Customer Reviews

Victoria's Daughters

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4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As a passionate "devourer" of all books pertaining to European history, I had very high expectations of this work before actually picking it up. Was I ever surprised! Not only did it meet my expectations, but surpassed them by far! Thoroughly researched, Packard offers for the most part, a sympathetic view of his subjects; however, he does balance things out by touching on their less stellar qualities, as well. I became more emotionally caught up with each of Victoria's daughters, in turn, as well as with Victoria herself, than I ever thought I possibly could, since I usually tend to view Britain's royal family with a critical eye. Packard really made me feel with the family's triumphs and tragedies and I came away from this reading experience with a greater appreciation of just how much more difficult life was in the 19th century than it is today. Packard also illustrated that even royalty is not immune to life's disappointments. For instance, while I tended to be impatient with eldest daughter, Vicky's, lack of understanding about Prussian life and customs, and her arrogance in thinking that the British way could quite easily be forced down the throats of Europe's other countries, I did pity her frustration at the disintegrated relationship with primarily her 2 eldest children. Many of the dysfunctions that existed in Victoria's immediate family have managed to stay with the family through the present generation, which explains a lot about the present-day group. I highly recommend this book for afficianados of European history. The moment you crack the cover, you won't be able to put it down until you read the very last word!

When most of us think of the daughter's of Queen Victoria, we think of the tragedy wrought throughout the royal families of Europe by the hemophiliac gene passed by the queen's female descendents. "Victoria's Daughters" amply proves that there is much more to learn about these 5 fascinating and very different women. Jerrold Packard explores their lives from cradle to grave and offers much insight into how their formative years shaped the destiny of modern Europe. Victoria and her husband Albert raised their elder daughters with the expectation that they would marry into other royal families and help spread their father's conception of a constitutional monarchy across the Continent. Despite (or perhaps because of) their earnest efforts, quite the opposite happened. In many ways, the younger daughters had an even more difficult task. They were expected to devote their lives to the service of their demanding widowed mother and each had to struggle for a measure of independence, including the right to marry. All five did eventually marry and several bred offspring that would rule throught the courts of Europe in the early 20th century.

Packard is an adept historical biographer, and he skillfully compares and contrasts the lives of the 5 daughters. His research has been extensive. Given the voluminous correspondence between Victoria and her daughters, this was no doubt a daunting task. However, he frequently opines as to what any one of the daughters was thinking in response to a given incident; it is difficult todistinguish which come from his suppositions and which are based upon actual statements in the historical records. In the same vein, Packard tends to state his congectures about how the daughters might have changed history as given facts. For example, he is quite definitive in stating that if Vicki had been less demanding of "Willy" (Kaiser Wilhelm II) during his childhood, the course of the 20th centrury would have been drastically different. While that might be true, there's also reason to believe that Willy's mental instability and Bismark's political maneuvering would have yield the same results regardless. Nevertheless, this is a thoroughly readable and very enlightening book.

This was a fantastic way to learn more about the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. I have to admit that although I have a master's degree in history, my major focus has always been ancient history, particularly ancient Near Eastern history (I was one of those people who felt that "modern history" meant everything after 1200 BC.--yes, BC.). Only just lately have I begun to follow up intriguing trails through other periods. Some time ago, I began to realize that one could really gain incredible insight into the events of an era by studying peripherals: the history of countries peripheral to the main stage, side issues like trade, crafts, and long distance contacts, and the women and others behind the main historical figures, etc. Jerrold Packard's book Victoria's Daughters seemed to be just the book I needed to learn about a period in time about which I knew next to nothing, the late 19th Century.

At first it seemed as though the book would be more about Queen Victoria herself than about her daughters. As I read on, though, I realized that the oddity of Victoria's succession to the throne had much to do with the lives of her daughters, as did her early life and her own upbringing. Furthermore, it is against her long life and protracted reign that not only the events in her daughters' lives were measured and chronicled but those of most of the lives of the world's population. There was a reason that most of the 19th Century was labeled "the Victorian era!"

In the past I had given very little thought about the connections that existed throughout European history or about what actually brought about the events that occurred during the turn of the century. I knew of course that the Tsarina of Russia was "Victoria's granddaughter" and a "Prussian princess," but I hardly gave thought to what that really meant. Nicholas and Alexandra were charismatic historical figures in their own right. They were a fairy tale couple, much in love, with a cozy little family living the life of a Russian folktale, and their poetic tale came to a tragic but colorful and certainly very memorable finish. End of story, or so it seemed to me. One knows about World War I, I suppose, and all the people that died in trenches of disease and exposure and mustard gas and enemy fire. One has heard of Bismark and Wilhelm II and Lord Mountbattan, but they're all just interesting names, names one memorizes to answer our world history tests, right? Not when one reads Mr. Packard's story of the children of Queen Victoria.

