Welcome to Litsy!

It‘s not Tuesday but I wanted to answer this!

1. I enjoy reading about royalty — fiction and nonfiction!

2. This nonfiction book is about Queen Victoria AND Princess Charlotte, whose untimely death was the reason Victoria became queen.

#Two4Tuesday

I am fascinated by #royalty so I have a lot of books on the subject. This one is about Princess Charlotte and Queen Victoria. If Charlotte had lived, Victoria would never have become queen. #ReallyRandomFebruary

Reading really is my main #Hobby and I wish I was into a craft. I do like to travel though. This was taken at Kensington Palace during my last trip. #SelfImprovementSept

Williams‘ portrait of two princesses has been published as Becoming Queen Victoria. While it certainly is an account of how Victoria gained the throne, it dedicates equal attention to Princess Charlotte, the woman who would have been queen but for her early death. By profiling them together, Williams highlights the perils facing a female monarch in the realms of marriage & family, creating a rather personal history.

Full review: goo.gl/dJ8BBH

This poem by Lord Byron speaks to the immense pressure placed on Princess Charlotte to be the royal the people so desperately wanted.

I appreciate Williams' incredible attention to detail & nuance and her objective, but not unfeeling approach to this history. I can see that it's important to understand the life and times of Princess Charlotte as a foundation for Victoria's significance in the monarchy.

Self-care in brunch form. The weather is cool and gorgeous, so we've postponed formal lessons in favor of enjoying the beautiful day, which means I'm taking time to read and indulge in a piece of spelt & flax toast with grass fed butter. Mmmm.

It's taking me some time to get through this book because I keep having to reference the family tree to figure out who rules what exactly. BUT, the writing is so good! Williams is painting some pretty spectacular mental images for me.

Is anyone watching the new BBC miniseries Victoria? It is wonderful!!!

We are headed out of town for a few days, but of course I needed to pick up my holds first. Some light reading for the trip? (I also packed three books from home and a Kindle. 🙂)

Interesting look at the whys and hows of Victoria's rise to the British throne. It's really a double biography (Charlotte & Victoria) from George III to Victoria's early years as queen. Now I'll have to read the biography VICTORIA (tag in comments) to get the ins and outs of her reign. Audio read by Katharine McEwan is worth the listen. A few odd inflections, but a listenable performance. #audiobook #biography #history

Getting ready for the upcoming PBS series on Queen Victoria's life. This biography is so interesting; I'm learning a lot about the royal family under George III and his children. What a dysfunctional group! Narrator Katharine McEwan is doing a good-enough job. Not a particularly spectacular performance, but she's expressive without the theatrics. I'm marathon listening. @penguinrandomhouse