
A Magnificent Obsession
Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy
- 493 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
A Magnificent Obsession
Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy
About this book
From the New York Timesâ bestselling author of The Rebel Romanov , an "absorbing account of the making of a queen through her awful, protracted grief" ( Kirkus Reviews ).
As she did in her critically acclaimedÂ
The Last Days of the Romanovs, Helen Rappaport brings a compelling documentary feel to the story of this royal marriage and of the queen's obsessive love for her husbandâa story that began as fairy tale and ended in tragedy.
After the untimely death of Prince Albert, the queen and her nation were plunged into a state of grief so profound that this one event would dramatically alter the shape of the British monarchy. For Britain had not just lost a prince: during his twenty-year marriage to Queen Victoria, Prince Albert had increasingly performed the function of King in all but name. The outpouring of grief after Albert's death was so extreme, that its like would not be seen again until the death of Princess Diana 136 years later.
Drawing on many letters, diaries and memoirs from the Royal Archives and other neglected sources, as well as the newspapers of the day, Rappaport offers a new perspective on this compelling historical psychodramaâthe crucial final months of the prince's life and the first long, dark ten years of the Queen's retreat from public view. She draws a portrait of a queen obsessed with her living husband andâafter his deathâwith his enduring place in history.Â
Magnificent Obsession will also throw new light on the true nature of the prince's chronic physical condition, overturning for good the 150-year old myth that he died of typhoid fever.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Preface & Acknowledgements
- List of Illustrations
- Prologue: Christmas 1860
- Part One: Albert the Good
- Part Two: The Broken-Hearted Widow
- Epilogue: Christmas 1878
- Appendix: What Killed Prince Albert?
- Bibliography
- Notes
- Index
- Photo Insert
- Copyright