Each of the daughters, Victoria, Alice, Helena, Louise, and Beatrice had a unique relationship with their mother. Because of whom and what she was, Victoria's was not a particularly warm and maternal presence in their lives. When she was a presence at all, she was distant, self-centered, imperious, and controlling. Unfortunately some of this early relationship translated into problems with parent-child interactions when the girls had children of their own. Lest anyone think that women do not have an impact on the course of history because they don't lead armies into battle--often anyway--one only need read about the relationships between some of these women and their children. That between Victoria, "Vicky," and her eldest son, Willy--later Wilhelm II--will quickly disabuse one of the notion.

Furthermore, the five girls were married into some of the key families of Europe. The titles of each and their in-laws read like a who's who of European nobility, and their sons and daughters became kings, queens, and dukes, many of whom ended up on opposite sides of wars in Europe during the late 19th and early 20th century. The tangled web of personal relationships, treaties, and ambitions ultimately brought about World War I.

I was especially entranced with the intimate detail woven into the stories of each of the women. The author mined diaries, extensive family correspondence, and biographies written about each to create very personal characterizations. The reader becomes as engaged in the story of their lives as in those of fictional characters; one just does feels connected.

FOR THOSE WRITING PAPERS: in history, anthropology, political science, sociology. One might use this book to discuss the limitations of women of the upper classes at the time and their effects on history. One might look at individuals like Alice, who became a follower of the practices of Florence Nightengale, or her sister Louise, who was an accomplished and professional sculptor, who attempted to break out of the social mold of the time to create an identity and existence of their own. What types of role models did they make for others? What changes did they bring about in society? How did they set the stage for our own era? Might the events of WWI been less likely to have happened if the relationships between countries had been based on less personal grounds? Did the relationships between these women and their children and spouses affect the course of events significantly? Or would they have happened anyway? Would they have happened for the same reasons? How was this era a transitional time?

This is a very readable and interesting book. I think it is one of the few sources in print for information about Queen Victoria's daughters. However, the way the author presents the information can get confusing to the reader. Packard goes from talking about one daughter to the next in the same chapter. This is especially confusing when there is a reference mentioned from earlier in the book. I found myself having to check which daughter I was reading about and looking back at times to remember and item or two. Another slight problem was the author seeming to judge past attitudes and customs by today's standards. I also question some of the facts presented particulary about Queen Victoria. Some disagree with the many other things I have read about this grand lady. Other than these things, I did enjoy the book. I recommend it especially since it is one of the few sources out there.

Jerrold M. Packard's multi-biography of Queen Victoria's five daughters is an absolute delight. His well researched portrayals of eldest daughter Vicky (an intellectual who became Empress of Germany and mother of Kaiser Wilhelm); tragic Alice; shy Helena; outgoing Louise and Mama's girl Beatrice (who was much-abused by her demanding mother) are fascinating. This elite sisterhood shared many triumphs and tragedies, and endured their royal mother's notorious brand of parenting with various degrees of success.

Packard employs a wonderfully readable writing style to present his research. He does a good job of providing a considerable amount of detail for each daughter, without becoming cumbersome. Think of "Victoria's Daughters" as "Victorian biographical history lite." He provides a decent overview without delving too much into the depths of politics or historical reference. The book focuses almost solely on the lives of the daughters and their interaction with their domineering mother, and does so very entertainingly. Packard weaves together each daughter's individual history to create a striking "group portrait" of Victoria's royal family. Queen Victoria's daughters were all accomplished in some area in their own right - the fact that they all survived their mother's barrage of verbal and psychological abuse certainly speaks for their collective character.

Packard's overview of the royal sisters was so intriguing that I was motivated to seek out more in-depth individual biographies (the best of which was "An Uncommon Woman," by Hannah Pakula, about Vicky). "Victoria's Daughters" is an immensely enjoyable read - this fascinating true account of five remarkable women will whet your appetite for more information about the Victorian era and this remarkable family.

For anyone interested in reading about Queen Victoria and/or the British Royal Family, Victoria's Daughters by Jerrold Packard is sure to please. When a monarch rules as long and as prominently as Victoria, most books limit themselves to the highlights (or low points) of her reign. And considering that she had nine chileren, all of whom lived to adulthood (a rarity for Victorian times), it is only natural that we really find out very little about them in most biographies. So Victoria's Daughers gives us great details about their lives, thier personalities and especially, their relationship with their famous mother.

Vicky is probably the most well-known of the daughters as she became Empress of Prussia and produced the obnoxious and overbearing Kaiser Wilhem. Next comes Alice, who married Louis of Hesse. Alice was nurturing, religious and was responsible for improving the quality of medical care in Germany. She was also the mother of the ill-fated Tsarina Alexandra. Helena was the dowdy, dull daughter but managed to find a husband who was well suited to her and had the longest and happiest marriage. Louise was the most beautiful daughter. She was an artist and also a rebel. She was the only one to marry a commoner and also, was the only daughter to remain childless. Baby Beatrice was the daughter expected to sacrifice her adulthood to care for the Queen. When Beatrice finally fell in love at the late age of 28, it took a 6 month battle before Victoria would allow her youngest child to marry--and only on the condition that Beatrice and her husband make their home with Victoria. There was such an age difference between the children that when Vicky (the oldest) got married, Beatrice (the youngest) was still a baby.

