{"product_id":"twilight-of-splendor-the-court-of-queen-victoria-during-her-diamond-jubilee-year-hardcover","title":"Twilight of Splendor: The Court of Queen Victoria During Her Diamond Jubilee Year - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eGreg King\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePower, pageantry, and pride\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eQueen Victoria ruled the most powerful empire the world has ever seen, covering one fourth of the earth's land surface, reigning over subjects on every continent, and exercising undisputed mastery of the oceans in between. She was the \"Grandmother of Europe,\" with descendants occupying the thrones of half a dozen nations, and more to come. The very era in which she lived already bore her name. In June 1897, her proud and prosperous nation marked her sixtieth year on the throne of England with the most lavish display of pomp, circumstance, wealth, and affection in its history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTwilight of Splendor\u003c\/em\u003e presents a breathtaking portrait of a sovereign and her empire at the height of their global power. Focusing on the spectacle of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, it combines a thrilling account of that massive celebration with an intimate exploration of Victoria's world--her splendid palaces and possessions, the grand banquets and balls she hosted, her immense wealth, the politicians and courtiers who did her bidding, her confidence and assertiveness as a ruler, her surprising personal humility, and her perpetual state of mourning for her beloved husband, Prince Albert.\u003cbr\u003eBased on hundreds of published and unpublished sources from the period, including Queen Victoria's private correspondence and personal journals, \u003cem\u003eTwilight of Splendor\u003c\/em\u003e is must reading for Anglophiles, Victorian-history buffs, and anyone interested in the golden age of monarchy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe first book to portray the queen and her court in the last years of her reign\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContrasts the queen's private and public images in her efforts to solidify the monarchy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExposes the queen's difficult relations with her children\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplores the queen's relationship with her extended European royal relatives\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDraws together for the first time hundreds of disparate sources\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes a number of rare photographs complementing the text\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQueen Victoria wore a somber gown of black silk, enlivened with delicate embroidery of sparkling jet and offset by layers of contrasting white lace. On her gray head a veil of Honiton lace, carefully arranged in cascades to frame her wrinkled face and sagging shoulders, was held in place by a small crown of 1,300 diamonds. The faint hint of her favorite orange-scented perfume hovered in the air as her lady in waiting adorned her widow's weeds with the blue silk moire sash and diamond star of the Order of the Garter; large diamond drop earrings and a matching collet necklace of twenty-eight immense, gleaming stones; and a diamond-fringe brooch. Her pudgy wrists and fingers glistened with gold and diamond bracelets and an array of precious rings. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the eve of her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, the tiny, rotund, seventy-eight-year-old queen was a study in contrasts. And, much like the immense realm that was her domain, she was at the pinnacle of her authority and nearing the end of her days. Twilight of Splendor leads you on an extravagant tour into the heart of history's last and greatest royal empire: the court of Victoria Regina et Imperatrix--Queen of England and Empress of India. You'll meet the people, witness the pageantry, and feel the power that circled the globe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthor Greg King takes you exploring through the queen's elegant residences at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, cruising the English Channel aboard the royal yacht Victoria and Albert II, and tramping the Scottish highlands at her beloved retreat, Balmoral. You'll also attend the spectacular ceremony in honor of Victoria's sixtieth year on the throne and marvel at the Empire's splendid diversity, as represented by her parading armies--scarlet-coated Canadians and turbaned Sikhs, Egyptians in red fezzes, khaki-clad Australians, and galloping Bengal Lancers, their deadly pikes glittering in the sun like the queen's own jewels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost compelling of all is Victoria herself. Groomed from infancy to assume the crown and adhere to a strict moral code, she was a proud, forceful, and imperious sovereign who remained personally humble, good-humored, and keenly intelligent. King reveals that Victoria's dislike of the British nobility led her to market herself quite purposefully to the middle class, even as she suppressed news of scandals involving her children and embarked on enigmatic relationships with the notorious John Brown and her personal servant Abdul Karim.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eQueen Victoria wore a somber gown of black silk, enlivened with delicate embroidery of sparkling jet and offset by layers of contrasting white lace. On her gray head a veil of Honiton lace, carefully arranged in cascades to frame her wrinkled face and sagging shoulders, was held in place by a small crown of 1,300 diamonds. The faint hint of her favorite orange-scented perfume hovered in the air as her lady in waiting adorned her widow's weeds with the blue silk moiré sash and diamond star of the Order of the Garter; large diamond drop earrings and a matching\u003cbr\u003ecollet necklace of twenty-eight immense, gleaming stones; and a diamond-fringe brooch. Her pudgy wrists and fingers glistened with gold and\u003cbr\u003ediamond bracelets and an array of precious rings. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn the eve of her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, the tiny, rotund, seventy-eight-year-old queen was a study in contrasts. And, much like the immense realm that was her domain, she was at the pinnacle of her authority and nearing the end of her days. \u003ci\u003eTwilight of Splendor\u003c\/i\u003e leads you on an extravagant tour into the heart of history's last and greatest royal empire: the court of Victoria Regina et Imperatrix--Queen of England and Empress of India. You'll meet the people, witness the pageantry, and feel the power that circled\u003cbr\u003ethe globe. Author Greg King takes you exploring through the queen's elegant residences at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, cruising the English Channel aboard the royal yacht \u003ci\u003eVictoria and Albert II, \u003c\/i\u003e and tramping the Scottish highlands at her beloved retreat, Balmoral. You'll also attend the spectacular ceremony in honor of Victoria's sixtieth year on the throne and marvel at the Empire's splendid diversity, as represented by her parading armies--scarlet-coated Canadians and turbaned Sikhs, Egyptians in red fezzes, khaki-clad Australians, and galloping Bengal Lancers, their deadly pikes glittering in the sun like the queen's own jewels.\u003cbr\u003eMost compelling of all is Victoria herself. Groomed from infancy to assume the crown and adhere to a strict moral code, she was a proud, forceful, and imperious sovereign who remained personally humble, good-humored, and keenly intelligent. King reveals that Victoria's dislike of the British nobility led her to market herself quite purposefully to the middle class, even as she suppressed news of scandals involving her children and embarked on enigmatic relationships with the notorious John Brown and her personal servant Abdul Karim.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGregory King is the author of the UK bestseller The Duchess of Windsor: The Uncommon Life of Wallis Simpson, as well as several books on Russia's Romanov era, including The Court of the Last Tsar and The Fate of the Romanovs (with Penny Wilson). A frequent on-screen commentator for royal television productions, he has worked with the BBC and ITV in the UK, the CBC in Canada, and with National Geographic, the Learning Channel, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and A\u0026amp;E in the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 352\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.16 x 9.44 x 6.36 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 01, 2007\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45342674780262,"sku":"9780470044391","price":48.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0599\/7255\/0758\/files\/TGd4Rm1rdVcxOS84WGs1VkovN3lYUT09.webp?v=1774896580","url":"https:\/\/infinitylightwa.com\/products\/twilight-of-splendor-the-court-of-queen-victoria-during-her-diamond-jubilee-year-hardcover","provider":"Infinity Light","version":"1.0","type":"link"}