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Princess in Amber
Dominated by her mother's overprotectiveness, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Beatrice, lived isolated and lonely until she fell in love with handsome Prince Henry of Battenberg
298 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 22, 2020
The year is 1882. Queen Victoria currently has seven adult children still living-all but one grown and married off to the various crown heads of Europe. The youngest daughter, Beatrice, called "Baby" (this book was published in 1985, two years before "Dirty Dancing" hit the theaters) has been her mother's right-hand personal assistant since she was sixteen. But shy, quiet, Princess Beatrice is now twenty-five, and doomed to spinsterhood if someone doesn't do something soon, as her doting older (hemophiliac) brother Leopold reminds the Queen Mother. He then excuses himself to his little sister's suite of rooms in the palace.
This is where the title of the book comes from: years ago, before he died, their beloved father, Albert, used to take out his collection of fossils to show his children. Beatrice remembers. One of their favorite pieces was a prehistoric fly, embedded in amber. Leo says she is like that fly, a princess trapped in amber, waiting to be set free so she can become her own person. She used to be such a happy child, always making jokes, now she is deadly serious and earnest-afraid to do anything without the Queen’s approval. What is to become of her? Tears run down Beatrice’s cheeks. Softly she accuses him of bullying her. He apologizes and takes his leave.
Until Beatrice finally meets the man she will marry, Prince Henry of Battenberg, (and it takes MONTHS before Victoria finally gives her consent) the rest of the book is very much like that opening scene in chapter one. Beatrice lacks any strength of will or character-forever subject to the formidable, unbending will, of mother-knows-best, Queen Victoria.
Henry and Beatrice's marriage is rocky at times for he has a wandering eye, yet remains loyal in his duty to both his adoptive country and family. He tolerates his mother-in-law and does his best to be an affectionate father towards the four children Beatrice bears him during the nine years of their marriage. Then he dies and the book is pretty much over. (Sorry for the spoiler)
Twenty chapters, 298 pages of dense (albeit well researched, I'll give the author some credit there) text which the reader may struggle to get through. Life at court is hardly romantic, hardly "Downtown Abbey" or even "Victoria" and in such a large royal family, with many names to keep track of, the reader may also become confused. There's a three page family chart at the beginning of the novel, but the print is very small and hard to follow all the royal lines of what will become the House of Windsor. The narrative is crammed with historical facts with the plot feeling shoehorned in at times.
This is pure historical fiction and only worth reading if you are a fan of the English Monarchs and all the political gossip and scandals and wars taking place during this time. I had to request this as an inter-library loan from my local county library system (Thanks Davis County Library!). I first read this as a young teen in high school in the early 90's having found it in my small town library in Southern Utah (I did a book report on it for sophomore English class!) and had forgotten all about it until recently when I watched Season One of "Victoria" and would not recommend it for any reader older than eighteen. While there is no swearing or violence, the sexual innuendo hinted at in the author's otherwise squeaky-clean narrative would not be appropriate for younger readers. It is not surprising this author never went on to publish anything else worth reading.
This is where the title of the book comes from: years ago, before he died, their beloved father, Albert, used to take out his collection of fossils to show his children. Beatrice remembers. One of their favorite pieces was a prehistoric fly, embedded in amber. Leo says she is like that fly, a princess trapped in amber, waiting to be set free so she can become her own person. She used to be such a happy child, always making jokes, now she is deadly serious and earnest-afraid to do anything without the Queen’s approval. What is to become of her? Tears run down Beatrice’s cheeks. Softly she accuses him of bullying her. He apologizes and takes his leave.
Until Beatrice finally meets the man she will marry, Prince Henry of Battenberg, (and it takes MONTHS before Victoria finally gives her consent) the rest of the book is very much like that opening scene in chapter one. Beatrice lacks any strength of will or character-forever subject to the formidable, unbending will, of mother-knows-best, Queen Victoria.
Henry and Beatrice's marriage is rocky at times for he has a wandering eye, yet remains loyal in his duty to both his adoptive country and family. He tolerates his mother-in-law and does his best to be an affectionate father towards the four children Beatrice bears him during the nine years of their marriage. Then he dies and the book is pretty much over. (Sorry for the spoiler)
Twenty chapters, 298 pages of dense (albeit well researched, I'll give the author some credit there) text which the reader may struggle to get through. Life at court is hardly romantic, hardly "Downtown Abbey" or even "Victoria" and in such a large royal family, with many names to keep track of, the reader may also become confused. There's a three page family chart at the beginning of the novel, but the print is very small and hard to follow all the royal lines of what will become the House of Windsor. The narrative is crammed with historical facts with the plot feeling shoehorned in at times.
This is pure historical fiction and only worth reading if you are a fan of the English Monarchs and all the political gossip and scandals and wars taking place during this time. I had to request this as an inter-library loan from my local county library system (Thanks Davis County Library!). I first read this as a young teen in high school in the early 90's having found it in my small town library in Southern Utah (I did a book report on it for sophomore English class!) and had forgotten all about it until recently when I watched Season One of "Victoria" and would not recommend it for any reader older than eighteen. While there is no swearing or violence, the sexual innuendo hinted at in the author's otherwise squeaky-clean narrative would not be appropriate for younger readers. It is not surprising this author never went on to publish anything else worth reading.
August 21, 2007
pretty adult
June 22, 2016
A good read. Excellent prose, sometime superlative. Solid story line.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews