Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages That Shaped Europe - Paperback

by Deborah Cadbury (Author)

A captivating exploration of the role in which Queen Victoria exerted the most international power and influence: as a matchmaking grandmother.
As her reign approached its sixth decade, Queen Victoria's grandchildren numbered over thirty, and to maintain and increase British royal power, she was determined to maneuver them into a series of dynastic marriages with the royal houses of Europe.
Yet for all their apparent obedience, her grandchildren often had plans of their own, fueled by strong wills and romantic hearts. Victoria's matchmaking plans were further complicated by the tumultuous international upheavals of the time: revolution and war were in the air, and kings and queens, princes and princesses were vulnerable targets.
Queen Victoria's Matchmaking travels through the glittering, decadent palaces of Europe from London to Saint Petersburg, weaving in scandals, political machinations and family tensions to enthralling effect. It is at once an intimate portrait of a royal family and an examination of the conflict caused by the marriages the Queen arranged. At the heart of it all is Victoria herself: doting grandmother one moment, determined Queen Empress the next.

Author Biography

Deborah Cadbury is the author of numerous acclaimed books, including The School That Escaped the Nazis, The Dinosaur Hunters, The Lost King of France and Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, for which her accompanying BBC series received a BAFTA nomination. As an executive TV producer, she has won multiple international awards, including an Emmy. She lives in London.