Queen Mary

From diaries, letters, and papers of the royal family.

'A scary portrait of put-upon servants and potty aristos ... this is arguably the most riotously funny volume published this year' Max Hastings, Sunday Times 'One of the funniest, most eccentric books of the year' Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday When James Pope-Hennessy began his work on Queen Mary's official biography, it opened the door to meetings with royalty, court members and retainers around Europe. The series of candid observations, secrets and indiscretions contained in his notes were to be kept private for 50 years. Now published in full for the first time and edited by the highly admired royal biographer Hugo Vickers, this is a riveting, often hilarious portrait of the eccentric aristocracy of a bygone age. Giving much greater insight into Queen Mary than the official version, and including sharply observed encounters with, among others, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Duke of Gloucester, and a young Queen Elizabeth, The Quest for Queen Mary is set to be a classic of royal publishing.

The life of Princess May of Teck is one of the great Cinderella stories in history. From a family of impoverished nobility, she was chosen by Queen Victoria as the bride for her eldest grandson, the scandalous Duke of Clarence, heir to the throne, who died mysteriously before their marriage. Despite this setback, she became queen, mother of two kings, grandmother of the current queen, and a lasting symbol of the majesty of the British throne. Her pivotal role in the abdication of her eldest son, the Duke of Windsor, is just one of the events that provide the backdrop for both thrilling biography and for narrating the splendors and tragedies of the entire house of Windsor.

Princess Diana is seen as the first member of the British royal family to tear up the rulebook, and the Duchess of Cambridge is modernising the monarchy in strides. But before them was another who paved the way. Princess Mary was born in 1897. Despite her Victorian beginnings, she strove to make a princess's life meaningful, using her position to help those less fortunate and defying gender conventions in the process. As the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, she would live to see not only two of her brothers ascend the throne but also her niece Queen Elizabeth II. She was one of the hardest-working members of the royal family, known for her no-nonsense approach and her determination in the face of adversity. During the First World War she came into her own, launching an appeal to furnish every British troop and sailor with a Christmas gift, and training as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital. From her dedication to the war effort, to her role as the family peacemaker during the Abdication Crisis, Mary was the princess who redefined the title for the modern age. In the first biography in decades, Elisabeth Basford offers a fresh appraisal of Mary's full and fascinating life.

For decades, the British ocean liner the Queen Mary sailed the seas, first as a luxurious playground for the world's rich and famous, then as transportation for thousands of soldiers who were ready to risk their lives during World War II. Today, the liner serves as a hotel in California, but there may be mysterious ghostly guests still onboard. Readers will learn about the Queen Mary and its phantom passengers, regaling its glory days as a liner to its time as the "Gray Ghost" of World War II. Detailed sidebars and fact boxes provide extra insight into the ship's storied history.

This colourful history tells the story of Cunard’s RMS Queen Mary, who along with her running mate Queen Elizabeth covered the transatlantic route from Southampton to New York via Cherbourg, the British answer to the German and French superliners. She was launched in May 1936 and immediately won the coveted Blue Riband, winning it again in 1938, before she served as a troopship in the war. She then carried on plying the Atlantic route with Queen Elizabeth until the jet age changed the world again and she was retired, now preserved as a floating museum and restaurant in Long Beach, California. Andrew Britton presents a wealth of unpublished photographic material and ephemera from his unparalleled collection to tell the story of this historic liner, including rare wartime views, shots of her ‘grey ghost’ paintwork, unique behind the scenes photographs, from the air shots, interior views and a wide selection of menus, log books, timetables, tickets and much more besides. Even including captain’s invitations, this superlative book offers a captivating trip through the history of this great liner.