Sons, Servants and Statesmen

by John van der Kiste

How was Queen Victoria influenced by her closest male ministers, relatives, advisers and servants? John Van der Kiste is the first to explore this aspect of Victoria's life; focusing on four roles - mentors, family, ministers and servants. A soldier's daughter, Victoria lost her father at the age of eight months. Although her uncle Leopold did his best to be a substitute father, the absence of her real father probably influenced her throughout her life, not least in choosing her husband. Her close and faithful relationship with Albert is one of the great royal love stories but her relationships with her sons were much more stormy. However, with most of her heads of government she enjoyed relatively cordial relations - in widowhood she showed a decided partiality for Disraeli, who acquired for her the title Empress of India, but disliked Gladstone, complaining that he "speaks to me as if I were a public meeting". Queen Victoria's relationships with her servants are also explored, from the liberal influence exerted over the increasingly conservative queen by her private secretary, Ponsonby, to the outspoken John Brown and the Indian Munshi, who both antagonised those around her.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

John Van der Kiste, British author, was born in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, on September 15, 1954, son of Wing Commander Guy Van der Kiste (1912–99). He was educated at Blundell's School, Tiverton, where he briefly formed a rock band Cobweb with fellow pupil Miles Tredinnick, later vocalist with new wave band London and subsequently playwright and scriptwriter, and read Librarianship at Ealing Technical College, where he edited the librarians’ student magazine.
He has worked for several years in public and academic libraries, but is best known as a writer. His first book, Frederick III, appeared in 1981, and since then he has published over twenty historical biographies, as well as books on local history, true crime, rock music, a novel and a play. He is also a contributor to Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Guinness Rockopaedia, and has produced articles on historical, musical and art subjects in national and local journals, including Illustrated London News, Royalty Digest, European Royal History Journal, Best of British, BBC History Magazine, Record Collector, Antique Collector, This England, The Independent, and Gibbons Stamp Monthly. He has reviewed books and records for the press, written CD booklet notes, and between 1991 and 1996 edited the 70s rock fanzine Keep on Rockin.
In 2002 he was a consultant for the BBC TV documentary 'The King, the Kaiser and the Tsar', first screened in January 2003.
He married professional musician and teacher Kim Graham (née Geldard) in 2003 and lives in Devon.

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

An examination of Queen Victoria and her relationships with the men in her life, starting with her father and father-figure uncles, to her prime ministers, ending with her sons and sons-in-law. Van der Kiste's books are really more for introductions to royalty, but they do compile everything in one easy place. He has an easy, confidential writing style, which is mostly why I keep reading them.

This is a good beginning point to learn about the complicated relationships of Victoria's court. Each section is by relationship, the chapters within more by man than chronological order, with the most overlap in the son section. There are some odd editing errors - Vicky and Alice get mixed up a few times, as do Melbourne and Disraeli but it's easy to figure out in context.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by John van der Kiste examines the relationship between Queen Victoria and the men in her life.

It begins with her relationship with her father figures, and trickles down through politicians, servants, and finally her sons/sons-in-law.

The book is well written, though has a couple of minor mistakes, which don't effect the overall value of this most interesting book.

[Roy A. Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The arrangement of this book is ingenious since it allows insights into aspects of the court life not obvious. A picture emerges of the queen as controlling, self-centred and egotistical. Her children survived remarkably sane, but their and others lives were damaged. The book highlights the appalling atmosphere at court, especially after Albert's death.