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People: The Royals Revised and Updated: Their Lives, Loves and Secrets
Once upon a time . . .
Diana dazzled, Grace glowed, and there were many happily--and unhappily--ever afters. Now People takes you inside the lives of the world's royals--at home, at play and up close and personal. Here in this gorgeous celebration of all things regal are those unforgettable weddings, shocking scandals, and dashing heirs to gilded thrones.
Diana dazzled, Grace glowed, and there were many happily--and unhappily--ever afters. Now People takes you inside the lives of the world's royals--at home, at play and up close and personal. Here in this gorgeous celebration of all things regal are those unforgettable weddings, shocking scandals, and dashing heirs to gilded thrones.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2007
2 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 21, 2018
My sister had been reading this, and passed it to me after she was done reading, which was the day of the wedding.
I woke up ten past 5am to watch the wedding when it aired, and it was so magical and romantic. I'm glad that I could start this on the same day.
I love the line that the royals will forever represent the glory days of the British empire.
I love the picture of Wallis Simpson and Edward III sitting in chairs with their heads turned, looking at each other. I would love to do a reenactment of that photo!
I really didn't like that a friend of the Duchess of Windsor--Wallace Simpson--bought the Prince of Wales brooch. Rumor had it Charles was trying to bid on it for Diana.
The queens handbags reportedly being used to send coded messages to staff was shocking! If the purse dangles from her left arm all is well. If the Queen switched her handbag to the right it means she's bored with the person talking to her and needs rescuing. I heard on Today's coverage of the royal wedding that if the queen moves the purse to the other arm it means she's ready to leave, and her guards will take her out of there.
I found it very interesting that the people that made Dorothy's red shoes started making shoes for the Queen.
I thought it was sweet Harry and Chelsey had matching bracelets.
I didn't know the Queen and Philip were distant cousins. I loved that Prince Philip bought Elizabeth a present for their anniversary, a bracelet with entwined E's and P's.
I thought it was sweet Grace Kelly put a penny in her shoe for luck.
When Prince Rainier III was asked if he would remarry he said how could I? Everywhere I look, I see Grace.
After her death Monaco and the Prince were never the same.
Before the wedding of Grace Kelly and Rainier she sailed to Monaco's harbor and was greeted by the Prince who sailed out to her.
He gifted her with the yacht Deo Juvante II.
King Hussein of Jordan called Lisa Halaby, his wife, Queen Noor al-Hussein, the "light of Hussein."
When he died she said "we are still making the journey together."
I liked, as with Prince Philip, they cut the cake with a sword. It was cute in the picture, she had the sword, and he was guiding the top of it. They had trouble cutting it because no one told them the bottom was cardboard!
I had never heard before,& found it sad that there was a diamond and gold clover for luck on Diana's dress, because of how her marriage ended up turning out.
William asked for Diana's ring for a keepsake after she died.
At Windsor, footmen and underbutlers greet and serve guests, housekeepers unpack and repack their suitcases, and castle "fendersmiths" stoke the fireplaces.
Visitors can see Balmoral April through July. I was shocked that they opened it to the public; I would love to go there!
William would take Kate to Tom-na-Gaidh, a remote cottage on the grounds. Prince Philip proposed to the Queen at the estate in 1946.
I couldn't believe there's a Royal Train. It's the most expensive mode of travel.
It's amazing the royals can give their royal warrants to companies, like the queen with Land Rover.
In King Edward III's abdication letter he said 'I, Edward the eighth, of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Enperir of India." For some reason beyond the seas reminded me of Narnia.
By the time Edward visited Hitler the royal family's German roots were already a source of suspicion. I had never heard before that they had German roots. That explains the recent results of 23 and me for me, because I found out I had German ancestry, and I wasn't expecting that at all.
The yaht Prince Rainier gave to Grace came from Aristotle Onassis (who married Jackie Kennedy. I was surprised that wasn't mentioned in here).
The queen's yacht Britannia, that Charles and Diana honeymooned on, retired in 1997. A door connected the queen'a bedroom to Philip's quarters. I couldn't believe how plain her room was. When the costs of upkeep forced the yacht out of commission, the Queen was emotional when she said with great sadness they had to say bye to it.
Diana frequently played the piano in the drawing room.
Polo is actually a sport of Persian ancestry, and the British picked it up from India in the 19th century.
