Royal Scandals: A Lusty Romp Through the Extramarital Adventures that Rocked the British Monarchy is a compendium of just that: all the famous (and infamous) affairs the English monarchy conducted over the course of a millennium. From Edward II and his shameless promotion of his court favorites, to Henry VIII and his six wives, to Charles II and his many mistresses, to Prince Charles and his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, Leslie Carroll gives us a “tell all” about famous royals’ love lives which is absolutely fascinating to the modern American.Its in her favor that the author isn’t a professional historian; these royal affairs are related with a gossipy tone. However, there’s a caveat to this: some of Carroll’s facts are incorrect. She’s primarily a fiction writer, and she tries too hard at times to adopt the lingo—she’s fond of such terms as “heir and a spare” and “maitresse en titre.” It’s also difficult to credit an author who lists Michael Farquhar’s A Treasury of Royal Scandals as one of her sources. But nonetheless, its clear that Carroll must have done a lot of research in order to write this book, and that she’s really enthusiastic about her subject matter.
Comments