Kate Hubbard does a remarkable job of making Serving Victoria an extremely interesting book to read. After all, it is essentially a book about being bored. Ladies-in-waiting were called that for a reason. They waited until the queen needed them. And then they waited until she was done needing them. It sounds like a glamorous life, but it really isn’t. It sounds like a book about such a life would be deathly dull, but it really isn’t. In fact, it’s a fascinating look at life in Queen Victoria’s household.
Serving Victoria introduces us to six people who served Queen Victoria – from ladies-in-waiting to her private secretary to her doctor. Using information culled from diaries and letters, this book paints a picture of a life of service to the whims of a monarch. It shows us Victoria as a young bride, full of excitement, as well as a Victoria brought down by grief, obsessing over details and remembrances. It doesn’t always paint a flattering picture of this beloved queen, but I have no doubt it’s a realistic one.
The bottom line is that Victoria was a person just like anyone else. She had the same cares and concerns for her family as any of her subjects. She felt the same emotions when life was good or bad. She, too, worried about people’s opinions of her. This intimate portrait of Queen Victoria stands side-by-side with the portraits of those who served her. Both are painted with a sympathetic brush. Hubbard has made Queen Victoria and her household come to life in a way that shows both sides of the story.
Serving Victoria introduces us to six people who served Queen Victoria – from ladies-in-waiting to her private secretary to her doctor. Using information culled from diaries and letters, this book paints a picture of a life of service to the whims of a monarch. It shows us Victoria as a young bride, full of excitement, as well as a Victoria brought down by grief, obsessing over details and remembrances. It doesn’t always paint a flattering picture of this beloved queen, but I have no doubt it’s a realistic one.
The bottom line is that Victoria was a person just like anyone else. She had the same cares and concerns for her family as any of her subjects. She felt the same emotions when life was good or bad. She, too, worried about people’s opinions of her. This intimate portrait of Queen Victoria stands side-by-side with the portraits of those who served her. Both are painted with a sympathetic brush. Hubbard has made Queen Victoria and her household come to life in a way that shows both sides of the story.
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