Product Description

Prnice Leopold, Duke of Albany (1853-84), is acknowledged to have been the most intelligent and probably the most interesting of Queen Victoria's four sons. He was the youngest and a strong-willed attractive character, with an immense thirst for life. He was also, however, the first haemophilia sufferer in the royal family and endured continual ill health; as if haemophilia was not enough, he was also epileptic. In this biography, Charlotte Zeepvat has drawn on sources to reveal a compelling human story which also touches on the wider worlds of late 19th-century Oxford and of literature, art and politics in the Victorian period. In particular, it examines the question of haemophilia and the royal family. There are many questions to answer, such as when did the Queen and Prince Albert realize their youngest son was ill and how much did they understand of his illness? Some of Leopold's early attacks were described as "rheumatism" - was this an attempt to keep the truth concealed or a genuine misunderstanding? The book also presents a full and balanced picture of Leopold's relationship with his mother. Letters already published provide snapshots of individual quarrels between mother and son but no one has yet considered the relationship as a whole. Finally it eamines Leopold's life at Oxford, the varied and interesting friendships he developed there (with, among others, Charles Dodgson - "Lewis Carroll" - John Ruskin and Oscar Wilde), his political views and the importance of his work as unofficial secretary to the Queen.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47825 in Books
• Published on: 1998-05
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

Excellent reading
I have read several books about Queen Victoria and her family but have never got to know much about Prince Leopold's life and personality. I only knew him as the youngest son who suffered from haemophilia, the princess he married and his children. This book has revealed so much more to me, his friends, the frustrations he suffered when ill and his mothers lack of understanding. I particularly found the chapters that dealt with the brief spell of happiness he had when married very moving and it seemed such a shame that he died so suddenly.

The best of the lot had to go first
The best of the lot had to go first - this line said after the death of Princess Diana came into my mind when reading the biographie on Prince Leopold.

Prince Leopold George Duncan Albert, Duke of Albany, was the youngest son and secong youngest child of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort. Born at Buckingham Palace 7 April 1853 he died already in Cannes 28 March 1884, only two years after his marriage to Helene Princess zu Waldeck and Pyrmont (1861-1922). They had two children: Princess Alice (later the Countess of Athlone) was born 1883 and a son Prince Charles( later to be the sovereign Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha)was born after his father' s death in July 1884.

One might be tempted to say that not much can be written about one of the younger princes who only happen to live 31 odd years.
And indeed it seems that most of his siblings have a much higher profile as the Duke of Albany: Edward VII. as King, Victoria as the Empress Frederick, Alice as Grand Duchess of Hesse, Alfred as Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and the Duke of Connaught as the Queen's favorite son. Only his sisters Helena and Beatrice - like him - seem to less well known. The only thing setting him apart: He was the first member of the royal family suffering from haemophilia.

The well-known author on royalty, Charlotte Zeepvat, has in this excellent rediscoverd this "lost prince". Only too often Leopold was reduced to somebody being sick, to be shield and over-protected by his royal mother. He had too struggle to lead a normal life. Step by step Charlotte Zeepvat let an emerge an interesting and interested, an artistic, a political thinking personality, a prince who became the unofficial private secretary of his mother at a time when his elder brother, The Prince of Wales, could only dream of having political influence.
He was a man of substance, fighting the odds and even achieving to marry. However, the happiness of that was only short-lived.

Charlotte Zeepvat has a unique style how she presents the reader the life of this long-lost prince. The biography is well-written, lively, elegant and with knowledge and sympathie without being too loyal. I immensely enjoyed it and can only recommded it by giving 5 stars.

An Informative Book on an Overlooked Prince
The children of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort have been treated unequally by biographers. Prince Leopold is probably the most "unknown" son of the couple. Therefore, it is refreshing that Charlotte Zeepvat has decided to raise the profile of this prince. You would not need to be a history buff to enjoy this book. You get a sense of the frustration that Leopold suffered and his attempt to live a more "normal" life, both free of molly-codling, illness and the royal way of life. I would recommend this book to you.