Pamela Hartshorne

As a royalist and a lover of fact-based fiction, The People's Princess was a must-read for me. I really enjoyed this dual timeline story of two Princesses of Wales, one born to the role and the other marrying into it.

The one we all know about is Diana and this book covers the period between her engagement and her wedding day when she was full of excitement to be marrying her prince whilst battling with a sense that her fairytale was not all it was cracked up to be. We all know how it turned show more out and Flora Harding portrays Diana's vulnerability, nerves and innocence very well, weaving together known facts with fictionalised thoughts and conversations.

The other Princess of Wales is Charlotte, daughter of George IV and granddaughter of George III, and as such, she was to be queen one day. Her story begins in 1813 when she is 17 and a suitable diplomatic marriage with a foreign prince is sought for her. She's feisty and knows her own mind and wants to marry for love, not duty. I thought she was such a fascinating and wonderful person and I was pleased at how things turned out for her although, like Diana, her life was not destined to be long and happy.

To link the two narratives, Harding has Diana read Charlotte's diary and she's able to see some parallels between their situations. Charlotte was immensely popular with the public and Diana was already experiencing some of the hysteria that was to surround her life so completely.

I thought this was a splendid read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved reading about the princesses, both the familiar and the unfamiliar (to me). I finished it one night in bed and when I woke the next morning I found I was thinking about the characters and felt sad that I had come to the end of their stories.

Fans of the royals, historical fiction, dual timelines, and fiction based on real people and events will love this one, just as I did. I'm going to read Harding's first royal novel, Before the Crown, and I hope there will be more similar books in the future too. show less

Zodra ik in het boek begon was ik eigenlijk al verkocht, het begint meteen al spooky en het is net als bij Grace of je mee word genomen naar 1575 en dat je daar zelf alles meemaakt.
Bij een film hoor je vaak aan de muziek of het spannend word,maar op één of andere manier voelde ik in dit boek ook die sfeer van spanning.
Het heen en weer van vroeger naar nu zat daarom ook erg goed in elkaar.
Soms heb ik het even weg moeten leggen omdat sommige stukjes je best aangrijpen,ik kan me zo ook wel show more voorstellen waarom vroeger de mensen als heksen werden gezien.
Een boek wat letterlijk wel even rond blijft spoken in mijn hoofd. show less

I do love a good saga and that's what Christmas at Emmerdale is. Although there's obviously a link to the famous soap, this is also just a cracking good story in its own right, so if you're a fan of the soap then great and if not then that's also great.

The story revolves mainly around two women: Maggie Sugden and Rose Haywood. In 1914 Maggie has just married Joe Sugden. A brute of a man, she only married him because her father was ill and, having sold their family home, they needed somewhere show more to go. That somewhere is Emmerdale Farm. Rose is the vicar's daughter, 18 and desperate to have a life away from the overbearing ways of her father.

There are many other characters too, some with recognisable names such as Dingle and Skilbeck. All help to convey that village feel, where everyone knows each other and all the gossip. There's a busybody in Ava Bainbridge, wife of the landlord of the Woolpack Inn and then there's Lord and Lady Miffield of Miffield Hall, whose house is requisitioned as a hospital, not forgetting the other colourful people whose individual stories make up the whole.

The book concentrates around the first year or so of World War One and so many of the menfolk from the village go off to war. It was heartbreaking to read of the casualties - small villages did suffer so badly. Maggie is left to run the farm by herself, a task that nobody thinks she is up to, but they haven't bargained for her tenacity and her hard working nature. I loved Maggie and was absolutely rooting for her all the way through. I also really took to Rose and think she's going to enjoy the next part of her life.

There's a real sense of community, although Maggie has to work to be a part of it. I was moved by the terrible consequences of the war but yet the Yorkshire grit came through and everyone rallied round. Pamela Bell has a lovely warmth to her writing and I didn't want to put this book down. It really was a pleasure to read.

The title of the book mentions Christmas and we do experience an Emmerdale Christmas but it's by no means a book that can only be read at Christmas (just saying in case you want to put it on your Christmas list!). It's a warm, spirited, moving story of the effects of war, life in a small village, friendship, love and loss. Perfect for lovers of the well-known soap and those who have never watched it, I highly recommend having Christmas at Emmerdale this year. Oh, and it's book one in a trilogy and I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on book two, Spring Comes to Emmerdale, to find out what happens to Maggie and Rose next. show less

Historical fiction often addresses figures from centuries past, allowing us to imagine what life was like in King Henry VIII’s court or what would happen if a modern woman traveled back centuries into a sweeping love story. TV shows like Downton Abbey, Victoria, and The Crown capture our imaginations with their tales of British royalty and upper class.

In Before the Crown, Flora Harding tells the story of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s courtship. Since they’re both in their 90’s, show more it’s a refreshing take to meet a teenaged Elizabeth with a crush on Philip, an exiled Greek prince serving in the British navy. They seem like total opposites - a shy, reserved girl and a young man eagerly sowing his wild oats. But each has their own reasons for making a match.

For those two royals, their lives - and future prospects - changed drastically while they were children. Elizabeth suddenly became the heir presumptive when her uncle abdicated and her father unexpectedly ascended to the throne. Philip was born into the line of succession for both Greece and Denmark. He and his family were exiled from Greece when he was an infant.

Philip’s uncle, Lord Mountbatten, knew that marriage to Elizabeth would return Philip to a royal future that had been taken away when he was an infant. Mountbatten was also politically savvy enough to recognize the obstacles that lay in Philip’s path to the throne. Although Philip was a Naval hero, he held Greek and Danish citizenship, not British. Philip fought for Britain, but his much-loved sisters married and were living in Nazi Germany. He was also a young man who enjoyed drinking with his friends and spending time with beautiful women. Could he overcome these obstacles and convince King George VI he was a worthy consort for his daughter?

A royal wedding is never as simple as boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl get married. The prospective spouse is put under a microscope, and any flaws are magnified. Their family is scrutinized. Even politics are examined, since a foreigner from the wrong country could lead to disaster. The closer to the throne, the higher the expectations. Love is not a requirement for a royal coupling but is an unexpected treat if it’s part of the transaction. The fairy tale is not the priority. The expectation is that the heir to the throne marries and tolerates an adequate consort.

A challenge in historical fiction is presenting a story where the reader already knows before opening the book. Philip and Elizabeth get married, so there’s no surprise that they were going to overcome any differences or challenges they faced. Here’s where Before the Crown shines.

The question isn’t whether a royal marriage will happen, but what kind of marriage it will be. How do they really feel about each other? Do their feelings matter? Will they talk about their relationship or just make assumptions? Harding does an excellent job getting into the heads of the couple as they each wrestle with what a marriage would mean to them. She brings her main characters alive by examining their assumptions and insecurities. At times, I wanted to scream “just talk to each other!” A book is frustrating - in the best way - when the reader is invested to that deep of a level.

Historical fiction novels and series like The Crown are popular because they offer a fly-on-the-wall view inside the cocoon of royal life. Before the Crown is an excellent addition for royal watchers.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review. show less