World of Royalty Blog

This month brought a big crop of new royalty book covers featuring “headless” women. To be specific, by my count: two covers with headless women, two covers with eyeless women, and three covers featuring the backs of women’s heads. (Who on earth finds Queen Elizabeth l’s back more interesting than her face?)

So I think this cover is refreshing:

 

Anastasia’s Secret by Susanne Dunlap is a young adult novel about Grand Duchess Anastasia, one of the daughters of Russia’s last tsar.

As you can see, this cover allows Anastasia to show her face. Of course, that’s not the real Anastasia, but it’s nice that someone took the trouble to make the model look like her. The white dress, pearls, and long hair are all reminiscent of photos of Anastasia and her sisters.

For instance, here’s Anastasia (on the left) and her sister Maria:

 

You can see more pictures of the grand duchesses at Wikimedia Commons. Because they died so young, many of the photos have a haunting quality, and I think the cover of “Anastasia’s Secret” captures a little of that feeling. Well done.

Letter surfaces telling how Queen’s ancestor escaped the marriage from hell

Wendy Moore’s book Wedlock, which tells the true story of the disastrous marriage and remarkable divorce of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore, is available from Amazon.com.

The best-selling royalty books of the first two months of 2010, based on sales made through the Royalty.nu site and its companion blogs:

Notorious Royal Marriages: A Juicy Journey Through Nine Centuries of Dynasty, Destiny, and Desire by Leslie Carroll. A “funny, raucous, and delightfully dirty” 900-year history of European royal marriages.

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir. Examines in detail the motives and intrigues of those who helped to seal the fate of King Henry VIII’s second wife.

The Impossible Bourbons: Europe’s Most Ambitious Dynasty by Oliver Thomson. About the family that won the the crowns of France, Spain, Naples and Sicily.

We Two: Victoria and Albert – Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill. An account of Queen Victoria’s passionate, complicated marriage.

Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens by Kate Emerson. Fiction. Flirtatious, ambitious Nan Bassett tries to reassure Henry VIII of her family’s loyalty. But Nan has a secret that could put her life in jeopardy.

For more books about royalty, visit the Royal Books page!

March is going to be a good month for people who like to read about royalty! Here’s a glimpse of what publishers have in store for us. As always, publication dates are subject to change.

The King’s Smuggler: Jane Whorwood, Secret Agent to Charles I by John Fox. Jane Whorwood spied and smuggled gold for Britain’s King Charles I, organized escape attempts when he was prisoner, and may have had an affair with him.

George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I by Miranda Carter. About King George V of Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.

Jesus Wars: How Four Patriarchs, Three Queens, and Two Emperors Decided What Christians Would Believe for the Next 1,500 Years by John Philip Jenkins. A wide range of beliefs circulated until Roman royalty and church leaders decided to stamp out heresy.

The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage That Forever Changed the Fate of England by Susan Higginbotham. Fiction. Trapped in the Wars of the Roses, one woman finds herself sister to the queen… and traitor to the crown.

Shadow Princess: A Novel by Indu Sundaresan. Indian princess Jahanara and her sister scheme for power over their father’s harem and their country. Third book in a trilogy; the first two books are The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses.

The Queen’s Lover by Vanora Bennett. Fiction. Married to England’s King Heny V as part of a treaty, Catherine de Valois is soon widowed. To save her son and herself, she must turn away from love. (Also published under the title “Blood Royal.”)

Anastasia’s Secret by Susanne Dunlap. Fiction. During the Russian Revolution, romance blooms between Grand Duchess Anastasia and a sympathetic guard. For young adult readers.

For the full list of new royalty books, visit the Royalty.nu New Royal Books page on March 1.

If I could only read one of the books listed above, it would be “The Stolen Crown” because I like author Susan Higginbotham’s blog and regret that I have yet to read any of her books. (I’m finding very little time to read these days.)

Which book would you choose?

When you look at this month’s new books about royalty, which cover jumps out at you and says “buy me”? For me, it’s this one:

 
The Tudors: The Complete Story of England’s Most Notorious Dynasty by G. J. Meyer tells the story of “the sinners and saints, the tragedies and triumphs, the high dreams and dark crimes” of the royal Tudor family.

There isn’t anything particularly innovative about this cover, but I think it’s visually striking, and it makes me want to buy the book even though (heaven knows) I already have plenty of books about the Tudors.

Looking at it more closely, I like the fact that Elizabeth I is shown in front of her father, suggesting that she was more important — I’ll bet that would not have pleased the obsessively son-seeking Henry VIII.

It’s also nice that we can SEE both monarchs’ faces. The only thing missing is one of Henry’s ears. Is it possible that the “headless person” cover fad is finally fading?

Do you like this book cover? Have any other new royal books covers caught your attention this month?

It’s time again for a sneak peek at some of next month’s new books about royal history! You’ll find the full list on the Royalty.nu Royalty Books page on February 1.

The Secret History of the Mongol Queens by Jack Weatherford. How the daughters of Genghis Khan rescued his empire.

