Royal Love Stories: The Tales behind the Real-Life Romances of the World's Kings and Queens by Gill Paul with Introduction by Camilla Tominey

A friend from the United States sent me a copy of Royal Love Stories: The Tales behind the Real-Life Romances of the World's Kings and Queens.

Written by Gill Paul with Introduction by Camilla Tominey, this book features 14 love stories, some of them were immortalized to legendary proportions (like Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal’s tale), while others I only learned about when I read the book (ever heard Rosa Varcellana’s affair with the king of Italy?).

The 14 love stories told in this book are those of the following: Peter I of Portugal and Ines de Castro; Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal of India; Catherine the Great and Gregory Potemkin of Russia; Louis XVI and Marie  Antoinette; Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine Beauharnais; Ludwig I of Bavaria and Lola Montez; Victor Emmanuel II and Rosa Varcellana; Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria and Baroness Mary Vetsera; Nicholas II and Alexandra; Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson; Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly; King Hussein of Jordan and Lisa Hallaby; Prince William and Katharine Middleton; and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The book treats readers to fascinating insights into royal love and reveals the surprising truth about real-life emotions behind these enduring tales. On the other hand, I saw some minor errors. For example, in the introduction, the heir to the throne of France was referred to as Crown Prince, but the title was never used in France. Instead they called the heir to the throne as the Dauphin.

 Next, the author mentioned that when Marie Antoinette's father, the Emperor Francis I, died in 1760,  her mother, Maria Theresa, "took charge" and shared power with her oldest brother Joseph. The truth is Maria Theresa never took over anything from her husband because she was the heiress and ruler of the Hapsburg lands, which stretched from portions of Italy to Austria, Hungary and Bohemia. The title of Holy Roman Emperor was an elected one, in all but in name only, and Francis was elected emperor because he was Maria Theresa's husband.

What I like about is the love story of King Victor Emmanuel and Rosa Vercellana. Theirs was the real fairy tale romance. He was the heir to the throne who was forced to marry for dynastic purposes; she was a peasant girl. Yet, he kept her as his mistress and they loved each other in private and later when his "wife" died, he married her quietly.

Anyway, the book is light and a perfect partner for a cup of tea on a rainy day.

I’ve been looking for a copy that features the Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the cover, but all I could find is the one that features a young Princess  Grace in her wedding gown, which was used in the 2016 edition. Also,  the ones available for sale on Amazon seems to be the 2016 edition. The publishers must have decided to immediately revert back to the old book cover as soon as the couple decided to step back from becoming fulltime working royals.

About the Author

Gill Paul is a London-based writer who specialises in health, humour, and historical works. Her novels have reached the top of the USA Today, Toronto Globe & Mail and kindle charts, and been translated into twenty languages.  Gill lives in London, where she is working on her tenth novel, and she swims daily in an outdoor pond.