I liked hearing Grace's grandchildren, how one was a soccer player.
Diana would take William to movies and amusement parks. He later said he had such a normal childhood. That made him have an invaluable asset for a king-to-be, the common touch. I like hearing about his feelings toward his childhood, because you never really do. I'm sure he's appreciative for the way Diana raised him.
William looked attractive on pg 135 at age 15!
William said he didn't want to marry until at least 28, but he's dated Kate since they shared an apartment in college.
He's said sometimes he does get anxious about being king, but he doesn't really worry a lot. I found that endearing and I felt empathy for him. I never knew he was nervous about being king.
He said Charles was very protective of him, which I was surprised to learn. I wouldn't have imagined that at all.
Harry was more interested in rugby and other sports than studying, and he was also interested in art.
Before reading, I thought this would only cover the British royals, so I was surprised it covered basically every royal in the world. At first I didn't like that, but I ended up liking some other stories, like Grace and Prince Rainier, and King Hussien and Lisa Halaby. It was interesting to hear of other romantic stories, and that more exist besides Queen Elizabeth and Philip, and Harry and Meghan.
I loved looking at all the pictures, and that there was info to go along with them. It wasn't just a picture book, it's also a way to learn more about royals around the world.
I woke up ten past 5am to watch the wedding when it aired, and it was so magical and romantic. I'm glad that I could start this on the same day.
I love the line that the royals will forever represent the glory days of the British empire.
I love the picture of Wallis Simpson and Edward III sitting in chairs with their heads turned, looking at each other. I would love to do a reenactment of that photo!
I really didn't like that a friend of the Duchess of Windsor--Wallace Simpson--bought the Prince of Wales brooch. Rumor had it Charles was trying to bid on it for Diana.
The queens handbags reportedly being used to send coded messages to staff was shocking! If the purse dangles from her left arm all is well. If the Queen switched her handbag to the right it means she's bored with the person talking to her and needs rescuing. I heard on Today's coverage of the royal wedding that if the queen moves the purse to the other arm it means she's ready to leave, and her guards will take her out of there.
I found it very interesting that the people that made Dorothy's red shoes started making shoes for the Queen.
I thought it was sweet Harry and Chelsey had matching bracelets.
I didn't know the Queen and Philip were distant cousins. I loved that Prince Philip bought Elizabeth a present for their anniversary, a bracelet with entwined E's and P's.
I thought it was sweet Grace Kelly put a penny in her shoe for luck.
When Prince Rainier III was asked if he would remarry he said how could I? Everywhere I look, I see Grace.
After her death Monaco and the Prince were never the same.
Before the wedding of Grace Kelly and Rainier she sailed to Monaco's harbor and was greeted by the Prince who sailed out to her.
He gifted her with the yacht Deo Juvante II.
King Hussein of Jordan called Lisa Halaby, his wife, Queen Noor al-Hussein, the "light of Hussein."
When he died she said "we are still making the journey together."
I liked, as with Prince Philip, they cut the cake with a sword. It was cute in the picture, she had the sword, and he was guiding the top of it. They had trouble cutting it because no one told them the bottom was cardboard!
I had never heard before,& found it sad that there was a diamond and gold clover for luck on Diana's dress, because of how her marriage ended up turning out.
William asked for Diana's ring for a keepsake after she died.
At Windsor, footmen and underbutlers greet and serve guests, housekeepers unpack and repack their suitcases, and castle "fendersmiths" stoke the fireplaces.
Visitors can see Balmoral April through July. I was shocked that they opened it to the public; I would love to go there!
William would take Kate to Tom-na-Gaidh, a remote cottage on the grounds. Prince Philip proposed to the Queen at the estate in 1946.
I couldn't believe there's a Royal Train. It's the most expensive mode of travel.
It's amazing the royals can give their royal warrants to companies, like the queen with Land Rover.
In King Edward III's abdication letter he said 'I, Edward the eighth, of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Enperir of India." For some reason beyond the seas reminded me of Narnia.
By the time Edward visited Hitler the royal family's German roots were already a source of suspicion. I had never heard before that they had German roots. That explains the recent results of 23 and me for me, because I found out I had German ancestry, and I wasn't expecting that at all.
The yaht Prince Rainier gave to Grace came from Aristotle Onassis (who married Jackie Kennedy. I was surprised that wasn't mentioned in here).
