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 a...

SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION - & NOW INCLUDING SEASON 5 (RELEASED NOVEMBER 2022)'The most knowledgeable royal biographer on the planet' The Financial Times.Hugo Vickers is an acknowledged authority on the British Royal Family. He has commented on royal matters on television and radio since 1973 and worked as historical adviser on a number of films. He is the author of books on the Queen Mother, the Duchess of Windsor, Princess Andrew of Greece (Pri...

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 a...

THE MAJOR NEW BIOGRAPHY OF THE LATE QUEEN: AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER.'Impeccably researched . . . Hugo Vickers offers us his piercing insights into the innermost workings of the Royal family' - DAILY MAIL'His knowledge of royalty and aristocracy is encyclopaedic . . . and his deep emotional connection with Elizabeth II and certain members of her family is given full throttle. The detail about a very public woman wh...

Hugo Vickers's Alice is the remarkable story of Princess Andrew of Greece, whose life seemed intertwined with every event of historical importance in twentieth century Europe."In 1953, at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Alice was dressed from head to foot in a long gray dress and a gray cloak, and a nun's veil. Amidst all the jewels, and velvet and coronets, and the fine uniforms, she exuded an unworldly simplicity. Seated with the royal fami...

The remarkable, moving story of Prince Philip's mother by eminent biographer Hugo Vickers, updated in this new edition - for fans of Kingmaker and The Lives and Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse'Gripping. Hugo Vickers has pulled off an extraordinary feat in describing the life - in many ways tragic - of Princess Andrew of Greece. It is not an exaggeration to say that this is a masterpiece.' - A. N. WilsonPrincess Alice, mo...

**'A pleasure to read... a timely reminder of the need for service' -- The Daily Telegraph'The voices and reminiscence of family and friends merge seamlessly, giving the impression of gathering round the fire on a winter evening' -- The Oldie**'A remarkable memoir penned by the Duke of Kent, whose entire life has been dedicated to Queen and country... an insider's account of what it is like to be a working royal.' -- Daily Mail

**An enthralling portrait of the enigmatic woman at the centre of a now vanished Golden Age of English history: Gladys Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough.'Truly wonderful - a masterclass in storytelling' - SUNDAY TIMES**One of the most beautiful and brilliant women of her time, Gladys Deacon dazzled and puzzled the glittering social circles in which she moved . . .Born in Paris to American parents in 1881, Gladys emerged from a traumatic childhood - he...

A charming account of the life of enigmatic Queen Mary, wife of King George V, and a magnetic portrait of a vanished age'Gloriously indiscreet . . . the best royal book ever' - Harry Mount, Financial TimesWhen 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 in...

Harold Nicolson called her 'the greatest Queen since Cleopatra', while Cecil Beaton called her 'a marshmallow made on a welding machine'. Stephen Tennant said: 'She looked everything that she was not: gentle, gullible, tenderness mingled with dispassionate serenity, cool, well-bred, remote. Behind this veil she schemed and vacillated, hard as nails.' Who was she?The Queen Mother's story has not yet been properly told. This was partly due to her long life, and the difficulty that al...

The definitive and authorised biography of one of the world's most fascinating, famous and admired photographers.Cecil Beaton was one of Britain's greatest cultural icons - not just as a photographer capturing some of the most celebrated portraits of the 20th century but also as designer of the iconic sets and costumes for the films My Fair Lady and Gigi.In 1980, Beaton personally chose Hugo Vickers to be his biographer, e...

Gorgeously repackaged, this reissue of the classic book presents the iconic photographer’s expert and witty reminiscences of the personalities who inspired fashion’s golden eras, and left an indelible mark on his own sense of taste and style. "The camera will never be invented that could capture or encompass all that he actually sees," Truman Capote once said of Cecil Beaton. Though known for his portraits, Beaton was as incisive a writer as he was a photographer. First published in 1954, ...