The formidable Queen Mary was born Princess Mary of Teck on 26 May 1867 as the eldest child of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge and Prince Francis of Teck, later Duke of Teck, at Kensington Palace. She would be known as May in the family, and after a tragic engagement with Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, that ended with his death, Mary ended up marrying his younger brother, the future King George V.
As the title suggests, Becoming Queen Mary: Volume I: Birth to First Engagement: 1867-1892 covers the future Queen Mary’s early years up to Prince Albert Victor’s death. The book is a rather large paperback, and the size makes it difficult to hold. I am guessing this size was chosen to accommodate the huge amount of photos the book also holds. While these are absolutely wonderful to look at, I wish these would have been put in the centre of the book. The placement of the photos is often awkward and shifts the entire text. The text itself is factual and easy to read, despite quite a few spelling errors. You can clearly see the intense research that has gone into this book, and Queen Mary before she was Queen truly comes alive for you. Despite these criticisms, I do look forward to the next volume(s) as this is truly an excellent addition to any royal library.
Becoming Queen Mary: Volume I: Birth to First Engagement: 1867-1892 by Kori Roff-Lawrence is available now in the US and the UK.
Be the first to comment