2013
First Published
4.00
Average Rating
296
Number of Pages
Part of Series
Meet Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s Sophia of Hanover (1630-1714). Born a penniless princess in exile, she became one of the preeminent noblewomen and celebrities of her era, renowned at courts across Europe for her intelligence and wit. And she almost became queen of had she lived two months longer, she would have succeeded to the crown before her eldest son, who reigned as George I. At the age of fifty, Sophia wrote her memoirs, which paint a captivating and often humorous portrait of her rich and varied life. She recalls, with insight and verve, her interactions with leading men and ladies (Charles II, Louis XIV, Christina of Sweden) and long-forgotten bit players (cavaliers, concubines, clerics, and quacks). The memoirs, which Sophia wrote in French, appear here in English for the first time in their entirety. Their publication is particularly timely, as it coincides with the 300th anniversary of the Hanoverian succession (2014). Professor Elizabeth Goldsmith of Boston University said of this “This lively historical memoir was written by a fascinating, intelligent, and strong figure who was related to most of the royal houses of Europe. Sean Ward has succeeded marvelously in bringing Sophia of Hanover to life for a modern audience. Readers will be delighted to discover the wit, critical spirit, and storytelling skill of this woman who inhabited and visited many seventeenth-century courts and knew how to write a compelling narrative of her world.”
Avg Rating
4.00
Number of Ratings
16
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