Queen Victoria's Matchmaking
The Royal Marriages That Shaped Europe
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Narrated by:
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Charlotte Strevens
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By:
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Deborah Cadbury
About this listen
A captivating exploration of the role in which Queen Victoria exerted the most international power and influence: as a matchmaking grandmother.
As her reign approached its sixth decade, Queen Victoria's grandchildren numbered over 30, and to maintain and increase British royal power, she was determined to maneuver them into a series of dynastic marriages with the royal houses of Europe.
Yet for all their apparent obedience, her grandchildren often had plans of their own, fueled by strong wills and romantic hearts. Victoria's matchmaking plans were further complicated by the tumultuous international upheavals of the time: revolution and war were in the air, and kings and queens, princes and princesses were vulnerable targets.
Queen Victoria's Matchmaking travels through the glittering, decadent palaces of Europe from London to Saint Petersburg, weaving in scandals, political machinations, and family tensions to enthralling effect. It is at once an intimate portrait of a royal family and an examination of the conflict caused by the marriages the Queen arranged. At the heart of it all is Victoria herself: doting grandmother one moment, determined Queen Empress the next.
©2017 Deborah Cadbury (P)2018 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"[An] absorbing book... The fall of the Romanovs occupies the superb last pages of Cadbury's book... Dynastic mergers, we may deduce from Deborah Cadbury's account, offer no defence against the whims of history. This catastrophe-laced slice of royal history offers a ripping read." (Miranda Seymour, The Observer)
"A rich history of Queen Victoria's canny use of political power." (Bookpage)
"Engrossing...Cadbury engagingly presents [Queen Victoria] as a mesmerising Mrs Bennet, summoning her children and then her grandchildren to Balmoral. ..The stories of [Queen Victoria's] descendants are mesmerising and often stranger than fiction...From the pen of a writer of skill and style, this surprising narrative leaves you wanting more." (Paula Byrne, The Times)
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It was the most influential marriage of the 19th Century - and one of history’s most enduring love stories. Traditional biographies tell us that Queen Victoria inherited the throne as a naïve teenager, when the British Empire was at the height of its power, and seemed doomed to find failure as a monarch and misery as a woman until she married her German cousin Albert and accepted him as her lord and master. Now renowned chronicler Gillian Gill turns this familiar story on its head, revealing a strong, feisty queen, and a brilliant, fragile prince working together to build a family.
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I found it extremely moving.
- By Cheryl on 08-07-09
By: Gillian Gill
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Her Little Majesty
- The Life of Queen Victoria
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Her Little Majesty is a fresh and fascinating portrait of the diminutive monarch who ruled the vast British empire for over 60 years. Award-winning biographer and historian, Carolly Erickson, transports you behind the walls of Buckingham Palace to introduce you to the quirky, loveable Queen Victoria—revealed only to her closest associates. Emotionally deprived, inadequately educated, and socially isolated for much of her life, young Victoria felt ill-prepared to ascend the throne.
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Disappointing after Josephine.
- By Debra V on 08-24-21
By: Carolly Erickson
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Matriarch
- Queen Mary and the House of Windsor
- By: Anne Edwards
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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The life of Princess May of Teck is one of the great Cinderella stories in history. From a family of impoverished nobility, she was chosen by Queen Victoria as the bride for her eldest grandson, the scandalous Duke of Clarence, heir to the throne, who died mysteriously before their marriage. Despite this setback, she became queen, mother of two kings, grandmother of the current queen, and a lasting symbol of the majesty of the British throne.
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Wow! Did not want this to end!
- By Susan Nall Sheehan on 07-16-17
By: Anne Edwards
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Marie Therese, Child of Terror
- The Fate of Marie Antoinette's Daughter
- By: Susan Nagel
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Nagel tells a remarkable story of an astonishing woman, from her birth, to her upbringing by doting parents, through to Revolution, imprisonment, exile, Restoration, and, finally, her reincarnation as saint and matriarch.
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Essential reading for students of Bourbon history
- By Adeliese Baumann on 03-07-13
By: Susan Nagel
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Secret Lives of the Tsars
- Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia
- By: Michael Farquhar
- Narrated by: Enn Reitel
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Scandal! Intrigue! Cossacks! Here the world’s most engaging royal historian chronicles the world’s most fascinating imperial dynasty: the Romanovs, whose three-hundred-year reign was remarkable for its shocking violence, spectacular excess, and unimaginable venality. In this incredibly entertaining history, Michael Farquhar collects the best, most captivating true tales of Romanov iniquity.
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A good introduction to the Romanovs
- By Daniel Burgon on 07-14-14
By: Michael Farquhar
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Daughters of the Winter Queen
- Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Laura Kirman
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Young Elizabeth Stuart was thrust into a life of wealth and splendor when her godmother, Queen Elizabeth I, died and her father, James I, ascended to the illustrious throne of England. At 16 she was married to a dashing German count far below her rank, with the understanding that James would help her husband achieve the crown of Bohemia. Her father's terrible betrayal of this promise would ruin "the Winter Queen", as Elizabeth would forever be known, imperil the lives of those she loved, and launch a war that would last for 30 years.
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Misnamed but Wonderful
- By Anonymous User on 05-16-18
By: Nancy Goldstone
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Victoria: The Queen
- An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire
- By: Julia Baird
- Narrated by: Lucy Rayner
- Length: 21 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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When Victoria was born, in 1819, the world was a very different place. Revolution would threaten many of Europe’s monarchies in the coming decades. In Britain, a generation of royals had indulged their whims at the public’s expense, and republican sentiment was growing. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the British Empire was commanding ever larger tracts of the globe. In a world where women were often powerless, during a century roiling with change, Victoria went on to rule the most powerful country on earth with a decisive hand.
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Masterpiece!!
- By DKSTRYKER on 01-07-24
By: Julia Baird
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Becoming Queen Victoria
- The Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch
- By: Kate Williams
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 16 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1819, a girl was born to the fourth son of King George III. No one could have expected such an unassuming, overprotected girl to be an effective ruler - yet Queen Victoria would become one of the most powerful monarchs in history. Writing with novelistic flair and historical precision, Kate Williams reveals a vibrant woman in the prime of her life, while chronicling the byzantine machinations that continued even after the crown was placed on her head.
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Extremely Well Written and Readable
- By Wren on 04-01-17
By: Kate Williams
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The Queen Mother
- The Untold Story of Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, Who Became Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
- By: Lady Colin Campbell
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 25 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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For the first time, Lady Colin Campbell reveals the fascinating and moving life of The Queen Mother. With unparalleled sources, including members of the Royal Family, aristocrats, and friends and relatives of Elizabeth herself, this mesmerizing account takes us inside the real and sometimes astonishing world of the royal family.
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A Real Person
- By The Barbster on 01-05-19
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A Magnificent Obsession
- Victoria, Albert, and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy
- By: Helen Rappaport
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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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 20-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.
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All consuming grief
- By Flatbroke on 06-15-13
By: Helen Rappaport
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Crown of Blood
- The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey
- By: Nicola Tallis
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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"Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same." These were the heartbreaking words of a 17-year-old girl, Lady Jane Grey, as she stood on the scaffold awaiting death on a cold February morning in 1554. Minutes later, her head was struck from her body with a single stroke of a heavy ax. Her death for high treason sent shock waves through the Tudor world and served as a gruesome reminder to all who aspired to a crown that the ax could fall at any time.
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Brilliantly Compelling
- By J.Brock on 11-26-19
By: Nicola Tallis
What listeners say about Queen Victoria's Matchmaking
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Richard Arduengo
- 06-09-23
More interesting than I expected
Good vivid writing with beautiful narration. Lots Interesting nuggets of information and little details that I didn’t know before even though I was familiar with most of stories
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- Gypsi
- 10-31-23
Very Interesting
This is a nonfiction discussion of European politics during the late Victorian era as seen through the lens of the marriages of Queen Victoria's children and grandchildren. The title suggests that it will tell of the Queen's personal involvement in the marriages, which was not actually a lot, but the subtitle truthful shows that it only features those marriages that affected European politics. I found both aspects to be somewhat disappointing, as I would have enjoyed learning about some of the Queen's lesser-known children and grandchildren. Nonetheless, I found it generally well-written and thoroughly entertaining and informative; I would certainly recommend it to other armchair historians also interested in this area.
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- CC
- 12-27-22
Much more interesting than I thought it would be
I have read a lot about Q. Victoria and her children. I did not expect to much, but this shed some interesting today bits on the minor branches and how all of the interactions amongst the cousins ended up impacting WWI.
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- ChinleAZ
- 11-21-22
Interesting perspective on history
The upheavals in Europe from the admittedly perspective of one family. I gained new appreciation for Victoria’s capabilities and aspirations despite the ultimate failure of her and Albert’s aim (self-serving but not entirely without general benefit) to keep the peace on the continent.
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- LitLadyK
- 01-08-19
Beautifully written and narrated
Loved the peek into the last, especially the letters to and from the Queen and her family members
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4 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 02-06-20
Much more serious than you might think
I bought this expecting a light entertaining listen but I got much more than I anticipated. Well written and researched. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. There was much more to Victoria’s matchmaking than just a meddling granny. I loved how it was wrapped up at the end. Much to consider.
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1 person found this helpful
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- T. L. Longpre
- 05-03-22
A surprisingly thorough and interesting read
To be honest, I went into this book - having read several books related to the period in general, and biographies of several of the people involved in particular - not expecting a whole lot. Given the topic, I expected more interfering, old-biddy grandmama, and no serious scholarship about the political situation in the generations leading up to the First World War. I was pleasantly surprised! While there was a bit of interfering old-biddy (because let's be honest, that is well documented), there was also some really good perspectives of the complex family and political relationships that were occurring, and some quite humanizing details as well.
A note on the audiobook version - while really well done, many of the people discussed in this book were named Victoria, Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth, Albert, etc., and while there is a good effort to keep them all sorted, it could be confusing at times to keep track of who exactly was being referred to.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Simone
- 05-30-19
Extremely interesting and full of new tidbits
• When it came to the Royals I knew well, I was riveted to learn new details about them.
• When it came to the Royals I knew a little, I feel like I learned more about them and the book held my interest.
• When it came to the Royals I knew nothing about, I was completely lost!
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1 person found this helpful
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- sylvia mason
- 06-03-20
Wonderful!
Very well written and very well performed!! I’m off to learn more! Thanks so much for all the hard work and research done by so many!!
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- Sarah C.
- 12-30-21
Never Let Your Grandmother Decide on Your Partner
I think Cadbury's book is a wonderful example of Victoria's propensity to cause disaster through marriage. Most of the marriages she tried to arrange turned out to be miserable or were ultimately unsuccessful due to their not achieving their goals. It also shows how controlling she was in her later years, especially after her children married and left (she almost ruined the chances of her youngest daughter's marrying because she expected Beatrice to stay with her forever).
Vicky's marriage to the Prussian prince Fritz is a good example of a failed scheme; they were supposed to become rulers of a liberal kingdom but that didn't come off as planned when Fritz's father turned out to be non-liberal and Fritz died early in life, leaving their megalomaniac and resentful son to become Emperor of Germany. Victoria's scheme for her favorite granddaughter Alexandra marry her grandson (and heir to the throne) Eddy failed when she and her sister married into the Russian royal family (which Victoria tried to prevent), as did her attempt to match him with Mary of Teck when he died prematurely. But probably the worst marriage she arranged was the one between Princess Victoria "Ducky" Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Ernest, Grand Duke of Hesse, who hated each other and eventually separated. The one marriage that seemed to have been successful that Victoria arranged was Mary of Teck's marriage to George V after Eddy's death; though the pair weren't in love, they did become fond of each other and make a successful and sustaining partnership that kept England afloat during WWI.
It can be hard to unravel how everyone in the British and European royal families were related because of Victoria's matchmaking schemes touched nearly every royal family. But this book encapsulates how while Victoria was a powerful ruler of an empire, her matchmaking was wanting. All together a fascinating listen.
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