Born to Rule Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria

by Gelardi, Julia P.

• ISBN13: 9780312324247
• ISBN10: 0312324243
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-02-07
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary

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 thetwentieth 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.

Author Biography

Julia Gelardi was born in Manila, Phillipines, 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

Acknowledgments	ix
Dramatis Personae	xi
Simplified Genealogical Table	xvi
Introduction	xix
PART I Sovereigns in the Making: The Formative Years (1869--1901)	1	(90)
More Mother Than Grandmother	3	(11)
``Mad. Never Mind.''	14	(14)
``Gangan''	28	(10)
In Pursuit of Alix	38	(22)
``Maud Could Not Have Done Better''	60	(15)
``Too Painful to Bear''	75	(16)
PART II Trials and Tribulations (1901--1914)	91	(106)
Splendid Isolation	93	(9)
Embattled but Not Defeated	102	(12)
The Facade Crumbles	114	(9)
Destiny Beckons	123	(15)
Baptism of Fire	138	(7)
Norway's English Queen	145	(8)
Revolutionary Fever	153	(9)
``La Reina Hermosa''	162	(11)
``Mamma, Help Me!''	173	(12)
Before the Storm	185	(12)
PART III On the Throne: Disaster and Triumph (1914--1920)	197	(92)
Balkan Cauldron	199	(17)
``Hold My Hand That I May Have Courage''	216	(10)
Neutral North and South	226	(9)
Beleaguered and Betrayed	235	(17)
The Abyss	252	(8)
Death at Ekaterinburg	260	(12)
``Mamma Regina''	272	(17)
PART IV Denouement (1920--1969)	289	(94)
Capitulation Again	291	(14)
``Too Sad''	305	(9)
``I Would Never Leave England''	314	(17)
``I Thought I Had Done Well''	331	(13)
``The God Within Us!''	344	(10)
``I Bless You with My Last Breath''	354	(17)
From Exile to ``Viva la Reina!''	371	(12)
Epilogue	383	(4)
Notes	387	(40)
Bibliography	427	(14)
Index	441

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