and breaking the law, which put Maria and her family in jeopardy, or they weren't. But Prince George would make no statement one way or another. Son of the Mad King George III, the impetuous Prince had been feuding with his father for years in a power struggle he, George IV, believed would end soon, upon the death of the King. Frequently ill and raving, it seemed impossible that the King could live very much longer. With this in mind, George IV gambled his future and the success of his marriage, planning for his wife to become his Queen. But there was such antipathy toward the Papists in England at the time that there was no question of a Catholic as Queen.

The couple was extremely happy, although they never had children, and George was able to put his wild youthful ways behind him. Unfortunately, the one constant working against them, time, was immutable. The mad King did not die, but stubbornly continued on until 85 years of age. Meanwhile, George IV temporized his positions in order to appease everyone and keep his wife. He made promises that he was later forced to break, and Maria valued his word above all else. They separated twice, and were unable to reunite, although each mourned the loss of the other over the years.

The story is based on historical fact, but most of the dialog and scenes are pure fiction. Haeger is well known as a Romance writer, and in some areas of the novel, she slips into "Romantic-speak". At these times, the novel loses any sense of believability, although doubtless well researched on appropriate details. But there are frequent asides (in italics), as Maria thinks to herself: "And God help me" she thought."I know I shall never stop loving you". Tightened up and unflounced, this could have been an engaging story of love gone wrong.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Princely Effort, October 29, 2002

By 

Leah M. Brown "Leah Marie Brown, Author" (Mentally in Paris, France) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Wife of King George IV (Paperback)

Let me get straight to the point, this novel is fantastic. I was well-informed about the interesting and somewhat sad life of the secret wife of King George IV, so I wasn't too sure how I would feel about reading a novel about her. I mean, I thought I might be bored. I was wrong. Diane Haeger is a talented author, with an ability to create characters that are believable and larger than life. I especially liked her take on Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Most historians paint her as this wonderfully independent woman - see Amanda Foreman's fantastic biography - but Haeger really brings out a bitchy side of Georgiana that made for a great read.

Anyone who likes historical fiction or historical romance will enjoy this novel.