Book description
What was childhood like for the princes and princesses in the
Victorian and Edwardian period? Here their education, recreation and
general upbringing is discussed, from Queen Victoria's isolated and
lonely childhood, to the children of King George V and Queen Mary. We
see glimpses of Prince Waldemar of Prussia, who enjoyed collecting
fossils on the Isle of Wight and terrifying his grandmother with a pet
crocodile; Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, who was the
first prince to attend public school despite enjoying cricket much
more than education; and Prince Louis of Battenberg, who introduced
the 'Katuf' into his family, and recorded his voice on a wax cylinder.
Contrasts are drawn between childhood at the English court and that of
the Queen's descendants at European capitals, as well as the differing
attitudes of royal parents. For example, Queen Victoria found babies
to be "very froglike", whereas Queen Alexandra still gave
children's parties to her children when they were adults.
