19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What's good for the gander is good for the goose, August 2, 2006
At last year's Renaissance Faire, my mother heard a woman talking about her forthcoming book, "Sex With The Queen." Since I adored Eleanor Herman's "Sex With Kings," I spent a good ten minutes jumping around because she hadn't told me at the Faire, and then settled down to wait for the second book of royal love lives.
And Herman does not disappoint in "Sex with the Queen: 900 years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers and Passionate Politics." Without being biased one way or another, Herman explores centuries of queens who did the same as their kings, sometimes with tragic results. It's a juicy, scholarly book -- and that is not a contradiction.
Most European queens were raised to be chaste, demure and obedient, in the image of the Virgin Mary. They generally married young, knew nothing of sex or pregnancy, and were expected to spawn lots of kids. But some of these queens weren't content to just sit and embroider -- they ran straight into the arms of hot courtiers.
Some of these queens had mad or impotent husbands, and some were married to gay nobles -- one nobleman was overjoyed when his wife had an illegitimate child, which saved him from having to sleep with her. One or two (like Elizabeth I) never wed at all, leaving rumors of lovers and illegitimate children. They slept with warriors, peasants, priests, and other nobles, sometimes with tragic results -- and sometimes not.
There's Elizabeth I, the unwed queen with lots of weird rumours; the lusty Cathering the Great, who lusted after many men, but only really loved one; Queen Matilda, whose lover (not her poor mad husband) ruled her country; Queen Victoria's relationship with her Scottish groom; the flirtatious wives of Henry VIII; Czarina Alexandra and her diabolic lover Rasputin, and the ill-fated Princess Diana.
Just as she explored the royal mistresses in "Sex with Kings," Eleanor Herman provides some insights into how the queens of Europe lived and loved. It's a fun, juicy read (that title says a lot), but also shows us a part of Europe's royalty that usually doesn't get much attention.
Herman also studies the role of the queens in society, the public perception of them, and why it was a bigger deal if they slept around than if the king did. Sexism isn't all to blame, as Herman reminds us. Similarly, she is fair to all the queens and kings, never going out of her way to justify anyone's behavior, but not condemning anyone unfairly either. Actually, some of the royal hubbies were absolutely delighted that their wives found comfort and/or sex elsewhere.
Her writing style strikes a good balance between slightly wry conversation and scholarly insights, with lots of historical details that add a lot of dimension to these illicit romances. It's a bit like trading gossip with a good pal, who has all the dirty laundry from the royal bedroom. Very fun, and it often offers insight into the lives of the pampered, lonely royals.
"Sex with the Queen" is an equally excellent follow-up to Herman's debut, and a delicious historical study. Absolutely one of 2006's must-reads.
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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
To be taken with a grain of salt..., October 19, 2007
This review is from: Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics (P.S.) (Paperback)
I have to say, this book was definitely an enjoyable read. When it got to the sections on princesses whose stories I know, however, I realized that everything leading up to that last chapter would have to be taken with a grain of salt, because the sheer volume of inaccuracies in just those two stories was incredible. I am curious as to where she found the resources she had to use to compile this book. The last chapter only discussed Empress Alexandra of Russia and Princess Diana. Being an avid fan of Russian history whose particular interest lies in that last bunch of Romanovs, I know that it has never been proven that Rasputin was Alexandra's lover (among the other "facts" presented). Ms. Herman obviously didn't get her research from any of the reputable historians, such as Nicholas Massie and Edward Radzinsky. And where on Earth did she get all of those "facts" about Princess Di? Of course the woman couldn't have been the saint she was made out to be. But a manipulative, love-starved, nymphomaniac b*tch? Probably even the queen would have a problem reconciling herself to that description. I actually had to stop reading there because, after all, the poor woman is dead thanks to people like Eleanor Herman, who comes off as nothing more than overzealous paparazzi in her version of Diana's life. With both women, she states assumptions and lies with such conviction that one has to wonder if being the "granddaughter 28 times removed of Eleanore of Aquitaine", and being "related to most of the royal families of Europe" isn't enough for her, and she's jealous of those who actually did get to live a royal life.
Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this book - up until the crucifixions in the last chapter. It's well written and one can hope that not every princess in this book is so cruelly slandered, and that there might be some truth in the stories of Sophia Dorothea and Catherine the Great (my interest in the Romanov's doesn't go back that far, so I don't know what liberties were taken with Catherine and Elizabeth's stories). Ms. Herman is indeed talented, but maybe those talents would be better put to use writing historical fiction because she sure does seem to have a flair for making up stories.
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