Royal Prayers: A Surprising History by David Baldwin. From Queen Hatshepsut to Diana, Princess of Wales, prayers by and for royalty can have immense consequence for the psyche of a nation.

The Tudors: The Complete Story of England’s Most Notorious Dynasty by G. J. Meyer. The sinners and saints, tragedies and triumphs of the Tudor family.

Edward IV and the Wars of the Roses by David Santiuste. The most effective general of the Wars of the Roses, Edward IV died in his bed, undefeated in battle. This book examines his military role.

The Murder of the Romanovs by Andrew Cook. Draws upon new evidence to show that the entire family of Russia’s last tsar was executed, despite claims that some survived.

The Ides: Caesar’s Murder and the War for Rome by Stephen Dando-Collins. Examines the assassination of Julius Caesar and the vicious power struggle that followed.

The Ides of March by Valerio Massimo Manfredi. Fiction. It is March, 44 BC. Enemies are conspiring against Gaius Julius Caesar and it seems nothing can save him, not even his loyal friend, his wife, or his lover.

As always, publication dates are subject to change.

If I could only read one of these books, it would be “The Secret History of the Mongol Queens” because I know little about Genghis Khan and his family. Which book would you choose?

The best-selling royalty books of the last two months of 2009, based on sales made through the Royalty.nu site and its companion blogs:

World Royal Families by Edward Riley, Sandra Forty, and Judith Millidge. Overview of all monarchies since 1900. Includes photos and family trees.

The Impossible Bourbons: Europe’s Most Ambitious Dynasty by Oliver Thomson. About the family that won the the crowns of France, Spain, Naples and Sicily.

In Destiny’s Hands: Five Tragic Rulers, Children of Maria Theresa by Justin C. Vovk. An imperial mother determined to forge alliances through marriage, and the price her children paid for it.

Hidden Treasures of the Romanovs: Saving the Royal Jewels by William Clarke. Biography of Albert Henry Stopford, an aristocratic English art dealer who rescued Romanov jewels during the Russian Revolution. The gems were destined to adorn the rich and famous. Illustrated.

We Two: Victoria and Albert – Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill. An account of Queen Victoria’s passionate, complicated marriage.

For more books about royalty, visit the Royal Books page!

Most of this month’s new books about royalty have run-of-the-mill covers, but there are a few standouts.  The cover of Notorious Royal Marriages by Leslie Carroll is colorful and lively. And — although I am tired of book covers featuring headless women — the cover of Kate Emerson’s novel Between Two Queens is eye-catchingly pretty.

So I’m probably wrong to pick THIS as the best royalty book cover of January 2010, but I can’t help it. It’s just so wonderfully silly:

 

In case you haven’t guessed, Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by A. E. Moorat is a work of fiction. An excerpt from the publisher’s description:

London, 1838. Queen Victoria is crowned; she receives the orb, the scepter, and an arsenal of bloodstained weaponry… But rather than dreams of demon hunting, Queen Victoria’s thoughts are occupied by Prince Albert. Can she dedicate her life to saving her country when her heart belongs elsewhere? With lashings of glistening entrails, decapitations, zombies, and foul demons, this masterly new portrait will give a fresh understanding of a remarkable woman, a legendary monarch, and quite possibly the best demon hunter the world has ever seen.

Oh, Queen Victoria. To think I ever found you boring.

What do you think of this book’s cover — and its concept?

Did I just type that? Have we reached 2010 already? Wow. If that’s what the calendar says, I guess I’ll have to believe it.

So here’s a glimpse at what publishers have in store for royal watchers and royal history fans in the first month of 2010. (Publication dates are subject to change.) For the full list of new royalty books, visit the Royal Books page on January 1.

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir. Examines in detail the motives and intrigues of those who helped to seal the fate of King Henry VIII’s second wife.

Catherine Parr by Elizabeth Norton. Biography of Henry VIII’s sixth wife. Her life was one of duty, but she attempted to escape her destiny and find happiness for herself.

Notorious Royal Marriages: A Juicy Journey Through Nine Centuries of Dynasty, Destiny, and Desire by Leslie Carroll. A “funny, raucous, and delightfully dirty” 900-year history of European royal marriages.

Peter the Great by Derek Wilson. Biography of the ruthless and tyrannical tsar who modernized Russia and created a new Europe.

Horemheb: The Forgotten Pharaoh by Charlotte Booth. Ruling Egypt after Tutankhamun, Horemheb returned the nation to wealth and power.

Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens by Kate Emerson. Fiction. Flirtatious, ambitious Nan Bassett tries to reassure Henry VIII of her family’s loyalty. But Nan has a secret that could put her life in jeopardy.

Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by A. E. Moorat. Fiction (obviously). Queen Victoria’s thoughts are occupied by Prince Albert. Can she dedicate herself hunting demons when her heart belongs elsewhere?

I want to read all of these books, but if I had to limit myself to one, it would have to be the Alison Weir book, although a demon-hunting Queen Victoria is hard to resist. Which book would you choose?

I’m a royal bibliomaniac by Marilyn Braun (of Marilyn’s Royal Blog)