
- 304 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
"[This] biography focusesâdeliciouslyâon the women who shared the scandalously plentiful sex life of Queen Victoria's eldest son, the Prince of Wales." â USA Today
Edward Prince of Wales, better known as "Bertie," was the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Charming and dissolute, he was a larger-than-life personality with king-size appetites. A lifelong womanizer, Bertie conducted his countless liaisons against the glittering backdrop of London society, Europe, and the stately homes of England in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Bertie's lovers were beautiful, spirited, society women who embraced a wide field of occupations. There was Lillie Langtry, the simple Jersey girl who would become an actress and producer; "Daisy" Brooke, Countess of Warwick, the extravagant socialite who embraced socialism and stood for Parliament as a Labour party candidate; bisexual French actress Sarah Bernhardt, celebrated for her decadent appeal and opium habit; and by total contrast the starchy Agnes Keyser, who founded a hospital for army officers. One of Bertie's most intriguing liaisons was with American heiress Jennie Churchill, unhappy wife of Sir Randolph Churchill and mother of Sir Winston.
While the scandals resulting from his affairsâfrom suicides to divorcesâwere a blight on the royal family, Bertie would become a surprisingly modern monarch. His major accomplishment was transforming the British monarchy into the modern institution that we know today and ensuring its survival in a period when every other European dynasty collapsed in the wake of World War I.
"Victorian England: We know what that was supposed to meanâall priggish prudery and 'we-are-not-amused' harrumphing. Except now we know it wasn't all that." â USA Today
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1. A Youthful Indiscretion
- 2. A Royal Wedding
- 3. âGay Paree and London Lowlifeâ
- 4. Mordaunt vs. Mordaunt
- 5. Jennie Churchill, the Dollar Princess
- 6. The Aylesford Scandal
- 7. The Jersey Tomboy
- 8. Taking London by Storm
- 9. The Real Prince Charming
- 10. Royal Mistress
- 11. The Wheel of Fortune
- 12. Jennie and Randolph
- 13. My Darling Daisy
- 14. The Heart has its Reasons
- 15. She Stoops to Conquer
- 16. The Unforgivable Sin
- 17. The Tranby Croft Trial
- 18. The Socialite Socialist
- 19. Captain Laycock of the Blues
- 20. The Last Mistress: Alice Keppel
- 21. Golden Years
- 22. Famous Last Words
- Photographs
- Afterthoughts
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Also by Catharine Arnold
- About the Author
- Newsletter Sign-up
- Contents
- Copyright