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Queen Victoria #4
The Widow of Windsor
Albert was dead and the Queen, stricken with grief, prepared to spend the rest of her life mourning. Her Government and her family sought to bring her out of seclusion but she was determined to remain the Widow of Windsor.
The years which followed were some of the most momentous in British history, some of the Queen's ministers the most famous. There was the great Palmerston who managed to keep a mocking ascendancy over her; Mr. Gladstone, Grand Old Man and People's William, who prowled the streets at night in an attempt to lead prostitutes back to a life of respectability, and who was no favorite of the Queen, unlike the witty Disraeli, who charmed her completely.
She was surrounded by the colorful members of her family - sons, daughters, their wives and husbands, her grandchildren. There was the censorious Vicky, Crown Princess of Prussia and Empress-to-be who suffered great domestic tragedy; Louise who married outside royalty; Lenchen and baby Beatrice; there was Alfred whose amorous adventures caused his mother such concern and Leopold whose ill health was an even greater anxiety; there was Arthur who had inherited his father's goodness; and above all there was Bertie, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. Suppressed in his father's lifetime he was determined to pursue pleasure for the rest of his life and his passions were racing and fascinating women. His adventures twice brought him into the witness box to give evidence in famous trials which created the scandals of the decade, and brought sorrow and humiliation to Alexandra, whose happy childhood in the Yellow Palace had ill prepared her for life with the gay and charming philanderer whom she discovered her husband to be.
But Queen Victoria at Windsor, Balmoral, Osborne or Buckingham Palace cannot fail to dominate the scene. Her relationship with John Brown, the rough Highlander, gave rise to speculation, but she was impervious to scandal. All the fascinating characters of an unforgettable age rotate about her like planets round the sun; and she remained the great Queen until the moment of her death and the passing of an era.
The years which followed were some of the most momentous in British history, some of the Queen's ministers the most famous. There was the great Palmerston who managed to keep a mocking ascendancy over her; Mr. Gladstone, Grand Old Man and People's William, who prowled the streets at night in an attempt to lead prostitutes back to a life of respectability, and who was no favorite of the Queen, unlike the witty Disraeli, who charmed her completely.
She was surrounded by the colorful members of her family - sons, daughters, their wives and husbands, her grandchildren. There was the censorious Vicky, Crown Princess of Prussia and Empress-to-be who suffered great domestic tragedy; Louise who married outside royalty; Lenchen and baby Beatrice; there was Alfred whose amorous adventures caused his mother such concern and Leopold whose ill health was an even greater anxiety; there was Arthur who had inherited his father's goodness; and above all there was Bertie, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. Suppressed in his father's lifetime he was determined to pursue pleasure for the rest of his life and his passions were racing and fascinating women. His adventures twice brought him into the witness box to give evidence in famous trials which created the scandals of the decade, and brought sorrow and humiliation to Alexandra, whose happy childhood in the Yellow Palace had ill prepared her for life with the gay and charming philanderer whom she discovered her husband to be.
But Queen Victoria at Windsor, Balmoral, Osborne or Buckingham Palace cannot fail to dominate the scene. Her relationship with John Brown, the rough Highlander, gave rise to speculation, but she was impervious to scandal. All the fascinating characters of an unforgettable age rotate about her like planets round the sun; and she remained the great Queen until the moment of her death and the passing of an era.
318 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
15 people are currently reading
764 people want to read
About the author
Jean Plaidy
187 books1,587 followersEleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 8, 2018
The 4th and final book In Jean Plaidy's, Queen Victoria series.
Excellent series that I want to recommend to any of you wanting to learn more about Queen Victoria and her era.
Excellent series that I want to recommend to any of you wanting to learn more about Queen Victoria and her era.
January 9, 2018
First sentence: Mourning hung heavily over Windsor. The Queen was stunned; now and then her tears would cease and she would ask in a bewildered voice: "It's not true? Tell me it's not true. This time last year he was with us. Oh God, how could this be? I always believed we should go together."
