Behind the Throne
A Domestic History of the Royal Household
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Published:27th Sep '18
Should be back in stock very soon
From the first Elizabethan age to the second, Britain's monarchs seen through the eyes of those who keep their secrets
Behind the Throne uncovers the reality of five centuries of life at the English court, taking the reader on a remarkable journey from one Queen Elizabeth to another and exploring life as it was lived by clerks and courtiers and clowns and crowned heads: the power struggles and petty rivalries, the tension between duty and desire;
Behind the Throne is, above all, a history of family life.
They ate, entertained their friends and worried about money. Henry VIII kept tripping over his dogs. George II threw his son out of the house. James I had to cut back on the drink bills.
The great difference is that royal families had more help with their lives than most.
Charles I maintained a household of 2,000. Victoria's medical establishment alone consisted of thirty doctors, three dentists and a chiropodist. Even today, Elizabeth II keeps a full-time staff of 1,200.
A royal household was a community, a vast machine. Everyone, from James I's Master of the Horse down to William IV's Assistant Table Decker, was there to smooth the sovereign's path through life while simultaneously confirming their status.
Here, Adrian Tinniswood uncovers the reality of five centuries of life at the English court, taking you on a remarkable journey, exploring life as it was lived by clerks and courtiers and clowns and crowned heads.
Behind the Throne is a true domestic history of the royal household, a reconstruction of life behind the throne.
'The most interesting and informative book on British royalty for many years' Literary Review
This is the most interesting and informative book on British royalty for many years. -- Sarah Bradford * Literary Review *
Behind the Throne, erudite and amusing, bulges with colourful scenes… glorious… a fun, elegant narrative. -- Melanie Reid * The Times *
This book is a cracking read, packed full of stories which Tinniswood relates with verve and wit… Buy this book for Christmas and give it to all your non-republican friends. -- Jane Ridley * Spectator *
Entertaining… superb… history needs anecdote to make us relate to it, something Tinniswood [does] brilliantly. * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *
Adrian Tinniswood’s handsomely producedBehind the Throne is full of such pleasing details, as it takes us on a fascinating snoop into the studies, kitchens and bedrooms of various monarchs from Elizabeth I to the present queen… Tinniswood gets [the tone] just right, never overly deferential, but humorous and distantly respectful… Behind the Throne is a wonderfully entertaining account of life through five centuries of royal households. -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times *
Adrian Tinniswood's juicy new domestic history of the royal household… [is] delicious – as piquant as the green salad with which Edward VIII liked to eat his cold grouse. -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *
Devoted watchers of The Crown will especially enjoy the nimble analysis of both the narcissistic Edward VIII’s brief reign and Princess Margaret’s doomed romance… this enlightening narrative allows the royal family mystique to disappear just a little. * Publishers Weekly *
An intimate and entertaining look at the private lives of monarchs from Elizabeth I to the current occupants of Buckingham Palace… Deft, zesty social history. * Kirkus *
If Downton Abbey showcases a well-oiled machine of domestic efficiency in an English estate, you might think the servants surrounding British monarchs would be held to an even higher standard of discretion and excellence. And, as historian Tinniswood warns, you’d be entirely wrong. The reality, as he explores in this diverting book covering the domestic life at court from Elizabeth to Elizabeth, is both much messier and incredibly interesting… This rare glimpse into royal households reveals the priorities and peculiarities of kings and queens. * Booklist *
Tinniswood retells some of the best-known and best-loved episodes in British royal history… with elegance and wit… [and] based on extensive research. -- Linda Porter * BBC History Magazine *
ISBN: 9781910702826
Dimensions: 239mm x 188mm x 37mm
Weight: 1267g
384 pages