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The Courtiers
- Author
- Lucy Worsley
- Narrator
- Heather Wilds
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 5 October 2023
- Run Time
- 10 hours 42 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Kensington Palace is now most famous as the former home of Diana, Princess of Wales, but the palace's glory days came between 1714 and 1760, during the reigns of George I and II . In the eighteenth century, this palace was a world of skulduggery, intrigue, politicking, etiquette, wigs, and beauty spots, where fans whistled open like switchblades and unusual people were kept as curiosities. Lucy Worsley's The Courtiers charts the trajectory of the fantastically quarrelsome Hanovers and the last great gasp of British court life. Structured around the paintings of courtiers and servants that line the walls of the King's Staircase of Kensington Palace-paintings you can see at the palace today-The Courtiers goes behind closed doors to meet a pushy young painter, a maid of honor with a secret marriage, a vice chamberlain with many vices, a bedchamber woman with a violent husband, two aging royal mistresses, and many more. The result is an indelible portrait of court life leading up to the famous reign of George III , and a feast for both Anglophiles and lovers of history and royalty.
Critics Review
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Each chapter deals with the events of a particular day at a particular place ... Worsley's description of the preparations for the arrival of Charles I and the masque that was to be the day's entertainment is excellent, vividly depicting the extraordinary size and complexity of a nobleman's household.
New York Times for CAVALIER
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Worsley's architectural and domestic history tells Cavendish's story through his various sumptuous homes. From a vast array of sources--blueprints and design plans, inventories and recipe books, the notes of the family doctor and Cavendish's own poetry--Worsley recreates intimate moments in the life of the household.
The New Yorker for CAVALIER
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Every detail of Cavendish's universe comes to life, from architect John Smithson's designs for his exquisite home to the job descriptions and diets of the building site's labourers...vividly described.
Publishers Weekly for CAVALIER
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Lucy Worsley
- Narrator
- Heather Wilds
- Duration
- 10 hours 42 minutes
- Release Date
- 5 October 2023
- ISBN
- 9781639734436
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- European history, Political geography
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents The Courtiers by Lucy Worsley, read by Heather Wilds.Kensington Palace is now most famous as the former home of Diana, Princess of Wales, but the palace's glory days came between 1714 and 1760, during the reigns of George I and II . In the eighteenth century, this palace was a world of skulduggery, intrigue, politicking, etiquette, wigs, and beauty spots, where fans whistled open like switchblades and unusual people were kept as curiosities. Lucy Worsley's The Courtiers charts the trajectory of the fantastically quarrelsome Hanovers and the last great gasp of British court life. Structured around the paintings of courtiers and servants that line the walls of the King's Staircase of Kensington Palace-paintings you can see at the palace today-The Courtiers goes behind closed doors to meet a pushy young painter, a maid of honor with a secret marriage, a vice chamberlain with many vices, a bedchamber woman with a violent husband, two aging royal mistresses, and many more. The result is an indelible portrait of court life leading up to the famous reign of George III , and a feast for both Anglophiles and lovers of history and royalty.
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