Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe

Deborah Cadbury

PublicAffairs, Nov 14, 2017 - History - 416 pages

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.

About the author

Deborah Cadbury is an award-winning documentary producer for the BBC. Her seven acclaimed books include Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, companion to the BAFTA-nominated BBC series; The Feminization of Nature; The Dinosaur Hunters; The Lost King of France; Space Race; and Chocolate Wars. Before turning to writing full time, she worked for thirty years as a BBC TV producer and executive producer and has won numerous international awards, including an Emmy Award. She lives in London.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe
• Author: Deborah Cadbury
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: PublicAffairs, 2017
• ISBN: 1610398467, 9781610398466
• Length: 416 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Royalty; History / Europe / Great Britain / General; History / Europe / Great Britain / Victorian Era (1837-1901)