The Princess Royal: From Princess Mary to Princess Anne
Helen Cathcart

Release date: 19 Oct 2021

Description:
"An engrossing account of the life of Princess Anne and how her role was shaped by the six women who served as Princess Royal before her.

To understand what it is to be a Princess Royal, the ‘doyenne of royal biographers’ Helen Cathcart skilfully portrays the lives of the foremost royal daughters from the days when princesses were ‘ladyes’ and the King’s eldest son was styled Prince Royal, through to our present Princess Royal.

There have been seven Princess Royals throughout British history, the inaugural of whom was Princess Mary, the eldest daughter of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria, followed by Princess Anne (daughter of King George II), Princess Charlotte (daughter of King George III), Princess Victoria (daughter of Queen Victoria), Princess Louise (daughter of King Edward VII), and Princess Mary (daughter of King George V). The current holder of the title, Princess Anne, emerges from this background, clearly demonstrating how the role or Princess Royal has evolved over the generations into one of duty and personal achievement.

Drawing on royal letters, journals and associated material, the author’s fascinating pen captures the first four decades of Princess Anne’s life, from playful child and stylish teenager to champion rider and tireless campaigner for good causes. Along the way are royal engagements and regimental dinners, a love affair with a Dragoon and a terrifying kidnap attempt."

Review:
Helen Cathcart wrote this book in 1988. I don't understand why it is being re-released next month. There is no new information on Princess Anne, who is without a doubt, the hardest working royal family member! I found the lives of the other Princess Royals (oldest daughter of the monarch) more interesting than Anne's story - which seemed rushed and piece-meal. I wish this new publication included an update on Anne's life since 1988.

Well researched and easily readable. Recommended.

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Very interesting reading! By necessity, and the sheer amount of information available, nearly half of the book is devoted to the current Princess Royal, but the earlier history, starting with Mary Tudor, is fascinating. I learned several things I hadn't known before and felt like I got a fresh perspective on the remarkable lives these women were born into.

The writing style is clear and accessible--this is not dry or stuffy history! The variety of sources used to tell each princess's story adds interest as well.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Originally published some years prior to the Queen's Annus Horribilis, this book offers a succinct but lively look at Princess Anne's early years. Nothing really to write home about if you consider that she probably is the least appealing of all the members of the Royal family. But the author was a dedicated biographer of the Windsors and most of his portraits are fun to read and often filled with juicy and gossipy tidbits.
This time around we get, besides a rather lackluster portrait of Anne, the interesting history behind the title of Princess Royal which has been bestowed upon a monarch's eldest daughter since the reign of Charles I.
A purely honorary title that has been awarded 7 times so far. We get some little biographical sketches of the various princesses and a bit of information about why and when they were given the prestigious title. Suffice to say that most of them had nothing to offer to posterity besides being called Princess Royal with the exception of Victoria, Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, the formidable and talented mother of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
A fun and entertaining read that should definitely appeal to all the Royal fans on both sides of the Atlantic.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Sapere Books for this delightful ARC

This book offers a thorough look at not only the history of the role/title of the Princess Royal (which is not something often talked about when the Royal Family is mentioned) but the history of princesses and ladies and the evolution of women’s roles in the monarchy, with an entire section at the end devoted solely to the current Princess Royal, Princess Anne. I appreciated the way the book first laid the foundation of how women existed in their roles among the highborn in the Middle Ages, then showed how those roles changed over time. You really get a mini-lesson on the entirety of the post-conquest British monarchy & Western European history.

You also get to see interesting and insightful little peeks into the inner workings of the modern Royal Family; I enjoyed the stories of Princess Anne’s early years and what a workday looks like for her, being the busiest working member of the BRF.

Even though this book was originally published in 1988, the information in it is still relevant and interesting despite having not been updated. The writing style, however, was often a bit jarring to me. It sometimes read like it had been poorly translated from another language, sounding archaic and stilted. There were phrasing choices that make little sense or are just plain awkward and overwrought. That alone made it a bit of a slog to get through at times. But the tidbits of fascinating information doled out along the way are worth reading for.