Censoring Queen Victoria How Two Gentlemen Edited a Queen and Created an Icon Synopsis
When Queen Victoria died, two gentlemen embarked on a monumental task: sorting through and making sense of her vast written legacy. For the first time, a British monarch's letters - carefully edited of course - were going to be published. The men chosen for the job were complex and peculiar characters. Viscount Esher, the consummate royal confidant, was blessed with charm, but he hid a secret obsession with Eton schoolboys and preyed upon his own son. Arthur Benson, schoolmaster and author, was plagued by depression, and he never felt at ease among the blue-blooded swells of the royal court. Together with King Edward VII, these men would decide how Victoria would be remembered. In their hands hundreds of volumes of the Queen's correspondence were whittled down to a mere three, and their decisions - and distortions - would influence perceptions of Victoria for generations to come. Based on unprecedented access to the royal archives at Windsor Castle, Censoring Queen Victoria is a rare and fascinating piece of historical detective work, revealing aspects of the Queen-Empress that we were never meant to see.
'Original and important, this book represents a major contribution to our understanding of the modern British monarchy.' Sir David Cannadine
'Hats off to Yvonne Ward... who has exposed the gentlemanly networks that tried to hide the truth about Queen Victoria'.' Robert Lacey
'A revelation... Yvonne Ward gives us a completely new perspective on how Queen Victoria's image, following her death, was moulded & manipulated.' John Murray, publisher
'Yvonne Ward's groundbreaking book is a gripping read - a fascinating account of how Edwardian courtiers doctored the evidence to create a politically correct image of Queen Victoria.' Jane Ridley, author of Bertie: A Life of Edward VII
'Yvonne Ward has done a sterling job of delving into history to find out how the reputation which the queen guarded so fiercely during her lifetime continued to be manipulated and reshaped even after her death - as well as how many myths continue to persist even today.' Lucinda Hawksley, author of The Mystery of Princess Louise
'Ward argues convincingly that Esher and Benson's radical pruning of Queen Victoria's early correspondence has had a profound effect on her posthumous reputation... a timeless reminder of how important it is for biographers to find the time, space and will to battle back to the primary sources.' Guardian
'Four stars - Yvonne Ward tells a complicated story clearly and simply, which is the reverse of the normal academic procedure.' Mail on Sunday
'Does a great deal to show the real person behind our received image.' We Love This Book
'Yvonne Ward's exposure of the motives and the men behind this skilful piece of powerfully persuasive and permanent Edwardian political spin is astonishing' The Times
'Fascinating, not only for the intrigue surrounding the editing, but also for the myriad issues on which the author shines a light: from public schools to prime ministers; from Irish Famine to the arcana of court life...a fine piece of research.' Australian Book Review
'Original and engaging' Spectator
'Remarkable and clever' New York Times
'Fascinating' BBC History Magazine
'An unusual and fascinating book... Yvonne Ward has the perceptiveness to present in a new light what at first sight might seem a well-trodden subject, deploying her own knowledge and archival research to make a fascinating read by re-editing the editors' Literary Review
Author
About Yvonne M. Ward
Yvonne Ward is a historian with a doctorate from La Trobe University. Her publications include the lead essay in a special edition of The Court Historian, published to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. This is her first book. She lives in Victoria, Australia.
