Royal Singles: Profiles of the World's Most Eligible Aristocrats

THIS DELIGHTFUL, INFORMATIVE, WELL-WRITTEN, WELL-PRODUCED, AND WONDERFULLY-ILLUSTRATED BOOK was written in 1985 by Christopher Edgerton-Thomas. Though most of the book is dated, the short, beginning essays, "Introduction", and "How To Marry A Royal Single", are still viable, contain wealths of information, and are worth the price of the book, all by themselves! The title of the book, "ROYAL SINGLES", will get any romantically-inclined person's heart racing, whether that person is male or female! It is subtitled, "Profiles of the World's Most Eligible Aristocrats" -- for not only royalty, but the scions, (both male and female), of the leading and wealthiest aristocratic families around the world, are also profiled. Each royal, or high-placed aristocrat, is given two pages in this book. One is a full-page black and white photograph. It is either a formal portrait, or, (more likely), a well-taken photo from a newspaper or magazine. (Acknowledgements are given for these photgraphs on the copyright page, and include everyone from the names of five private, individuals, through those from Camera Press, UPI, Women's Wear Daily and Times Newspapers, to those from official sources, such as the Belgian Foreign Office, the Luxembourg Foreign Office, the Thailand Information Office, and the Royal Danish Ministry. The selection of photos is very good, for not only do they show these very attractive royals and top-drawer aristocrats, (mostly head-shots, head and shoulder shots, and 3/4 views), in the midst of their daily lives, but also, it seems, most of the photographic portraits also suggest much of the personality of the individuals portrayed. Facing the photograph of each individual is a written portrait -- as close to a personality analysis as protocol, (and, most probably, the aristocratic or royal person being written about), allowed. Here, for example, is what is said about VISCOUNT LINLEY, the son of Princess Margaret, and nephew of Queen Elizabeth II: 0 o 0 o 0 DAVID ARMSTRONG-JONES IS NOT A PEER. HE TAKES THE SUBSIDIARY TITLE FROM HIS FATHER'S EARLDOM OF SNOWDON. IT IS A COURTESY TITLE; THEREFORE HE IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A SEAT IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. HE WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 3, 1961. HE IS AN ARTIST AND A CRAFTSMAN. His particular form of creativity is woodwork -- though surely, "marquettry" sounds a bit more aristocratic. After attending Beldales, he studied furniture at the John Makepeace School. He designed and constructed a table inlaid with glass as a wedding present for Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Recently, he exhibited at the Decorative Arts Plaza in Miami. During his stay there, he put in lots of time on water skis. In London, Lord Linley is very visible. He attends lots of parties with the young royal crowd. A good place to bump into him might be an exhibition in a West End art gallery. These exhibitions are easy to get into -- just put your name in the gallery visitors' book. So far, his biggest love affair has