Published 2013, 349 pages.
An excellent read which covers the relatively unknown life of Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s second youngest daughter.
- Was an accomplished sculptor, although some say she didn’t do the time consuming finishing off work of her sculptures.
- Didn’t like being under Queen Victoria’s thumb and was rebellious
- Argumentative with her younger sister Beatrice until they were both elderly
- Compassionate to others through Albert’s guidance during childhood. She was a nurse and helped with many charities.
- Excellent cook and didn’t mind helping out
- Controversially had a lover (fellow sculptor)
- Spent a lot of time in Canada with husband John Douglas Sutherland Campbell,
- Suffered many deaths of her friends and family
- Ate little to stay thin (had three brussel sprouts at one dinner) as she wanted to avoid the “Hanoverian” figure of her mother. Louise was in better health than younger sister Beatrice who was overweight
- The author paints a bad image of Queen Victoria as an over authoritative controller of her off-spring, even more so when they were adults.
- Louise had a very progressive view of women’s role in society, should be able to become professionals.
- attractive and popular with public, appeared often in public.
Conclusion
It’s good to read a few books on the same subject and get a different view of the history that is covered, and this book gives a perspective of someone else in the royal family besides Queen Victoria.
