New Books About Royals 2021
New Fiction Books About Royals
Playing The Palace by Paul Rudnick: Self-effacing American event planner Carter Ogden has certainly never dreamed of marrying a prince, even if he has just been dumped by a callous actor boyfriend. And yet, the Prince of Wales is openly gay, very handsome and very determined to see if their transatlantic tryst might blossom into love. Celebrated humorist Paul Rudnick (of Whoopi Goldberg’s Sister Act fame) delivers a sweet story that’s both hilariously funny and as romantic as any harlequin. In Royal Service To the Queen by Tessa Arlen: This heartbreaking novel fictionalizes the real-life story of Marion Crawford, beloved governess of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Beloved, that is, until she sold her story to the American press. Despite years of loyal service, no royal ever spoke to their “Crawfie” again. North By Shakespeare by Michael Blanding: Who wrote Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets? For those who believe the Bard of Avon was a front, the possibilities are endless. This new work profiles one Shakespearean sleuth and reveals his unique solution: Elizabethan courtier Sir Thomas North. Even the doubtful will enjoy this look into scholarly obsession. Castle Shade by Laurie R. King: This is the latest mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes and his intrepid wife, Mary Russell. This time, Queen Marie of Romania entreats the duo to investigate strange goings-on at her castle located on the edge of her country’s newly acquired territory of Transylvania. Is it possible Romania also acquired … vampires? Dominus by Steven Saylor: When a Roman emperor converts to Christianity, all hell breaks loose in the latest historical novel from the acclaimed Saylor. This page-turner covers 160 years and brings to life some of Rome’s most famous figures. Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean: A Japanese American in her small Northern Cali town, it’s always been Izumi ‘Izzy’ Tanaka and her mom against the world—that is until she finds out her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. And Izzy, it turns out, is literally a princess. Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer: Hurrah! The success of the Netflix movie Enola Holmes convinced creator Nancy Springer to pen a new mystery for the much younger sister of Sherlock. Enola’s latest adventure is awash in nobility, from the villainous Earl of Dunhench (whose wives have a habit of dying) to her young friend Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquis of Basilwether. The game is afoot! A Midsummer Night’s Dream Retold by Georghia Ellinas: One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream has numerous dukes and the like, but the real royalty are Oberon and Titania, the feuding King and Queen of the Fairies. Share this tale with your children via a gorgeous picture book illustrated by Jane Ray, retold by Ellinas and made in collaboration with the playhouse Shakespeare’s Globe in London. How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole: This queer, Black retelling of Anastasia by bestselling romance author Alyssa Cole follows a long-lost princess who falls in love with the female investigator tasked with tracking her down.
New Nonfiction Books About Royals 2021
Elizabeth & Margaret by Andrew Morton: A royal biographer of unmatched pedigree, Morton will forever be remembered for the groundbreaking Diana: Her True Story. Here he finds a new angle on the monarchy by delivering a dual portrait of two sisters, Elizabeth and Margaret, one the dutiful Queen and the other her wayward sibling. The Windsor Diaries by Alathea Fitzalan Howard: As bombs fell on London during World War II, a young Alathea was whisked to relative safety. The house next door? Windsor Castle. Her new best friends? Princess Margaret and the warm, awkward Princess Elizabeth, heir to the throne. They enjoy picnics, parties, outings to the movies and more, all of it lovingly captured in the diaries Alathea kept for years. This is a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse at the young royals. England’s Magnificent Gardens by Roderick Floud: The story of England’s rich tradition of gardening is also the story of its monarchy, from the gardens planted by Charles II in the 1600s to the gardens at Highgrove personally designed by Prince Charles today. The absurd (William and Mary lowered their entire gardens—twice!—to improve the view) and the practical (experiments with greenhouses that led to central heating) are on display in this unique history. Hero of Two Worlds by Mike Duncan: If you were born into a life of privilege, would you risk it all to help those below you? That’s the story of the Marquis de Lafayette, an aristocrat in France who gambled everything on the dream of equality. He risked his life during the American Revolution and then returned to France just in time to overthrow the monarchy. Lafayette gets his due in this magisterial biography. For everything on the royal family, read this!
