Ladies-In-Waiting: From the Tudors to the Present Day

Anne Somerset does a fantastic job writing a back story to British royal history through the stories of ladies-in-waiting. It's easier to get through this book if you already have a background in British royal history, are familiar with the ups and downs, because Somerset doesn't always elaborate -- she's more interested in telling the story from the ladies-in-waiting point of view. And what a rich, gossipy, fascinating point of view it is. Behavior of royals is seen in a different light than in history books, or historical biographies. I feel like I've been viewing a portrait of British royals, and now Somerset has added some discrete shading to the picture to further illuminate. Wonderful book, couldn't put it down.

The position of Lady of the Privy Chamber or Maid of Honour has for centuries been eagerly sought by social climbers at court, while certain high-born ladies took the title as their due, but the names of very few have been remembered -- with a few exceptions like Anne Boleyn. What influence might these intimates of a reigning queen or of the monarch's spouse have had, however peripheral, on the making of policy? Somerset (who doesn't say whether she's connected in any way to the ducal house) is an "amateur historian," but a good one. She concentrates on court politics beginning with Henry VIII, partly because detailed records are too sparse in this regard prior to Bosworth, and partly because Henry VII only kept great state because it was expected of a king, but his son enjoyed it immensely and greatly expanded the number of offices at court. Because it can be difficult to find narrative histories of many of the families discussed here, like the Pomfrets, the Sundons, and the Cowpers, the genealogies woven into the footnoted text are especially welcome.