Author:Adrian Tinniswood
Behind the Throne is, above all, a history of family life.
They ate, entertained their friends and worried about money. Henry VIII kept tripping over his dogs. George II threw his son out of the house. James I had to cut back on the drink bills.
The great difference is that royal families had more help with their lives than most.
Charles I maintained a household of 2,000. Victoria's medical establishment alone consisted of thirty doctors, three dentists and a chiropodist. Even today,Elizabeth II keeps a full-time staff of 1,200.
A royal household was a community, a vast machine. Everyone, fromJames I's Master of the Horse down to William IV's Assistant Table Decker, was there to smooth the sovereign's path through life while simultaneously confirming their status.
Here, Adrian Tinniswood uncovers the reality of five centuries of life at the English court, taking you on a remarkable journey, exploring life as it was lived by clerks and courtiers and clowns and crowned heads.
Behind the Throne is a true domestic history of the royal household, a reconstruction of life behind the throne.
'The most interesting and informative book on British royalty for many years' Literary Review
This is the most interesting and informative book on British royalty for many years.
—— Sarah Bradford , Literary ReviewBehind the Throne, erudite and amusing, bulges with colourful scenes… glorious… a fun, elegant narrative.
—— Melanie Reid , The TimesThis book is a cracking read, packed full of stories which Tinniswood relates with verve and wit… Buy this book for Christmas and give it to all your non-republican friends.
—— Jane Ridley , SpectatorEntertaining… superb… history needs anecdote to make us relate to it, something Tinniswood [does] brilliantly.
—— Daily Telegraph, Books of the YearAdrian Tinniswood’s handsomely produced Behind the Throne is full of such pleasing details, as it takes us on a fascinating snoop into the studies, kitchens and bedrooms of various monarchs from Elizabeth I to the present queen… Tinniswood gets [the tone] just right, never overly deferential, but humorous and distantly respectful… Behind the Throne is a wonderfully entertaining account of life through five centuries of royal households.
—— Christopher Hart , Sunday TimesAdrian Tinniswood's juicy new domestic history of the royal household… [is] delicious – as piquant as the green salad with which Edward VIII liked to eat his cold grouse.
—— Rachel Cooke , ObserverDevoted watchers of The Crown will especially enjoy the nimble analysis of both the narcissistic Edward VIII’s brief reign and Princess Margaret’s doomed romance… this enlightening narrative allows the royal family mystique to disappear just a little.
—— Publishers WeeklyAn intimate and entertaining look at the private lives of monarchs from Elizabeth I to the current occupants of Buckingham Palace… Deft, zesty social history.
—— KirkusIf Downton Abbey showcases a well-oiled machine of domestic efficiency in an English estate, you might think the servants surrounding British monarchs would be held to an even higher standard of discretion and excellence. And, as historian Tinniswood warns, you’d be entirely wrong. The reality, as he explores in this diverting book covering the domestic life at court from Elizabeth to Elizabeth, is both much messier and incredibly interesting… This rare glimpse into royal households reveals the priorities and peculiarities of kings and queens.
—— BooklistTinniswood retells some of the best-known and best-loved episodes in British royal history… with elegance and wit… [and] based on extensive research.
—— Linda Porter , BBC History MagazineTinniswood tells us… What is revealed by this history of regal domesticity is that, in many respects, nothing has altered.
—— UK Press SyndicationThis book will be greatly enjoyed… [Behind the Throne] has plenty…splendid nuggets.
—— Hugo Vickers , The TabletEntertaining… Behind the Throne…contains gems
—— Simon Heffer, **Books of the Year** , Daily TelegraphTinniswood is one of our finest historians and he brings to life the reality of royal life behind the scenes in stunning detail. If you want to know about the private lives of monarchs, this brilliant, beautifully illustrated account will more than satisfy.
—— Alison Weir , BBC History Magazine, **Books of the Year**Penetrating and enjoyable. It is very fluently written, spiced with wit, and always judicious.
—— Clarissa Campbell , Times Literary Supplement