The queen's yacht Britannia, that Charles and Diana honeymooned on, retired in 1997. A door connected the queen'a bedroom to Philip's quarters. I couldn't believe how plain her room was. When the costs of upkeep forced the yacht out of commission, the Queen was emotional when she said with great sadness they had to say bye to it.
Diana frequently played the piano in the drawing room.
Polo is actually a sport of Persian ancestry, and the British picked it up from India in the 19th century.
I liked hearing Grace's grandchildren, how one was a soccer player.
Diana would take William to movies and amusement parks. He later said he had such a normal childhood. That made him have an invaluable asset for a king-to-be, the common touch. I like hearing about his feelings toward his childhood, because you never really do. I'm sure he's appreciative for the way Diana raised him.
William looked attractive on pg 135 at age 15!
William said he didn't want to marry until at least 28, but he's dated Kate since they shared an apartment in college.
He's said sometimes he does get anxious about being king, but he doesn't really worry a lot. I found that endearing and I felt empathy for him. I never knew he was nervous about being king.
He said Charles was very protective of him, which I was surprised to learn. I wouldn't have imagined that at all.
Harry was more interested in rugby and other sports than studying, and he was also interested in art.
Before reading, I thought this would only cover the British royals, so I was surprised it covered basically every royal in the world. At first I didn't like that, but I ended up liking some other stories, like Grace and Prince Rainier, and King Hussien and Lisa Halaby. It was interesting to hear of other romantic stories, and that more exist besides Queen Elizabeth and Philip, and Harry and Meghan.
I loved looking at all the pictures, and that there was info to go along with them. It wasn't just a picture book, it's also a way to learn more about royals around the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2018
Since learning about Diana a couple years ago, I became interested in the royal family. I saw this at my library's bookstore and grabbed it up, and since Harry's and Meghan's wedding was coming up, this was the perfect time to read it.
The cover led me to believe that this was about William, Harry, Diana and the immediate family, so I was surprised to learn that this was about other royals too.
So interesting that Japanese emperors were said to descend from gods.
I've heard about Henry VIII abdicating the throne for Wallis Simpson out of love and that's so romantic. I don't think I knew that they were given the title of Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I was turned off by her statements though, that woman can't be too rich or too thin, and that she has to dress better than everyone else. She said it's because she's nothing to look at, but that didn't make it okay to want to be better than someone else.
I loved the picture of them sitting beside each other in chairs, him straddling his.
I had heard of Grace Kelly marrying the prince of Monaco. Grace Kelly became Princess Grace and was referred to as Her Serene Highness.
I really liked the mention of Sting being so wowed by Diana's dress in Australia that he serenaded her with his song "Every Breath You Take."
I liked hearing the small details about Queen Elizabeth. She wants to be easily seen in a crowd, but not as aloof or too above the people, so she does that by wearing a hat. The qualifications are that it has to stand out, can't hide her face, and has to be able to stay on. British betting parlors take bets on what color hat she'll wear for the Ladies Day at Ascot.
It's nice that she believes in dressing for the occasion. She thinks chic clothes are cold and cruel and she wants to appear friendly to the people who are mostly middle class. It's nice she thinks about things like that.
It was really interesting her purses are reportedly used as code to her staff. If her purse hangs from her left hand everything's okay, but if it's in her right hand then she's bored with the person she's talking to and needs rescuing. I wondered if that was true!
Rania seems really nice, I liked that she said style is more about your disposition, strength of character and kindness in your heart.
It was unexpected to read that Queen Elizabeth said Philip has been her strength and stay and she owes him a debt greater than he'd claim. I didn't expect that kind of emotion from her.
Their wedding cake had sugar replicas of the royal residences and that's such a cool idea.
It's amazing Winston Churchill spoke of Elizabeth and said they couldn't have found anyone on the globe better suited for the role.
Grace Kelly seems nice and a person and her love story one of the most interesting. She didn't think her life was a fairytale. He proposed after 2 weeks. She said she was swept off her feet, and that she barely knew him and didn't know what would happen. I can't imagine a whirlwind romance like that. It was so sad that Prince Rainier was never the same after her death, and when someone asked if he would remarry he said "How could I? Everywhere I go, I see Grace."
A friend said that Grace had said she met her prince and the woman thought it was just a saying, until she found out he really was a prince. She had a penny inside one shoe at her wedding for luck.