Premise/plot: The Widow of Windsor chronicles the last decades of Queen Victoria's life, starting with the death of Prince Albert in 1861 and ending with her own death in 1901. The book does not focus on Queen Victoria alone, but also on her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren. A marginal story line, in fact, despite the misleading book jacket, is the Queen's relationship with Mr. John Brown. Politics is never far from center stage either.
My thoughts: This one is well worth reading despite the melodramatic jacket copy. The good news is that The Widow of Windsor is NOT the book described in the jacket copy. I have taken to reading Plaidy's jacket copy in a certain voice in my head, starting with "Jean Plaidy who is also Victoria Holt." In the matter of The Widow of Windsor, it's dreadful: "She was the Queen. She was a widow. But she was also a woman...." How could you not read that in a melodramatic way?!
I enjoyed reading this one very much. I enjoyed learning more about Bertie (Edward VII) and his wife Alix (Alexandra). Scandal was never far away from the Prince of Wales. The book shows him at his best and worst. Queen Victoria's other children are also very much present in the novel, though not all equally.
Premise/plot: The Widow of Windsor chronicles the last decades of Queen Victoria's life, starting with the death of Prince Albert in 1861 and ending with her own death in 1901. The book does not focus on Queen Victoria alone, but also on her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren. A marginal story line, in fact, despite the misleading book jacket, is the Queen's relationship with Mr. John Brown. Politics is never far from center stage either.
My thoughts: This one is well worth reading despite the melodramatic jacket copy. The good news is that The Widow of Windsor is NOT the book described in the jacket copy. I have taken to reading Plaidy's jacket copy in a certain voice in my head, starting with "Jean Plaidy who is also Victoria Holt." In the matter of The Widow of Windsor, it's dreadful: "She was the Queen. She was a widow. But she was also a woman...." How could you not read that in a melodramatic way?!
I enjoyed reading this one very much. I enjoyed learning more about Bertie (Edward VII) and his wife Alix (Alexandra). Scandal was never far away from the Prince of Wales. The book shows him at his best and worst. Queen Victoria's other children are also very much present in the novel, though not all equally.
October 30, 2022
40 plus years ago I read most of Jean Plaidy novels and have to admit what a joy it was to fall into a good old read. Such a brilliant writer of her times.
I recommend anyone that enjoyed her books or is interested in historical fiction to pick up one of her books and fall back in time.
I recommend anyone that enjoyed her books or is interested in historical fiction to pick up one of her books and fall back in time.
February 26, 2012
"The Widow of Windsor" is the final book in the Victorians series, obviously covering the life of Queen Victoria and her family following the death of the Prince Consort, Prince Albert. It's plain that Victoria never got over the death of her "Sainted One", wearing black every day, even to weddings and state occasions. Not only has Victoria got Albert's death to overcome but her son Bertie, and also Alfred to a degree, are up to no good with their merrymaking and undesirable company; giving the Press plenty to gossip about. Enter John Brown, the Queen's favourite Scottish servant from Balmoral (who seemed to have a more familiar relationship with the Queen than he should), a few Prime Ministers (Gladstone, and Disraeli who seemed to hold a similar position in Victoria's heart as Lord Melbourne did just after she was crowned Queen); and several wars which split the Queen's children as far as loyalties are concerned. There are deaths, marriages, and an uncanny death on the anniversary of Prince Albert's demise.
I have learned a lot from this series of books, and I personally think Jean Plaidy was one of the best authors of this genre. Easy to read, hard to put down, it's a roller coaster ride, which in a way, makes one feel glad one is not Royal!
Highly recommended.
I have learned a lot from this series of books, and I personally think Jean Plaidy was one of the best authors of this genre. Easy to read, hard to put down, it's a roller coaster ride, which in a way, makes one feel glad one is not Royal!
Highly recommended.
August 26, 2025
The events of this book unfold during the second half of the 19th century, in the long shadow cast after the death of Prince Albert. The “widow of Windsor” is, of course, Queen Victoria herself. Having adored her husband with a passion that could rival the most flowery of Victorian novels, she was shattered by his sudden death in 1861. From then on, she dressed in black, avoided society, and ruled the empire from her seclusion — while Britain itself bustled through one of its busiest, noisiest centuries.
But withdrawal from the world doesn’t mean peace. Victoria’s life at Windsor was filled with politics and scandal. Her ministers—Gladstone, stiff and self-righteous, and Disraeli, charming and dramatic—both tried to capture her favour. Her children brought their fair share of headaches: marriages across Europe, illnesses, quarrels, and her eldest son, Bertie, constantly making headlines for all the wrong reasons. And then there was John Brown, her devoted Highland servant, whose closeness to the Queen caused whispers across court corridors.
What didn't I like? Plaidy captures Victoria’s grief and stubborn spirit with elegance, but her portrayal often tilts toward the overly romantic. The Queen is sometimes drawn as saintly, her sorrows a bit too polished, her triumphs a bit too shiny. Historically, Victoria was a complicated, sometimes exasperating woman, but in Plaidy’s version, she floats through the decades like a tragic heroine in eternal mourning. That doesn’t quite line up with the sharp, forceful monarch who commanded her ministers and shaped her age.
And yet — Plaidy’s storytelling is irresistible. The grandeur of Windsor, the endless parade of royal children, and the great names of Victorian politics all come alive in her pages. Once again, her ability to breathe warmth into history’s “marble statues” deserves applause.
But withdrawal from the world doesn’t mean peace. Victoria’s life at Windsor was filled with politics and scandal. Her ministers—Gladstone, stiff and self-righteous, and Disraeli, charming and dramatic—both tried to capture her favour. Her children brought their fair share of headaches: marriages across Europe, illnesses, quarrels, and her eldest son, Bertie, constantly making headlines for all the wrong reasons. And then there was John Brown, her devoted Highland servant, whose closeness to the Queen caused whispers across court corridors.
What didn't I like? Plaidy captures Victoria’s grief and stubborn spirit with elegance, but her portrayal often tilts toward the overly romantic. The Queen is sometimes drawn as saintly, her sorrows a bit too polished, her triumphs a bit too shiny. Historically, Victoria was a complicated, sometimes exasperating woman, but in Plaidy’s version, she floats through the decades like a tragic heroine in eternal mourning. That doesn’t quite line up with the sharp, forceful monarch who commanded her ministers and shaped her age.
And yet — Plaidy’s storytelling is irresistible. The grandeur of Windsor, the endless parade of royal children, and the great names of Victorian politics all come alive in her pages. Once again, her ability to breathe warmth into history’s “marble statues” deserves applause.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2017
I loved Jean Plaidy's book series about Queen Victoria and this final one dealing with the latter years of her life after Albert's death. So much happened during this time period too and loved getting to learn more about her children as they became adults, her relationships with John Brown and Benjamin Disraeli, various other historical people and events, and how her grandchildren would sadly start WWI. Looking forward to checking out Jean's other historical novels now.
October 25, 2021
The Queen was absent for much of this book and it focussed quite a lot on her son Edward. However she was very absent from public life in the first few years after the death of Albert and so the book reflected that
Informative and easy to read but I had to deduct a star due to their being no mention of Abdul
Informative and easy to read but I had to deduct a star due to their being no mention of Abdul
August 11, 2017
Excellent historical fiction; I suspect it lifts so much from diaries and letters that it's barely fictionalized at all.
It really brings to life the historical figures that usually just flit by as names without personalities.
It really brings to life the historical figures that usually just flit by as names without personalities.
August 5, 2019
The widow of Windsor
Jean Plaidy has kept me interested in history and the way she has written this book of four about Victoria and A!bert has kept me fixed to the very end. I recommend Jean Plaidy to anybody who wants to read
Jean Plaidy has kept me interested in history and the way she has written this book of four about Victoria and A!bert has kept me fixed to the very end. I recommend Jean Plaidy to anybody who wants to read
July 24, 2021
3.5 out of 5 stars
This is a good book about Victoria just after her husband Albert has died.. We find out a lot more about Bertie and his wife Ali’s which was very interesting.
This is a good book about Victoria just after her husband Albert has died.. We find out a lot more about Bertie and his wife Ali’s which was very interesting.
April 5, 2021
This covers the years of her reign from the 1860s till her death in 1901.
Synopsis:
Albert was dead and the Queen, stricken with grief, prepared to spend the rest of her life mourning. Her Government and her family sought to bring her out of seclusion but she was determined to remain the Widow of Windsor. The years which followed were some of the most momentous in British history, some of the Queen's ministers the most famous. There was the great Palmerston who managed to keep a mocking ascendancy over her; Mr. Gladstone, Grand Old Man and the People's William (Gladstone), who prowled the streets at night in an attempt to lead prostitutes back to a life of respectability, and who was not a favourite of the Queen, unlike the witty Disraeli, who charmed her completely. She was surrounded by the colourful members of her family --sons, daughters, their wives and husbands, her grandchildren. There was the censorious Vicky, Crown Princess of Prussia and Empress-to-be who suffered great domestic tragedy; Louise who married outside royalty; Lenchen and baby Beatrice; there was Alfred whose amorous adventures caused his mother such concern and Leopold whose ill health was an even greater anxiety; there was Arthur who had inherited his father's goodness; and above all there was Bertie, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. Suppressed in his father's lifetime, he was determined to pursue pleasure for the rest of his life and his passions were racing and fascinating women. His adventures twice brought him into the witness box to give evidence in famous trials which created the scandals of the decade, and brought sorrow and humiliation to Alexandra, whose happy childhood in the Yellow Palace of Denmark had ill prepared her for life with the gay and charming philanderer whom she discovered her husband to be. But, Queen Victoria at Windsor, Balmoral, Osborne or Buckingham Palace cannot fail to dominate the scene. Her relationship with John Brown, the rough Highlander, gave rise to speculation, but she was impervious to scandal. All the fascinating characters of an unforgettable age rotate about her like planets round the sun; she remained the great Queen until the moment of her death and the passing of an era.
Synopsis:
Albert was dead and the Queen, stricken with grief, prepared to spend the rest of her life mourning. Her Government and her family sought to bring her out of seclusion but she was determined to remain the Widow of Windsor. The years which followed were some of the most momentous in British history, some of the Queen's ministers the most famous. There was the great Palmerston who managed to keep a mocking ascendancy over her; Mr. Gladstone, Grand Old Man and the People's William (Gladstone), who prowled the streets at night in an attempt to lead prostitutes back to a life of respectability, and who was not a favourite of the Queen, unlike the witty Disraeli, who charmed her completely. She was surrounded by the colourful members of her family --sons, daughters, their wives and husbands, her grandchildren. There was the censorious Vicky, Crown Princess of Prussia and Empress-to-be who suffered great domestic tragedy; Louise who married outside royalty; Lenchen and baby Beatrice; there was Alfred whose amorous adventures caused his mother such concern and Leopold whose ill health was an even greater anxiety; there was Arthur who had inherited his father's goodness; and above all there was Bertie, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. Suppressed in his father's lifetime, he was determined to pursue pleasure for the rest of his life and his passions were racing and fascinating women. His adventures twice brought him into the witness box to give evidence in famous trials which created the scandals of the decade, and brought sorrow and humiliation to Alexandra, whose happy childhood in the Yellow Palace of Denmark had ill prepared her for life with the gay and charming philanderer whom she discovered her husband to be. But, Queen Victoria at Windsor, Balmoral, Osborne or Buckingham Palace cannot fail to dominate the scene. Her relationship with John Brown, the rough Highlander, gave rise to speculation, but she was impervious to scandal. All the fascinating characters of an unforgettable age rotate about her like planets round the sun; she remained the great Queen until the moment of her death and the passing of an era.
July 27, 2016
This is the first book I have read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I found it very interesting and I learned a tonne about the Royal Family during this time in history. I was intrigued to see people who had been characters in other books I have read, play a role in this book giving a new perspective on the person.
May 26, 2016
This era is never going to be as interesting as plagnets or tudors.
Its one of the sad books where she mourns for albert and everyone passes away. Enjoy that it mentions the children who are now grown up plus the grandchildren but you might neex tissues
Its one of the sad books where she mourns for albert and everyone passes away. Enjoy that it mentions the children who are now grown up plus the grandchildren but you might neex tissues
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2011
I'm done with this author. She needed a good editor!
Read
September 14, 2013so sad
September 17, 2018
Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec The Widow of Windsor?
"Dernier tome de cette saga sur l'un de mes personnages historiques préférés, je l'ai lu directement après le précédent, aussi impatiente de découvrir la suite que d'en finir avec la série je dois dire."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Ce dernier tome retrace la vie de la Reine Victoria et de sa famille, de la mort de son mari Albert jusqu'à son propre décès; le deuil, le pouvoir et les mariages stratégiques de ses nombreux enfants dans toutes les grandes familles d'Europe..."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?
"Jamais je n'aurais pensé qu'un livre pourrait ternir l'image que j'ai de la Reine Victoria et, pire encore, me faire préférer son fils Bertie. Et bien, c'est chose faite. Victoria s'enferme complètement dans son deuil après la mort d'Albert mais heureusement ce tome se concentre également sur ses enfants, leur mariage et leur descendance et en particulier sur les deux aînés, Bertie et Vicky. Cette dernière est assez épouvantable mais entre le rejet de son peuple d'adoption et son fils abominable, elle en sera bien punie. Quant à Bertie, je le découvre très différent de ce à quoi je m'attendais. On commence par le prendre en pitié à cause de la façon dont ses parents le traitent, puis en affection. Il n'est pas parfait mais il aime sa femme, chérit ses enfants et ne prends pas son rôle à la légère. Bon d'accord, il joue, perd des sommes astronomiques, entretient un grand nombre d'actrices mais l'on se rend vite compte que l'on est prêt à tout lui pardonner ou presque. Si la Reine Victoria est presque absente de ce tome comme elle l'a été de la vie publique après la mort de son mari, l'histoire ne manque pas de péripéties et de rebondissements pour autant."
Et comment cela s'est-il fini?
"Même si les différents tomes sont très inégaux, que je n'ai pas aimé certains passages et que j'ai découvert une Victoria bien moins plaisante que ce que je voulais imaginer, j'ai pris plaisir à lire cette saga et j'y ai appris un grand nombre de choses. Je ne regrette pas ma lecture."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
"Dernier tome de cette saga sur l'un de mes personnages historiques préférés, je l'ai lu directement après le précédent, aussi impatiente de découvrir la suite que d'en finir avec la série je dois dire."
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Ce dernier tome retrace la vie de la Reine Victoria et de sa famille, de la mort de son mari Albert jusqu'à son propre décès; le deuil, le pouvoir et les mariages stratégiques de ses nombreux enfants dans toutes les grandes familles d'Europe..."
Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?
"Jamais je n'aurais pensé qu'un livre pourrait ternir l'image que j'ai de la Reine Victoria et, pire encore, me faire préférer son fils Bertie. Et bien, c'est chose faite. Victoria s'enferme complètement dans son deuil après la mort d'Albert mais heureusement ce tome se concentre également sur ses enfants, leur mariage et leur descendance et en particulier sur les deux aînés, Bertie et Vicky. Cette dernière est assez épouvantable mais entre le rejet de son peuple d'adoption et son fils abominable, elle en sera bien punie. Quant à Bertie, je le découvre très différent de ce à quoi je m'attendais. On commence par le prendre en pitié à cause de la façon dont ses parents le traitent, puis en affection. Il n'est pas parfait mais il aime sa femme, chérit ses enfants et ne prends pas son rôle à la légère. Bon d'accord, il joue, perd des sommes astronomiques, entretient un grand nombre d'actrices mais l'on se rend vite compte que l'on est prêt à tout lui pardonner ou presque. Si la Reine Victoria est presque absente de ce tome comme elle l'a été de la vie publique après la mort de son mari, l'histoire ne manque pas de péripéties et de rebondissements pour autant."
Et comment cela s'est-il fini?
"Même si les différents tomes sont très inégaux, que je n'ai pas aimé certains passages et que j'ai découvert une Victoria bien moins plaisante que ce que je voulais imaginer, j'ai pris plaisir à lire cette saga et j'y ai appris un grand nombre de choses. Je ne regrette pas ma lecture."
http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews