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The Quest for Queen Mary

By: James Pope-Hennessy, Hugo Vickers - editor
Narrated by: Tim Bentinck, Gareth Armstrong
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Publisher's Summary

The highly acclaimed unexpurgated notes taken by James Pope-Hennessy for his official biography of Queen Mary, the present Queen's grandmother. Published in full for the first time and edited by much-admired royal biographer Hugo Vickers.

When James Pope-Hennessy began his work on Queen Mary's official biography, it opened the door to meetings with royalty, court members and retainers around Europe. The series of candid observations, secrets and indiscretions contained in his notes were to be kept private for 50 years. Now published in full for the first time and edited by the highly admired royal biographer Hugo Vickers, this is a riveting, often hilarious portrait of the eccentric aristocracy of a bygone age. 

Giving much greater insight into Queen Mary than the official version, and including sharply observed encounters with, among others, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Duke of Gloucester, and a young Queen Elizabeth, The Quest for Queen Mary is set to be a classic of royal publishing.

©2018 Hugo Vickers (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic Reviews

"A scary portrait of put-upon servants and potty aristos...this is arguably the most riotously funny volume published this year." (Max Hastings, Sunday Times)

"One of the funniest, most eccentric books of the year." (Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday)

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The Quest for Queen Mary

Loved this book!!! A great insight into the somewhat complicated royal family connections in Europe written with a wonderful sense of the ridiculous which had me laughing quite a bit. I would only recommend this to people with a fair bit of basic knowledge of European royalty though. I learned a lot about Queen Mary, cleverly woven into the author’s travels as he talked to many of her contemporaries.

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More about the royal court than Queen Mary..

The narration was too animated and the female narrater wasn't needed. not enjoyable. too much about the court and not enough about Quyen Mary.

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