She traveled to Monaco on a cruise liner and Rainier sailed out to meet her when she arrived. The wedding cake had Monacan and American flags on it. His wedding gift to her was a ship which they sailed on during their honeymoon.
I had never heard of King Hussein of Jordan or his 26 year old American bride. I thought it was really cool how he named her the light of Hussein. They had a pet camel which was also cool.
She had to agree to a dowry, and only men could attend the ceremony, so she was the only woman there. They didn't exchange rings but clasped hands.
For Diana and Charles' wedding Britain had fireworks and bonfires.
I was surprised that Diana was related to more royals than the Windsors.
Her dress had a diamond-studded golden horseshoe sewn into the waistband for good luck.
William asked for her wedding ring after she died. I wanted more details like that.
Diana got her tiara put on while she was in jeans watching TV. She shooed anyone away that got in front of the screen because she was watching herself on it. When Diana messed up the name, Prince Andrew said she'd married his dad.
Charles' grandma teared up and Queen Elizabeth smiled.
It's so romantic that Edward VIII said he felt it was impossible to carry out his kingly duties as he'd want to without the help and support of the woman he loves. He said Wallis promised she'd bring something into his life that wasn't there and he felt he'd be more creative and useful with her.
It was a surprise that Charles and the boys played in charity polo matched and Charles raised around $20 million dollars from polo benefits.
It's so cute Diana nicknamed William "Wills" and Charles called him Willie the Wombat.
William was asked if he wanted to be king, and he said it isn't about wanting it, it's his duty. He doesn't worry about it, but sometimes he does get anxious. William said Charles is very protective of him.
The cover led me to believe that this was about William, Harry, Diana and the immediate family, so I was surprised to learn that this was about other royals too.
So interesting that Japanese emperors were said to descend from gods.
I've heard about Henry VIII abdicating the throne for Wallis Simpson out of love and that's so romantic. I don't think I knew that they were given the title of Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I was turned off by her statements though, that woman can't be too rich or too thin, and that she has to dress better than everyone else. She said it's because she's nothing to look at, but that didn't make it okay to want to be better than someone else.
I loved the picture of them sitting beside each other in chairs, him straddling his.
I had heard of Grace Kelly marrying the prince of Monaco. Grace Kelly became Princess Grace and was referred to as Her Serene Highness.
I really liked the mention of Sting being so wowed by Diana's dress in Australia that he serenaded her with his song "Every Breath You Take."
I liked hearing the small details about Queen Elizabeth. She wants to be easily seen in a crowd, but not as aloof or too above the people, so she does that by wearing a hat. The qualifications are that it has to stand out, can't hide her face, and has to be able to stay on. British betting parlors take bets on what color hat she'll wear for the Ladies Day at Ascot.
It's nice that she believes in dressing for the occasion. She thinks chic clothes are cold and cruel and she wants to appear friendly to the people who are mostly middle class. It's nice she thinks about things like that.
It was really interesting her purses are reportedly used as code to her staff. If her purse hangs from her left hand everything's okay, but if it's in her right hand then she's bored with the person she's talking to and needs rescuing. I wondered if that was true!
Rania seems really nice, I liked that she said style is more about your disposition, strength of character and kindness in your heart.
It was unexpected to read that Queen Elizabeth said Philip has been her strength and stay and she owes him a debt greater than he'd claim. I didn't expect that kind of emotion from her.
Their wedding cake had sugar replicas of the royal residences and that's such a cool idea.
It's amazing Winston Churchill spoke of Elizabeth and said they couldn't have found anyone on the globe better suited for the role.
Grace Kelly seems nice and a person and her love story one of the most interesting. She didn't think her life was a fairytale. He proposed after 2 weeks. She said she was swept off her feet, and that she barely knew him and didn't know what would happen. I can't imagine a whirlwind romance like that. It was so sad that Prince Rainier was never the same after her death, and when someone asked if he would remarry he said "How could I? Everywhere I go, I see Grace."
A friend said that Grace had said she met her prince and the woman thought it was just a saying, until she found out he really was a prince. She had a penny inside one shoe at her wedding for luck.
She traveled to Monaco on a cruise liner and Rainier sailed out to meet her when she arrived. The wedding cake had Monacan and American flags on it. His wedding gift to her was a ship which they sailed on during their honeymoon.
I had never heard of King Hussein of Jordan or his 26 year old American bride. I thought it was really cool how he named her the light of Hussein. They had a pet camel which was also cool.
She had to agree to a dowry, and only men could attend the ceremony, so she was the only woman there. They didn't exchange rings but clasped hands.
For Diana and Charles' wedding Britain had fireworks and bonfires.
I was surprised that Diana was related to more royals than the Windsors.
Her dress had a diamond-studded golden horseshoe sewn into the waistband for good luck.
William asked for her wedding ring after she died. I wanted more details like that.
Diana got her tiara put on while she was in jeans watching TV. She shooed anyone away that got in front of the screen because she was watching herself on it. When Diana messed up the name, Prince Andrew said she'd married his dad.
Charles' grandma teared up and Queen Elizabeth smiled.
It's so romantic that Edward VIII said he felt it was impossible to carry out his kingly duties as he'd want to without the help and support of the woman he loves. He said Wallis promised she'd bring something into his life that wasn't there and he felt he'd be more creative and useful with her.
It was a surprise that Charles and the boys played in charity polo matched and Charles raised around $20 million dollars from polo benefits.
It's so cute Diana nicknamed William "Wills" and Charles called him Willie the Wombat.
William was asked if he wanted to be king, and he said it isn't about wanting it, it's his duty. He doesn't worry about it, but sometimes he does get anxious. William said Charles is very protective of him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2017
A quick read with beautiful pictures throughout the book.
September 1, 2024
Gift from my son.... decent read
January 26, 2026
the dust jacket sells the hardcover...
November 12, 2016
Great Book. I loved learning about the Royal Family. I would recommend it.
December 27, 2011
I love anything to do with royals. I am fascinated with especially the British monarchy. So this book was something that I snatched up when I saw it (ironically) at the dollar store. Yes, the version I got is a year old, republished in 2010 with Kate Middleton upgrades (so there is speculation about a royal wedding but none confirmed in this edition), but it is still fascinating. I enjoyed reading about all the different royals (who knew so many countries still had royalty!), houses and jewels. Reading this made me remember how much I used to dream about marrying a real prince myself. But I don't think I could live under a microscope as they do.
October 29, 2014
Ever wondered what happened to Queen Victoria's descendants? or what became of Grace Kelly's Children and Grandchildren or do you want to know the truth behind all the lies and secrets behind the Gossips headlined in various Tabloids that forever shook history? Then i guess that you should date this book. An Update to all the beloved royal families around the world that you don't even know existed from the Windsors, to the Grimaldi, to the Magnificent Queen Rania, and behind the palace walls everything that you want to know is in this majestic magazine dedicated to ultimate royal fans like me! so save the date and enjoy your trip.
May 24, 2010
This is like a brief modern history of a few royal familes (mostly England and Monaco) with all the boring parts removed, and the fun, sexy, and scandalous parts ramped up. Mostly photographs and captions. High school textbooks could learn something from this format. And wait until you see the pictures of the crown jewels. Good stuff.
June 27, 2013
I'm not sure what the Royal Families have that other famous families don't. Somehow, most of the human population are obsessed with them.
I'm one of those who enjoy reading about the monarchs - their history, lives, loves, secrets, fashion, hats and jewelry. This has amazing pictures about most of the things I've mentioned. The stories are also interesting.
I'm one of those who enjoy reading about the monarchs - their history, lives, loves, secrets, fashion, hats and jewelry. This has amazing pictures about most of the things I've mentioned. The stories are also interesting.
May 6, 2010
The title was racier than the book; there is little new in the book about royal families --mostly those in Great Britain--but it is a nice collection of photographs extending to the youngest generation.
December 14, 2008
this was a great book about every royal family, i enjoyed it.
September 10, 2012
Beautiful pictures and a great overview of not only the British Royal family but other Royal families from around the world.
April 16, 2013
It's just a quick magazine look at the royals (British mainly)
March 29, 2014
Loved, loved,loved this book. Wish it was longer and more detailed, though, but anyway, it was great seeing photos and stories about all these royals.
March 10, 2014
Received as a gift. Read through the book twice. I loved it and will find useful for reference.
June 3, 2007
I love celebrity gossip - Lots of pictures: Weddings, jewelry, etc...
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July 10, 2008941.08
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews