The whole world saw Princess Diana step from a gilded carriage for her wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral. But before that fairy-tale moment came a dark and difficult journey.…
Bestselling author Wendy Holden explores the astonishing backstory and young adulthood of the ultimate royal celebrity.
Britain, 1961: A beautiful blonde baby is born to Viscount Althorp, heir to the Spencer earldom. But Diana grows up amid the fallout of her parents’ messy divorce. She struggles at school. Her refuge throughout is romantic novels. She dreams of falling in love and being rescued by a handsome prince.
In royal circles, there is concern about the Prince of Wales. Charles is nearing thirty and the right girl needs to be found, fast. She must be young, aristocratic and completely free of past liaisons. Pure and innocent.
Eighteen-year-old Diana Spencer is just about the only candidate. Her yearning to be loved dovetails with royal desperation for a bride. But the route to the altar is perilous. There are hidden dangers. Ruthless schemers. Can Diana’s romantic dream survive?
What’s it about (in a nutshell):
The Princess by Wendy Holden is a novel about Princess Diana telling her childhood friend how she came to marry Prince Charles (now King).
My Reading Experience:
Wow, this story felt authentic. It didn’t change my opinion about anyone. Still, it definitely intensified feelings that were already there. And I attribute that to the authenticity. In this novel, Diana meets up with her friend in April 1992, just months before she officially separated from Charles. She tells her all that unfolded in the late 70s and early 80s until her wedding. Of course, it’s being told through the eyes of a woman who no longer sees events through rose-colored glasses. Still, other important people also narrated specific parts to balance what could be considered subjective.
I loved the woman empowerment feelings of Diana’s childhood friend, Sandy, versus the rules that Diana was raised with as a noble. It’s a great juxtaposition that clarifies how antiquated and even misogynistic the traditions and ideals of the nobility were during that time. The world has been growing and changing, yet the nobility was stuck back in a different time.
I initially saw footage of the courtship and wedding when I was very young and looked at it through the romantic eyes of a child and how the press portrayed it. It never occurred to me how much of a transaction it all was – barely more than an arranged marriage. My heart ached for Diana, who was also looking at the situation through the romantic eyes of a teen who read romance novels constantly. The reality didn’t take hold until she was married and had two children. I wondered why no one warned her about the reality – where was her family, and why weren’t they looking out for her, or would she have even listened?
Characters:
Princess Diana is very authentically and empathetically portrayed. She is fleshed out exquisitely to the point where I feel I understand her better now than I did when she was still alive. She believed in the ideal and wasn’t mature enough to see anything other than that ideal.
Narration & Pacing:
The pacing is a consistent medium pace that moves at a leisurely place but not one that feels too slow. The narration was mainly in first person, with Diana telling her friend, Sandy, what had happened and getting sections from other players in the tale -notably, the Prince’s valet, who played a prominent role in making the marriage happen and narrated sections. However, he was absent in the 1992 scene with Diana and Sandy.
Setting:
The setting was different areas of the UK, as the story took place in many other regions. It follows the real story consistently regarding the location.
Read if you’re in the mood for:
- Princess Diana’s story through the author’s idea of how she would tell it.
- A behind-the-scenes look at how royalty functions and thinks
- Historical fiction set in the 70s and 80s
Overall Rating: 4.6 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
| Originality | 8 |
| Writing Quality | 10 |
| Pace | 6 |
| Character Development | 8 |
| ‘Couldn’t Put It Down’-ness | 6 |
| Setting | 10 |
11 responses to “The Princess by Wendy Holden #BookReview #HistoricalFiction #WomensFiction #PrincessDi #OutToday”
Fab review so glad you enjoyed it!
It was very interesting and I loved how authentic it sounded.
I like that the author pulled from multiple people to get a more rounded picture, lovely review !
I did too. It doesn’t make anyone look any better but it feels more well-rounded of a perspective.
I also remember bits of the courtship and seeing the wedding on TV. Little did she know what she was getting into.
She was so young. There were definite clues but when your young and the Prince comes to call, I can see how they’d be easy to miss.
This does sound interesting, she was certainly loved by many, great review 💕
This sounds really interesting and well written. I’m not really following the news of royals so I don’t know much about their life but it sure looks gilded cage. Amazing review, Tessa!
Wow. Didn’t think it could be done but you’ve completely changed my mind about adding this book. You feeling its authenticity has me sold. Fantastic review, Tessa💜
[…] had zero interest in this book until I read the review by Tessa @ Tessa Talks Books! The focus of the story and Tessa’s impressions about its authenticity hooked me. It is a […]
I was on the fence about this book, but I am now adding it to my TBR. I just read Spare and a book, even if it is historical fiction, about Harry’s mom is calling to me. It sounds like it was well researched and I am now on the hunt for a copy. Great review, Tessa.