The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline

Flora Fraser writes beautifully, and her research is impeccable. This is one of the best "life and times" set in Georgian England available today. The popularity of Queen Caroline with the populace, always looking for symbols of opposition to the monarchy, makes clearer the similar fascination in our time with as inexplicable a figure as Diana, Princess of Wales. The books is a great read that has something to say, rather like the wonderful Mediterranean histories written by the late Sir Steven Runicman (e.g., History of the Crusades). The Unruly Queen, along with David Gilmour's Curzon, are must reading for those interested in British history.

Flora Fraser is definitely Antonia's daughter. This book is elegantly written, meticulously researched, and a pleasure to read. Ms. Fraser doesn't dwell lasciviously on the naughty bits, but she doesn't avoid them either. Historians of the Regency period (or any period) realize that the ubiquitous sex is the least interesting part. If you're not interested in history and biography, if you prefer The Enquirer to The New York Times, you'll probably be disappointed in this book. On the other hand, if you crave intelligent, truthful, fluidly written narrative about a fascinating time in which hypocritical politicians played innuendo like a fine instrument (sound familiar?), get this book. I've read it multiple times, and always find something new to appreciate.

Flora Fraser: Scholar with a Sense of Fun.By: Sheila Coffin An Interview with Flora Fraser: The very British and rather brilliant author Flora Fraser, began her work on the best-selling, "The Unruly Queen," when her editor, Robert Gottlieb, suggested that she write about Queen Caroline. In case your history is foggy, Queen Caroline, born Caroline Amelia Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel in 1768, was the wife of George IV of England. Flora told me about it while she sat in front of the huge picture window overlooking the ocean. I had just finished telling her how my mother and I saw our first whales there when I said, "Here I come from an old Nantucket Whaling family and I've never seen a whale." "At which time," I told Flora, "the sky opened, a rainbow stabbed the ocean and a shape breached the surface and sprayed!" Flora and I laughed but now while we talked we were both alert for the possible presence of whales outside the window. Flora: "I researched 'The Unruly Queen : The Life of Queen Caroline' in the Royal Archives for ten years. The story of Queen Caroline was a most undignified Regency riot, with the famously sophisticated Prince Regent, as the Prince of Wales became in 1822, and Her Royal Highness the Princes of Wales, brawling and abusing each other like fishwives." Flora gestured behind her, asking if I saw any whales. "No," I shook my head. Flora sighed and continued, "I was intrigued by the Queen, by her intelligence, her bravery, her optimistic character. She also had some less endearing traits. She told fantastic lies, was sexually brazen, a spendthrift and selfish. The Queen's husband turned her out of his home because she did not please him, she 'smelt,' and was the possessor of 'personal nastiness.' Caroline had things to say about George IV, too. She countered that he was not half so handsome as his portrait and rather fat. It was the adultery of both parties that made for such a scandal. Rumor had it that George IV was already previously married to a Catholic widow, Marie Fitzherbert. George IV also had a mistress, Lady Jersey, whom he flaunted even before he ejected Caroline from his home. For twenty-five years the Prince made every effort to divorce Caroline. She resisted him, sometimes from mischief, sometimes because she felt she should not be made to suffer because of the Prince's misconduct. Ironically it was Caroline who was put on trial for adultery. Spies employed by George IV claimed she had committed adultery with a variety of lovers, among them an Italian 'low man,' named Bartelomeo Pergami. Caroline's spirited response was, 'I have only committed adultery once, and that was with the husband of Mrs. Fitzherbert.' The allegations of George IV's marriage to Maria Fitzherbert, and the extent of the truth behind Queen Caroline's possible indiscretions were never resolved. Caroline's trial ended with the charges of adultery being dropped. The divorce was never acc