This book is filled with many stories and anecdotes about growing up in Victorian society and under Victoria's influence. We learn that Albert, Prince Consort, was actually the better parent while the children were young. He spent countless hours tutoring Vicky and Alice in the skills and knowledge they needed to be first ladies in their new homelands. Ironically, neither Albert nor Victoria thought to prepare Bertie, their oldest son and heir to the throne, for the tremendous responsibilities he would face as King Edward VII. Victoria insisted that her daughters write to her daily and continued to try and influence them throughout their lives. She thought breastfeeding babies was common and vulgar, and was highly upset when she discovered that Alice and Vicky were both breastfeeding their children. Not only did Victoria employ wetnurses for this job, but insisted that these nurses stand while feeding her children--in deference to their royal status! When Vicky and Alice complained to their mother about customs in their adopted lands, Victoria urged them to continue doing things the English way (not something that endeared them to their new subjects). Even when Vicky became Empress of Prussia, Victoria considered her a British princess first and foremost. We also read about the trials and tribulations these daughters faced knowing they might be carriers of that dreaded disease, hemophilia. Alice and Beatrice ended up being carriers, while brother Leopold suffered from the disease. Finally, we read about the large number of grandchildren of Queen Victoria (40 in all) and the many problems associated with them. She was much more patient, understanding and loving to her grandchildren than she was to her own children. Many of this generation became rulers in their own right including King George V, Kaiser Wilhem, Tsarina Alexandra, Queen Ena of Spain, Queen Marie of Romania, Queen Sophie of Greece and Queen Maud of Norway. No wonder she is considering the Grandmother of Europe.

There are some minor flaws in this book that prove to be distractions. First, Packard repeats himself over and over again. He keeps telling us that Victoria and Alice were estranged, but yet never really gives us concrete evidence of this. He also relates how the marriage between Alice and Louis was very unfulfilling to Alice, yet she continued to love him dearly (?). I think Packard should have presented the facts without trying to make assumptions. There were also quite a few typos and I wonder where the editor (or proof reader) was on this. Finally, I think the author could have done a better job selecting photographs and perhaps, had more of them. All in all, I think it was a good book that could have been a little better.

Vicky, Alice, Lenchen, Louise and Beatrice were the mothers of the royal dynasties throughout Europe, making their mother Victoria the doyenne of the continent's royal courts. Among the notable offspring were Vicky's son Kaiser Wilhem II, Alice's daughter Tsarina Alexandra, Vicky's daughter Queen Sophie of Greece and Beatrice's daughter Queen Ena of Spain. While Victoria's sons belonged to Great Britain, her daughters were a way for Victoria and Albert to spread their influence over the continent.

I questioned why the author restricted his scope to just the daughters, but this made more sense with an explanation of Prince Albert's dreams for a more liberal Europe through the marriage of his daughters into ruling families. These plans were altered with his untimely death and Victoria needed to find another companion and private secretary, a role she demanded her daughters play.

There is a confusing layout to the narrative. The book is arranged chronologically and the author tries to tell each daughter's story individually, but the lives of the daughters overlap. There will be a long section detailing Vicky's life for about a decade, including a visit from her sister Alice, then in the next section he moved back by a decade and starts describing Alice's life for the same time period, including a visit to her sister Vicky, and at the end there's a description of what Victoria did in the same time period. Despite all the backtracking, the final product is a complete account of the lives and relationships of the daughters.

One thing that surprised me was a generally positive portrayal of Bertie, the eldest brother who eventually became Edward VII. We all know him as the philanderer whose affairs were widely known. But within the framework of his family, Bertie emerges as a family peacemaker and diplomat in adulthood who helps reconcile Victoria and the siblings during family squabbles.

Overall, this book was very enjoyable and easy to read and it's sparked an interest in the Victorian age. I'm eager to read more about Victoria's sons and their children.

This book about Victoria's daughters was very entertaining and informative but sometimes a little contradictory and shaky on the facts. There is alot of information that you don't get in other books about Victoria and her family which is really interesting. The only problems are that the author contradicts himself, especially in regard to the oldest, Victoria. An Uncommon Women describes her much better. Overall this was a very informative book and I'd recommend it, but I'd also recommend that other books about the subject be read also.

Starting when I was a small girl, I had always found the life of Queen Victoria to be very interesting. When I found this book I could hardly wait to read it. While it did seem to jump around a bit, I found it to be a good read. It had always amazed me that the youngest of Victoria's daughters died one hundred years after the birth of her eldest sister. Now because of this book, I know what happened inbetween.

Mr. Packard makes Queen Victoria's daughters come alive with his informative and compassionate book. He really captured the poor-little-rich-girl(s) scenario. Bright, talented, giving and loving women born to lives of privelege, but each paying a heavy emotional price by living in the conservative, controlled and defined world of the court of Queen Victoria and serving their mother who was a demanding, undemonstrative and emotional queen. I felt a true sadness as each sister passed away.