Book description
Henrietta Howard, later Countess of Suffolk, was the long-term mistress
and confidante of King George II. She was also, as Tracy Borman's
wonderfully readable biography reveals, a dedicated patron of the arts;
a lively and talented intellectual in her own right; a victim of
adultery; a passionate advocate for the rights of women long before the
dawn of feminism. Above all she was a woman of reason in an Age of
Reason. The mark that this enigmatic and largely neglected royal
mistress left on the society and culture of early Georgian England was
to resonate well beyond the confines of the court, and can still be felt
today.
Tracy Borman studied and taught history at the University of Hull and
was awarded a PhD in 1997. She went on to a successful career in
heritage and has worked for a range of historic properties and
national heritage organisations, including the National Archives and
English Heritage. She is now Chief Executive of the Heritage Education
Trust and also works part-time for Historic Royal Palaces.
Tracy has regularly appeared on television and radio, and has
featured in a range of magazine and newspaper articles. She is a
regular contributor to history magazines, including articles in BBC
History Magazine on the history of beauty and eighteenth-century 'It'
Girls'. In addition, she also gives public talks and lectures on a
wide range of subjects.
