Royal Romances: Titillating Tales of Passion and Power in the Palaces of Europe
More breathtaking than any fairy tale, here are seven scandalous, seductive centuries of all-for-love royal desire . . .

Elegant palaces, dazzling power plays, shimmering jewels, and the grandest of all-or-nothing gambles—nothing can top real-life love among the royalty. Louis XIV defied God and law, permitting his married mistress Madame de Montespan to usurp the role of Queen of France, then secretly wed her successor, Madame de Maintenon. Grigory Potemkin was a worthy equal in Catherine the Great’s bed as well as in Russia’s political arena. Dashing Count Axel von Fersen risked everything to save Marie Antoinette’s life more than once—and may have returned her passion. The unshakable devotion of the beloved late “Queen Mum” helped King George VI triumph over his, and England’s, darkest hours. And the unpretentious, timelessly glamorous—even relatable—union of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton continues to enthrall the world.

Full of marvelous tales, unforgettable scandals, and bedazzled nobles who refused to rule their hearts, this delightfully insightful book is what the sweetest royal dreams are made of...
1111394677
Royal Romances: Titillating Tales of Passion and Power in the Palaces of Europe
More breathtaking than any fairy tale, here are seven scandalous, seductive centuries of all-for-love royal desire . . .

Elegant palaces, dazzling power plays, shimmering jewels, and the grandest of all-or-nothing gambles—nothing can top real-life love among the royalty. Louis XIV defied God and law, permitting his married mistress Madame de Montespan to usurp the role of Queen of France, then secretly wed her successor, Madame de Maintenon. Grigory Potemkin was a worthy equal in Catherine the Great’s bed as well as in Russia’s political arena. Dashing Count Axel von Fersen risked everything to save Marie Antoinette’s life more than once—and may have returned her passion. The unshakable devotion of the beloved late “Queen Mum” helped King George VI triumph over his, and England’s, darkest hours. And the unpretentious, timelessly glamorous—even relatable—union of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton continues to enthrall the world.

Full of marvelous tales, unforgettable scandals, and bedazzled nobles who refused to rule their hearts, this delightfully insightful book is what the sweetest royal dreams are made of...
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Royal Romances: Titillating Tales of Passion and Power in the Palaces of Europe

Royal Romances: Titillating Tales of Passion and Power in the Palaces of Europe

by Leslie Carroll
Royal Romances: Titillating Tales of Passion and Power in the Palaces of Europe

Royal Romances: Titillating Tales of Passion and Power in the Palaces of Europe

by Leslie Carroll

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Overview

More breathtaking than any fairy tale, here are seven scandalous, seductive centuries of all-for-love royal desire . . .

Elegant palaces, dazzling power plays, shimmering jewels, and the grandest of all-or-nothing gambles—nothing can top real-life love among the royalty. Louis XIV defied God and law, permitting his married mistress Madame de Montespan to usurp the role of Queen of France, then secretly wed her successor, Madame de Maintenon. Grigory Potemkin was a worthy equal in Catherine the Great’s bed as well as in Russia’s political arena. Dashing Count Axel von Fersen risked everything to save Marie Antoinette’s life more than once—and may have returned her passion. The unshakable devotion of the beloved late “Queen Mum” helped King George VI triumph over his, and England’s, darkest hours. And the unpretentious, timelessly glamorous—even relatable—union of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton continues to enthrall the world.

Full of marvelous tales, unforgettable scandals, and bedazzled nobles who refused to rule their hearts, this delightfully insightful book is what the sweetest royal dreams are made of...

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780451238085
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date: 11/06/2012
Pages: 464
Product dimensions: 5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Leslie Carroll is the author of several works of historical nonfiction, women’s fiction, and, under the pen names Juliet Grey and Amanda Elyot, a multipublished author of historical fiction. Her nonfiction titles include Royal Romances, Royal Pains, Royal AffairsNotorious Royal Marriages, and Inglorious Royal Marriages. She is also a classically trained professional actress with numerous portrayals of virgins, vixens, and villainesses to her credit, and is an award-winning audio book narrator.

A frequent commentator on royal romances and relationships, Leslie has been interviewed by numerous publications, including MSNBC.com, USA Today, the Australian Broadcasting Company, and NPR, and she was a featured royalty historian on CBS nightly news in London during the royal wedding coverage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. She has also appeared as an expert on the love lives of Queen Victoria, Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great, and Napoleon on the television series “The Secret Life of...” for Canada’s History Channel. Leslie and her husband, Scott, divide their time between New York City and Denver, Colorado.

Table of Contents

Foreword xv

Charles VII 1405-1461 Ruled France: 1422-1461 and Agnès Sorel (1409-1449) 1

Henri II 1519-1559 Ruled France: 1547-1559 and Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566) 11

Louis XIV 1658-1715 Ruled France: 1643-1715 and Françoise-Athénaï's de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise de Montespan (1641-1707) and Françoise d'Aubigné, Madame Scarron, marquise de Maintenon (1635-1719) 31

Sophia Dorothea of Celle 1666-1726 and Philipp Christoph von Königsmark (1665-1694) 97

Louis XV 1710-1774 Ruled France: 1715-1774 and Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, marquise de Pompadour (1721-1764) and Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry (1743-1793) 121

Catherine the Great (Catherine II) 1729-1796 Ruled Russia: 1762-1796 and Grigory Potemkin (1739-1791) 193

Caroline Mathilde 1751-1775 Queen of Denmark: 1766-1772 and Johann Friedrich Struensee (1737-1772) 227

Marie Antoinette 1755-1795 Queen of France: 1774-1792 and Count Axel von Fersen (1755-1810) 255

Napoleon Bonaparte 1769-1821 As Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, from 1804-1814 and for 3 months in the spring of 1815 and Marie Walewska (1786-1817) 297

Ludwig I of Bavaria 1786-1868 Ruled: 1825-1848 and Lola Montez (1821-1861) 327

George VI 1895-1952 Ruled England: 1936-1952 and Elizabeth Bowes Lyon (1900-2002) 363

Prince William of Wales b. 1982 and Catherine Elizabeth Middleton (b. 1982) 407

Acknowledgments 437

Selected Bibliography 439

Author Bio 443

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for Leslie Carroll’s Royal Books:

“For those who enjoy reading about the scandals of the noble class, and want to learn more about the darker side of various royal families, this is a thoroughly enjoyable, quick read.” —Booklist

“Carroll writes with verve and wit...[An] irresistible combination of People Magazine and the History Channel.” —Chicago Tribune

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