Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria
Julia Gelardi's Born to Rule is the powerful epic story of five royal granddaughters of Queen Victoria, who reigned over the end of their empires, the destruction of their families, and the tumult of the twentieth century

Here are the stories of Alexandra, whose faith in Rasputin and tragic end have become the stuff of legend; Marie, the flamboyant and eccentric queen who battled her way through a life of intrigues and was also the mother of two Balkan queens and of the scandalous Carol II of Romania; Victoria Eugenie, Spain's very English queen who, like Alexandra, introduced hemophilia into her husband's family—-with devastating consequences for her marriage; Maud, King Edward VII's daughter, who was independent Norway's reluctant queen; and Sophie, Kaiser Wilhelm II's much maligned sister, daughter of an emperor and herself the mother of no less than three kings and a queen, who ended her days in bitter exile.

Using never before published letters, memoirs, diplomatic documents, secondary sources, and interviews with descendents of the subjects, Julia Gelardi's Born to Rule is an astonishing and memorable work of popular history.

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Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria
Julia Gelardi's Born to Rule is the powerful epic story of five royal granddaughters of Queen Victoria, who reigned over the end of their empires, the destruction of their families, and the tumult of the twentieth century

Here are the stories of Alexandra, whose faith in Rasputin and tragic end have become the stuff of legend; Marie, the flamboyant and eccentric queen who battled her way through a life of intrigues and was also the mother of two Balkan queens and of the scandalous Carol II of Romania; Victoria Eugenie, Spain's very English queen who, like Alexandra, introduced hemophilia into her husband's family—-with devastating consequences for her marriage; Maud, King Edward VII's daughter, who was independent Norway's reluctant queen; and Sophie, Kaiser Wilhelm II's much maligned sister, daughter of an emperor and herself the mother of no less than three kings and a queen, who ended her days in bitter exile.

Using never before published letters, memoirs, diplomatic documents, secondary sources, and interviews with descendents of the subjects, Julia Gelardi's Born to Rule is an astonishing and memorable work of popular history.

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Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria

Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria

by Julia P. Gelardi
Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria

Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria

by Julia P. Gelardi

Paperback(First Edition)

$24.99 
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Overview

Julia Gelardi's Born to Rule is the powerful epic story of five royal granddaughters of Queen Victoria, who reigned over the end of their empires, the destruction of their families, and the tumult of the twentieth century

Here are the stories of Alexandra, whose faith in Rasputin and tragic end have become the stuff of legend; Marie, the flamboyant and eccentric queen who battled her way through a life of intrigues and was also the mother of two Balkan queens and of the scandalous Carol II of Romania; Victoria Eugenie, Spain's very English queen who, like Alexandra, introduced hemophilia into her husband's family—-with devastating consequences for her marriage; Maud, King Edward VII's daughter, who was independent Norway's reluctant queen; and Sophie, Kaiser Wilhelm II's much maligned sister, daughter of an emperor and herself the mother of no less than three kings and a queen, who ended her days in bitter exile.

Using never before published letters, memoirs, diplomatic documents, secondary sources, and interviews with descendents of the subjects, Julia Gelardi's Born to Rule is an astonishing and memorable work of popular history.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780312324247
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date: 02/07/2006
Edition description: First Edition
Pages: 496
Product dimensions: 6.10(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Julia Gelardi was born in Manila, Philippines, and educated in the United States and Canada. An independent historian and author, she lives with her husband and two daughters in Plymouth, Minnesota.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgmentsix
Dramatis Personaexi
Simplified Genealogical Tablexvi
Introductionxix
Part ISovereigns in the Making: The Formative Years (1869-1901)1
1More Mother Than Grandmother3
2"Mad. Never Mind."14
3"Gangan"28
4In Pursuit of Alix38
5"Maud Could Not Have Done Better"60
6"Too Painful to Bear"75
Part IITrials and Tribulations (1901-1914)91
7Splendid Isolation93
8Embattled but Not Defeated102
9The Facade Crumbles114
10Destiny Beckons123
11Baptism of Fire138
12Norway's English Queen145
13Revolutionary Fever153
14"La Reina Hermosa"162
15"Mamma, Help Me!"173
16Before the Storm185
Part IIIOn the Throne: Disaster and Triumph (1914-1920)197
17Balkan Cauldron199
18"Hold My Hand That I May Have Courage"216
19Neutral North and South226
20Beleaguered and Betrayed235
21The Abyss252
22Death at Ekaterinburg260
23"Mamma Regina"272
Part IVDenouement (1920-1969)289
24Capitulation Again291
25"Too Sad"305
26"I Would Never Leave England"314
27"I Thought I Had Done Well"331
28"The God Within Us!"344
29"I Bless You with My Last Breath"354
30From Exile to "Viva la Reina!"371
Epilogue383
Notes387
Bibliography427
Index441
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