We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals

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We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 1,707 ratings · 237 reviews

It was the most influential marriage of the nineteenth century-and one of history's most enduring love stories. Traditional biographies tell us that Queen Victoria inherited the throne as a naive 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 a...more It was the most influential marriage of the nineteenth century-and one of history's most enduring love stories. Traditional biographies tell us that Queen Victoria inherited the throne as a naive 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 based on support, trust, and fidelity, qualities neither had seen much of as children. The love affair that emerges is far more captivating, complex, and relevant than that depicted in any previous account.
The epic relationship began poorly. The cousins first met as teenagers for a few brief, awkward, chaperoned weeks in 1836. At seventeen, charming rather than beautiful, Victoria already "showed signs of wanting her own way." Albert, the boy who had been groomed for her since birth, was chubby, self-absorbed, and showed no interest in girls, let alone this princess. So when they met again in 1839 as queen and presumed prince-consort-to-be, neither had particularly high hopes. But the queen was delighted to discover a grown man, refined, accomplished, and whiskered. "Albert is beautiful!" Victoria wrote, and she proposed just three days later.
As Gill reveals, Victoria and Albert entered their marriage longing for intimate companionship, yet each was determined to be the ruler. This dynamic would continue through the years-each spouse, headstrong and impassioned, eager to lead the marriage on his or her own terms. For two decades, Victoria and Albert engaged in a very public contest for dominance. Against all odds, the marriage succeeded, but it was always a work in progress. And in the end, it was Albert's early death that set the Queen free to create the myth of her marriage as a peaceful idyll and her husband as Galahad, pure and perfect.
As Gill shows, the marriage of Victoria and Albert was great not because it was perfect but because it was passionate and complicated. Wonderfully nuanced, surprising, often acerbic-and informed by revealing excerpts from the pair's journals and letters-We Two is a revolutionary portrait of a queen and her prince, a fascinating modern perspective on a couple who have become a legend. "From the Hardcover edition."(less)

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Published (first published May 14th 2009)

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Apr 07, 2013 Fergie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With the rich, long history of England, an author has a wealth of potential subjects from which to choose. Every modern day student of history certainly knows of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert so Gilligan Gill was quite right in choosing these royals if she wished to ensure at least some prior knowledge and interest of her subjects. What Gill was successful in securing was an ongoing interest through her ample use of interesting facts and details of Victoria and Albert, the German prince conso...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

I think that perhaps I should have read a biography of Victoria by herself before getting into a dual biography of Victoria and Albert. I am much more interested in Victoria; Albert's narcissism and contempt for the female sex was very frustrating, and made more so because Victoria worshiped Albert and joyfully subjugated herself to him. It was hard to reconcile Albert's bad qualities with his love of family, work ethic, and progressive ideals. However, it seems that as long as he was completely...more

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May 09, 2012 Susan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, history

We Two has one of those tantalizing subtitles that nonfiction loves to plaster on covers: “Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals.” If Victoria and Albert had consciously considered themselves rivals, this concept for the book would have made for an extremely interesting study of two competing partners ruling the most powerful nation of the nineteenth century. Unfortunately for author Gillian Gill, Albert and Victoria seem to have left nothing in the way of their own writing or in others’...more We Two has one of those tantalizing subtitles that nonfiction loves to plaster on covers: “Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals.” If Victoria and Albert had consciously considered themselves rivals, this concept for the book would have made for an extremely interesting study of two competing partners ruling the most powerful nation of the nineteenth century. Unfortunately for author Gillian Gill, Albert and Victoria seem to have left nothing in the way of their own writing or in others’ anecdotes to indicate that either of them saw their relationship as a competition, and that is a fundamental problem in the book’s organization.

Instead, Victoria erected lavish memorials to the Prince Consort, published hagiographic biographies of him, and wrote diary entries and letters that indicate she was bereft without him. Where, you might well ask, can this possibly leave a revisionist author, determined to showcase their marital battles? Logically, it leaves the corpus of letters that can be summarized to their most damning themes, as well as all the destroyed documents that obviously contained all the critical information the author can’t provide in the historical record.

The method of arguing from silence works in general because nobody can prove its conclusions wrong through evidence. Thus, Gill is irrefutably able to answer several key questions in Albert-Victoria biography debates. Why was Albert able to satisfy Victoria on their wedding night if he was as pure as he claims? Gill answers ex silentio: because Albert had had a lot of gay sex experiences at university. Next: did Victoria sleep with John Brown, her Highland Servant, after Albert’s death? “[T]he lack of hard evidence is in itself a proof of intimacy,” writes Gill. (The relevance of Victoria’s relationship with someone after Albert’s death in a book dedicated to the marriage of the two is, however, never made clear.)

Gill’s writing is so graceful at times that it masks her weaknesses as a biographer. The chief weakness is neither the peculiar absence of quotes from most of her chapters, nor her occasionally unclear timeline of narration, but rather her own confusion about her argument. I can’t tell if she approached her sources with the view that Victoria and Albert were prototypes of modern power couples, and then failed to find much evidence for that in the documents they left, or if she approached her sources with the idea that Albert was a foolish and oppressive husband, but Gill definitely approached the texts with some sort of hypothesis that fell apart the more she examined it. The result is that she vacillates between Albert-as-superman and Albert-as-weakling characterizations depending on the chapter. Such characterization is unfair to both the Prince Consort and Queen Victoria, who certainly deserves more credit for her own choices than she receives from Gill’s attacks on and defenses of the Prince. (less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Eva rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Most of this book was extremely fascinating as Gillian Gill describes the conditions of Victoria's early life, her relationship to her mother, and her family life as an adult. The great romance between Victoria and Albert worked because they both worked at it. All was not sweetness and light in the family home, but when they disagreed or struggled over power, they made sacrifices for the other.

I was unaware how hard Albert struggled to become King in everything but name and how hard he worked t...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Tim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great historical exploration of the fascinating relationship between Queen Victoria and her Prince Consort Albert. A must-read for historical readers who like royalty.

Details: Gill explores the long and complex lives of Victoria and Albert. This is a comprehensive review of their relationship starting from their first brief meetings and how their courtship was supported by influential family members. We learn how their marriage altered over time and feel Victoria's sadness when Albert dies.

Thi...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, non-fiction

A terrific audio books "read" that thoroughly details the relationship and marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince (Consort) Albert, plus their individual biographical backgrounds. This isn't dry history narrative stuff, but rather a pretty deep psychological and sociological dive into what made each of these persons tick, resulting in a successful marriage and political union, which nevertheless exhibited some minor fault lines. Author Gillian Gill writes well - the book is accessible to us mere...more

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Oct 12, 2011 V.r. Christensen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is truly one of the best non fiction books I've ever read. Granted, I'm particularly infatuated with the Victorian era, but I was pleasantly surprised in this to find it both accessible and concise. Much background history is discussed, which might ordinarily bog down the narrative, but in this case it is all presented in the clearest and most insightful of ways. That Victoria was fated for the throne is perhaps evidenced by the complexity of circumstances that surround her history and upbr...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Maya Ganguly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So, I finished this a few months back and read this in conjunction with another biography on Albert (Stanley Wientrab's Uncrowned King). I found this book more compelling to read, but totally biased against Albert. Gillian Gill makes a lot of conclusions about Albert and his personality that I didn't quite sit well with me, for example, at one point she makes a statement about Albert being antisemitic, but doesn't back this up, and ignores the fact that Prince Albert was supporter/friend of the...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Trina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

I put this biography on hold after watching the movie, Young Victoria. It was a delightful movie and I wanted to get a sense of how real it really was. I found that by doing so, I stumbled upon a delightful biography in its own right. While obviously nonfiction, it flows and captivates as if it were fiction. It feels similar to historical fiction in that these characters connect so many parts of history that I've read or known about from other sources such as the Great Exhibition of 1851 (this w...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Julia Reed rated it 5 of 5 stars

A must read for those that are fans of the Victorian era. I had to do this one in chunks because it can be very dense, but I was glad that I read it. People usually fawn all over themselves about how in love Victoria and Albert were, how he was satisfied to let her rule while being the perfect royal consort. What you probably don't realize is that the British hated Albert to their bones and while the pair were very much in love, Albert was always uncomfortable with his consort role, and sought t...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the story of Victoria and Albert, two intensely passionate people whose relationship and ideas shaped an era.

Most students of history are familiar with Victoria, who was Queen of England for over fifty years and gave her name to the Victorian Age. Some are acquainted with the basic details of the story of her romance with her husband, Albert, probably from an A&E type movie. They had nine children and restored a vision of respectability and domesticity to the English monarchy that p...more This is the story of Victoria and Albert, two intensely passionate people whose relationship and ideas shaped an era.

Most students of history are familiar with Victoria, who was Queen of England for over fifty years and gave her name to the Victorian Age. Some are acquainted with the basic details of the story of her romance with her husband, Albert, probably from an A&E type movie. They had nine children and restored a vision of respectability and domesticity to the English monarchy that probably kept the English monarchy from going the way of so many others of the time. But few students of history are probably familiar with Victoria and Albert themselves…as individuals, and as a couple.

Today, “Victorian” has come to mean prissy, repressed, sanctimonious, puritanical, straight-laced, outdated. There’s probably a certain amount of truth to that. Yet the trends of that time were a necessary reaction, both personally and for English society as a whole, to the troubles that began with the madness of George III and the debauchery, extravagance, and incompetence of his sons who followed him on the throne. Victoria was deliberately raised in a cheerless, rigidly controlled environment, for a king could be excused some indiscretions but a potential queen—especially a young one, and Victoria came to the throne when she was barely 18—could not afford any. And Albert? The sensitive and precocious second son of the incredibly corrupt and misogynistic ruling family of a tiny German princedom, whose warm-hearted mother was summarily forced out of her sons’ lives due to an affair though her husband had as many mistresses as he wished. In each other, Victoria and Albert sought the kind of domestic happiness neither had growing up.

But it would not be easy: Victoria, warm-hearted, passionate, pragmatic, and level-headed in a crisis, was also headstrong and to some extent spoiled, prone at times to histrionics and post-partum depression. She would not gracefully concede any of her delightful, newly discovered independence, either to marriage or to childbearing. Albert, brilliant, diligent, dutiful, self-possessed, and incredibly hard-working, warm and funny in private (especially with his family), was raised to be Victoria’s ideal, but also reserved, mistrustful of others, ambitious, and intensely conscious of what he considered his prerogatives, both as a prince in his native land and the husband of the Queen of England. He was far more comfortable with principles and ideals than people, prone to be arrogant, heavy-handed, self-righteous, chauvinistic, and insensitive towards others. In a world where women were considered their husbands’ property, unfit for any significant role in the public sphere, and even vowed absolute obedience to their husbands when they were married, he was the unique case who depended on his wife for access to power and whose wife (especially considering the prejudices of the English people towards foreigners) absolutely had to at least be seen by the British people to rule the roost.

The central premise of the book is that Albert and Victoria’s relationship—both as spouses and partners in the business of running an empire—was defined by competition between them for the upper-hand. To some extent, that’s undoubtedly true, but I suspect the author missed out a little on the bigger picture in her eagerness to focus on conflict in the royal marriage. I’m a little suspicious of the author’s tendency to summarize things in many cases (which allows great latitude for interpretation and misinterpretation) instead of providing details, though there are extensive source notes and and this book is probably meant more as a popular introduction than a detailed scholarly work. The author tries to understand Albert and Victoria in their context, but I’m not sure she’s entirely clear-eyed in her evaluation of them due to some definite feminist and modern (and perhaps personal) biases. Still, it’s a vivid and fascinating portrait of two very interesting people, and the passages in Albert and Victoria’s own words, in particular, provide interesting insight into both of them, the circle of people around them, and their world and time.(less)

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Jun 02, 2010 Alanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written, well researched, and fascinating to read. The only reason I didn't give it the full five stars was just because I was slightly sad to see how difficult Victoria and Albert's marriage was (which really isn't the author's fault, but it still left a shadow on my reading!). While their marriage was very happy and successful, both had their fair share of disappointments-- Victoria hated and feared being pregnant, which is pretty awful considering s...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Ronald Wise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the dust-jacket synopsis and reviews, this book is "revolutionary" in its personalized portrayal of Queen Victoria and her consort Prince Albert. Author Gillian Gill has attempted to follow their lives from before birth until after Albert's death in a comprehensive manner, though she admits that Albert's early life in Coburg had been irreversibly sanitized by Victoria herself, thus leaving little more to be discovered there.

I am no enthusiast for the royals, but found this book quite intere...more From the dust-jacket synopsis and reviews, this book is "revolutionary" in its personalized portrayal of Queen Victoria and her consort Prince Albert. Author Gillian Gill has attempted to follow their lives from before birth until after Albert's death in a comprehensive manner, though she admits that Albert's early life in Coburg had been irreversibly sanitized by Victoria herself, thus leaving little more to be discovered there.

I am no enthusiast for the royals, but found this book quite interesting. First of all, it was gratifying to finally get a defining sense of what the adjective "Victorian" means. I grew up in a "Victorian seaport" in Washington State, and have been perpetually haunted by that term, whether describing historical morals or architecture. The information in this book regarding the industrial, scientific, and social developments of the Victorian reign has greatly helped to solidify my sense of all things Victorian.

The most interesting aspect of this book, however, was the royal perspective it provided on the political developments of the 19th century. Most historical treatments of this period focus primarily on the rise of democratic movements and the related emergence of the nation state. But from this book we have insiders' glimpses at the personal drives and machinations that for centuries controlled the history of Europe. The royal families didn't feel a need to justify their power - their duty was to fight any challenge to their inherited rights. While Victoria and Albert were said to cringe at the prospect of their oldest son becoming King, there was no indication they ever questioned his right to the throne.

Most surprising was the integrity of Victoria and Albert and their relationship. As the products of a tradition of intense inbreeding, loveless marriages, completely neglected or overly protected children, and family disagreements of long duration and international import, it is amazing that such a pair could produce such an atypically "normal" marriage. That would seem to be Gill's impetus for writing this book, and she seems to have done well in emphasizing that aspect.(less)

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Jun 22, 2012 Lady Knight rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lady Knight by: The History Chicks (Podcast -- Queen Victoria parts 1 and 2)

Shelves: 19th-c, adult, central-europe, england-uk, non-fiction, online-library, regency, royalty, victorian-edwardian

I came across this one when The History Chicks (which as a side note is a fantastic podcast... it's pretty much girl talk about the life of a well known historical figure!) did a two-part podcast on Queen Victoria. They highly recommended the book and since I enjoy their podcast so much, I figured I would give it a try. I hate to admit it, but I didn't enjoy this one too much.

I wasn't too keen on how much explanation and emphasis was placed on the fact that Albert really only ever enjoyed male c...more I came across this one when The History Chicks (which as a side note is a fantastic podcast... it's pretty much girl talk about the life of a well known historical figure!) did a two-part podcast on Queen Victoria. They highly recommended the book and since I enjoy their podcast so much, I figured I would give it a try. I hate to admit it, but I didn't enjoy this one too much.

I wasn't too keen on how much explanation and emphasis was placed on the fact that Albert really only ever enjoyed male company, and how that, in connection with some of the expectataions/morals/etc. of the day point to him probably having some homosexual liasons. Possible? Yes, but he was reared from the get-go with the idea that he would probably be Victoria's husband, and as such had to be as chaste as possible. It seems a little off to me that a man that is so well-documented as being the ultimate prude (interesting isn't it how history remembers Victoria as the prudish one?) would have spent his (well chaperoned) youth exploring such venues.

My biggest "complaint" however isn't really about the book, but the shattering of my own preconceived notions. I have always read and been told that Victoria and Albert had one of those 'romance for the ages', and were head-over-heels in love. This book however, points out that while Victoria certainly was head-over-heels (and hence why we think of their relationship the way we do), Albert definitely was not. He probably loved Victoria in some fashion, but more often than not he felt constrained by her, exasperated with her, and was frustrated by his subordinate position in life. Victoria had trouble carrying on without him after he died, but if positions had been reversed, he would have had no trouble carrying on without her. In many ways I wasn't surprised to find this out, but I so wanted their relationship to have actually been the ultimate love story. I wanted it all to work out the way Young Victoria portrays it!

Overall, this was a well-written piece of biography... it just wasn't one that satisfied me.(less)

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Jun 28, 2011 Glorious.Clio rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: feminism, history, nonfiction

I picked this up at Half Price Books a few weeks ago; I've recently been into the Victorian era (which would have come in handy about two years ago, but I digress)~~, mainly because of Rupert Friend~~.

So, yes, small interest, and not much background, apart from reading "In Triumphs Wake."

This book did not disappoint. Gill not only skillfully goes through the trials, triumphs, and tribulations of their 20-odd year marriage, but also manages to capture the relation between sexes for many people in th...more

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Jan 21, 2010 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

I bought this book somewhat on a whim but also because I thought it might give more insight into the lives of Victoria and Albert. I was not disappointed. This is a dissection of their lives, both personal and "professional" with even a little of their sex life tastefully thrown in. A marriage made in heaven?....probably not........but certainly one that was much happier than that of any other monarchs before or since. The book covers the early life of both individuals which gives the reader a b...more

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Oct 14, 2009 Alicia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was another book that I picked up 100% based on the cover. Something about the title in italics and being able to see it across the room. It was purely visual. But after reading the inside cover I was interested enough to check it out. And then after the first few pages I was hooked.

I totally thought this would be another "Seabiscuit" like "Woman and the Sea" was. Like full of drama and intrigue and royal politics. It was less Woman and the Sea and more "A&E Biography". But still it was...more This was another book that I picked up 100% based on the cover. Something about the title in italics and being able to see it across the room. It was purely visual. But after reading the inside cover I was interested enough to check it out. And then after the first few pages I was hooked.

I totally thought this would be another "Seabiscuit" like "Woman and the Sea" was. Like full of drama and intrigue and royal politics. It was less Woman and the Sea and more "A&E Biography". But still it was sooo SOOO interesting.

This book is LOOOONG. And by long I mean that it took me more than 1 day to finish. It took me several. And it's complicated. It's not an easy skim read. And it's very difficult to keep all the people straight because they all name their kids the same things!! Leopold the 1st, 2nd. George III, George IV, Victoria (called Victoria) and Victoria (Called Vicky). So confusing.

But again, I was sucked in. It's so interesting. But maybe that's me. I find English history intriguing. Where the lineage comes from, and where it's going. How they all marry with one another. Albert and Victoria (the main subjects of the book) were first cousins. As in his father was her mother's brother. FULL ON BLOOD RELATED. And it didn't help the kids. Their youngest boy had "hemophilia" a blood disease, and almost all her daughters were carriers of the disease. And then they went out and married Prussians, Germans, Spaniards and Russians and then made THEIR kids sick. DON'T MARRY YOUR COUSINS ANYMORE, YOU CRAZY BRITISH.

But what I really liked was how this was a very good history lesson. A lesson in social aspects of the 1800's, lessons in disease, lessons in male/female/royalty relationships. The author gives a great background on all things. And like I said, you are sucked in.

I haven't talked much about the main story of Albert and Victoria. And that's because I still don't know how I feel about it. Albert was a HUGE misogynist. He was 100% assured that the fact that he was a man made him superior to all women, especially his wife. And yet, he married a woman with ALL the power, and who for the first few years of their marriage wouldn't even let him listen in when she talked to her prime minister or read letters that she wrote to parliament. But then she would defer to him and say he was her husband and leader and he was always right and beg his forgiveness when they fought.

I'm telling you, their relationship was so weird. Just weird. I don't know how to describe it. But there was love. Always love. I will say that. They loved each other passionately, completely and till the end. While the "Victorian" era gets its name from the Queen this book is about, in truth, Albert has lots to do with instituting and implementing the values that Victorians prized. i.e. frugality, chastity, morality, family. He was the one that cleaned up the castles from the stink and grime in the people and in the atmosphere.

Did you know he came to his wedding bed a virgin (UNHEARD OF for a prince in the 1840's)) and hence made sure that his wife didn't get a venereal disease and became barren. She thanked him for his virtue by giving him 9 kids (4 of them boys, which you know are WAY better than girls. Boys are like flesh and blood gold to monarchs) And those 9 kids came in like 17 years. In her first year of marriage she gave birth TWICE! That woman was a factory. Poor girl.

Ok, this is a long review. I wanted you all to know that I really REALLY liked this book. Make sure you dedicate several days to it. It's so interesting. But I'm still not sure how I feel about Victoria and Albert. . .I'll let you know if I make up my mind.(less)

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Jan 26, 2012 Dawn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, history, biography-autobiography

"We Two" is one of those rarest of bookstore treasures, the readable history. Not historical-fiction mind you, but the straight up real thing. It's not funny or cutesy, it doesn't have dialogue, it doesn't "sex up" history. It doesn't need to. Not when the subject matter is such a complicated and intricate web of interpersonal relationships. Like peeling layers of old, yellowing paper from a wall, Gillian Gill tries to sift truth from PR nearly a century old. On top of that, somehow she manages...more "We Two" is one of those rarest of bookstore treasures, the readable history. Not historical-fiction mind you, but the straight up real thing. It's not funny or cutesy, it doesn't have dialogue, it doesn't "sex up" history. It doesn't need to. Not when the subject matter is such a complicated and intricate web of interpersonal relationships. Like peeling layers of old, yellowing paper from a wall, Gillian Gill tries to sift truth from PR nearly a century old. On top of that, somehow she manages to keep an dense text clear and lively despite the twisted and tortured mess of pre-WWII European political scene.

Aside from the neatly drawn picture and relationship of the couple that are arguably the most well known monarchs ever, we're also given some much needed clarity on their world. The royal marriage markets, the city-states of Germany with their multitude of princes, the sudden appearance of the Royal Residences at Osborne House, Balmoral castle and later, Sandringham House all become clear and logical.

Gill also does not shy away from dealing with the public opinion of the Prince-Consort either. Albert was respected by those who worked with him, and loved by family, but poorly received and tolerated by the aristocracy who had their excesses curbed and the lower classes who seem to have always perceived him as foreign- no doubt due to the German accent he never rid himself of. Her take on the Queen herself is a picture of a woman almost obsessed with her adored husband, yet short tempered and downright petulant at times. Before Albert's death we only see glimpses of the proud matriarch she is remembered as. She does avoid the whole John Brown controversy, covering it with a chapter or two, but then, that is only right as here we are dealing mostly with events previous to Albert's death.

All in all, it';s a strong, dense read. In all probability I'll be looking at some other works to contrast it with, just to get a clearer picture of whether there is much bias here, and if so where it lies.

(less)

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Jan 20, 2011 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, history

I just finished this book about 40 pages before I expected to, and I'm a little cranky with Gillian Gill. I did enjoy the book (quite a lot, in fact), but I kept wishing there were footnotes. Gill kept asserting facts--usually about people's feelings or thoughts--without backing up how she knew them. If only I had known that there are pages and pages and pages of endnotes explaining exactly that. Perhaps this is my fault, too. I suppose I should have checked the back of the book, but the possibi...more I just finished this book about 40 pages before I expected to, and I'm a little cranky with Gillian Gill. I did enjoy the book (quite a lot, in fact), but I kept wishing there were footnotes. Gill kept asserting facts--usually about people's feelings or thoughts--without backing up how she knew them. If only I had known that there are pages and pages and pages of endnotes explaining exactly that. Perhaps this is my fault, too. I suppose I should have checked the back of the book, but the possibility of endnotes didn't occur to me, as they weren't even hinted at before I ran smack upon them. I do not think it can be that hard to have inserted cues as to when it was time to look up the endnotes into the text itself. It would have taken away nothing from the experience of reading the book and would have enhanced the learning experience a great deal.

My annoyance almost made me gave this book two stars rather than the (at least) three it is due, but I'm sure I'll calm down later so I'm going ahead with three now. Maybe it even deserves four and I'm too cross to see it at the moment. Possibly I'm even going to have to reread the entire thing with endnotes to really know for sure. Which I'm not about to do at the moment. Maybe I'll go back in a few days and just read the endnotes. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'll go ahead and review the book I read and stop being crabby about its not being the book I could have been reading the whole time. Even without the endnotes, Gill does a wonderful job weaving together a story out of historical sources. She takes accounts with grains of salt and always considers the source. As such, the people of the book feel both real and sympathetic, for the most part. It is very obvious that she did not care much for Albert, though I think her antipathy was mainly justified. Based on the source material presented in the body of the book, it does sound like he was a bit of a patronizing, misogynistic, egocentric prig. That aside, she does her very best to try to see his side of things, and present an accurate reflection of who he was as a man and a Prince Consort.

Victoria fares a bit better: Gill clearly elucidates her less likable and queenly side--her penchant for over-dramatics, her narrow-mindedness, her need to see Albert as perfect--while still presenting her as a very believable, very sympathetic woman. Even if you wouldn't have necessarily wanted her for your friend (or mother-in-law) you are able to acknowledge the wonderful things she was able to accomplish and the difficulties she had to overcome.

My main complaint, other than the endnotes obviously, is that occasionally Gill does not explain herself thoroughly and buzzes past interesting or puzzling points (such as Victoria's bathing machine) without explaining. Possibly everyone else knows what this was, but I certainly didn't and I wanted to hear more. Gill also has a slightly unfortunate habit of making a declarative statement without defining her terms. That is, she'll reference a major historical figure you don't remember her talking about, and, after you get done thumbing through the previous chapter and just decide to power on ahead, you realize she just introduced him (or her) and hasn't gotten around to explaining yet. That sort of thing can work quite well in a skilled hand, and used sparingly, but either Gill wasn't quite skilled enough, or she over-used the trope. She also seemed to be slightly over-fond of the phrase "and so on."

Regardless of its flaws, this was a fascinating, engaging book, with a well-written story and many, wonderful descriptive details and scenes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in British history, or in how the Victorian era shaped the modern one. Or anyone who daydreams, occasionally, of what life would be like if she were a princess or a queen.(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 C. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good book. Very gossipy and fun. Some historic inaccuracies. Takes a few liberties. Did NOT like the family tree placements throughout the book. If one is a first time Victoria/Albert reader they would be lost, as far as whose related to who. Excellent note section. Was compelled to order two books from based on Gill’s note section. Gillian Gill, please write a book on Alexander II.

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May 10, 2010 Camilla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a very good introduction to the lives of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. It is detailed without being oppressive, entertaining while still being informative, and well-researched in addition to being well-written. Pictures and handy family trees scattered through the chapters help the reader understand Gill's points while the informative end notes are an un-looked for but gratifying treat.

My only criticism is that a double biography such as this often has trouble deci

...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The thing I like best about this book is the way Gill is able to very elegantly explain the situation of city-states in Germany after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the reasons why they were so economically backward and why the "nobility" in these city-states were so grasping at the hope of royal marriages elsewhere. This period in history has been my least favorite because of convoluted explanations that simply made to sense to me. Gill also engagingly explains the whole English roya...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Alice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: europe, non-fiction

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Feb 10, 2010 Candace rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gillian Gill's "We Two" is an excellent history that, yes, sorry for the cliche, reads like fiction. There's a lot of interesting stuff to learn from this book. I had always wondered how princes and princesses from these tiny German duchies ended up marrying into nearly all the royal houses of Europe and the answer is easy--there were a lot of them! Since royals can only marry royals, preunited Germany offered lots of royalty even if they were from teeny debt-ridden countries. Who cared if the p...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Adriana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: justread

Gillian did a comprehensive study and examination of what she believes is the first example of the early modern power couple. Her research shows how hard this couple fought not just each other for control of the household, but for the British Court policies as well. It is a fascinating look at how this marriage shaped Britain economically and socially, but how their image has been used and copied by many European courts over the years. Gillian provides enough credible evidence to support her ass...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Lynne-marie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although a well-written biography, the author seemed to make a point of keeping the reader at odds with his subjects. Partly that was becase there were two of them and a triangle is always a bit difficult. What I did like about the book was seeing the push and pull of the personal lives of Victoria and Albert and how she sank into motherhood and Albert's idea of home and family only to appear in all her unopposed glory at his death, with no reference at all to what he would have liked. We tend t...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first book I have ever read on Queen Victoria let along Prince Albert.

In a general sense, I adored reading this book. I am fascinated by the Victorian era and reading this book made me realize (or at least the author made it seem) that if Victoria had not married Prince Albert we would not have the stiff-necked, morally tight Victorian era we know and perhaps love.

I liked that Gill drew comparisons between the childhoods of both Victoria and Albert but perhaps that is where the simil...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book because I watched the movie "The Young Victoria," which I enjoyed. I wanted to learn more about Queen Victoria and Albert, their marriage and life together and to find out how accurate the movie was.

This book is great, well-written and exhaustively researched, with a fairly long section for notes. Ms. Gill does an extraordinary job in exposing the true natures of Victoria and Albert, but she also includes chapters about other members of the Royal Family (the royal children Vicky...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this biography, although I must admit, I tend to love all things related to England's royal past. Gill does a fabulous job discussing the unlikely love story of Queen Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort. Although she seems inclined to favor Victoria when discussing the nature of their relationship, Gill does an admirable job discussing the childhood experiences which may have shaped the misogynist leanings of Albert. As well, Gill explores the childhood experiences of Victoria,...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Kari rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: victorian-culture

It was a striking biography--one of a couple, which makes it interesting in and of itself. Watching some of the equally accurate movie adaptations, the reader begins to feel that much of the information provided in the book is not exactly unknown. That is, a lot of the information doesn't seem to have required serious digging--movie makers seem to know it, too. Also, the last third of the book waned. Gill is quite adept at characterization--that is her true skill as an author. However, once she'...more

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About Gillian Gill

Gillian Gill, who holds a PhD in modern French literature from Cambridge University, has taught at Northeastern, Wellesley, Yale, and Harvard. She is the author of Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale, Agatha Christie: The Woman and Her Mysteries, and Mary Baker Eddy. She lives in suburban Boston.

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