Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts, Granddaughters of Queen Victoria » (Reprint)

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.

A groundbreaking biography of the granddaughters of Queen Victoria, including the tragic Tsarina Alexandra and Queen Marie of Romania, written in the tradition of Hannah Pakula's THE LAST ROMANTIC and our own Jerrold Packard's VICTORIA'S DAUGHTERS.

Library Journal

Of Queen Victoria's numerous descendents, her five granddaughters ruled the royal roosts of many European countries for decades. While much has been written about the tragic, misunderstood Alexandra of Russia, assassinated with her unfortunate family in 1918, and about that groundbreaking free spirit, Marie of Romania, independent scholar Gelardi gives equal due to the other three granddaughters. It is a delight to delve into the lives of Sophie of Greece, Maud of Norway, and Victoria Eugenie of Spain while also revisiting the better-known women. All five granddaughters lived through the Great War, some even participating in it, which brought them a newfound awareness of the common people. In her engaging and lively book, Gelardi makes real the tragedies that befell Alexandra and Sophie, and the more mundane yet exalted lives of the others. Their well-told adventures make the recent escapades of the Windsors pale in comparison. Including a handy genealogical chart, this is highly recommended for public, academic, and libraries specializing in European history.-Gail Benjafield, St. Catharines P.L., Ont. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.