The Secret Diary of a Princess: a novel of Marie Antoinette
List Price: $3.00
This is the unforgettable story of a charming, fun loving and frivolous young girl, destined for greatness, coming to age in one of the most magnificent and opulent courts that the world has ever seen.
'As soon as the introductions were over, the King took my hand and led me to the Dauphin, who I had barely noticed since entering the room. He seemed to be trying his best to hide from view and looked uncomfortable and ill at ease in his suit of white satin, sewn all over with diamonds and gold embroidery and I noticed with irritation that he was scratching at his neck underneath the fine white linen of his shirt collar, leaving red scratch marks beneath his powdered wig.
‘Are you ready?’ the King asked as he gave my hand to the Dauphin. ‘All of Versailles awaits you.’
I nodded, feeling the Dauphin’s hand grow hot and clammy against my own. ‘I am ready.’
Reviews:
'Melanie Clegg writes with a refreshing, unpretentious style and an eye to detail that shows her familiarity and expertise with the subject material and giving us a glimpse into the world of a much-misunderstood woman.'
'A wonderful first offering. Unputdownable – the passion of the author for her subject material is compelling and touching, and makes for an emotional read. It completely drew me in and I read it in one sitting.’
'‘I love books in diary format, and I really loved this one. I had trouble at first believing that the girl who was so badly educated that her governess wrote her lessons for her would really keep a diary, but the story drew me in from the start, with the atmosphere of the Imperial court at Schonbrunn drawn so vividly that I could smell the hot chocolate and violet perfume.'
'Maria Antonia grows up on the page, from the child putting mice in her governess’s shoes to the young woman trying to comfort her awkward husband as they enter the chapel at Versailles, and the rest of the Imperial court are drawn very vividly, from Maria Theresa herself to the young adventurer Karl von Zweibrucken. The Secret Diary Of A Princess wears its research lightly, but it’s obvious that the research is there. I’d definitely recommend this novel to anyone interested in Marie Antoinette, or anyone who wants more than a ‘wallpaper historical’.'
The dramatic and often tragic years of Marie Antoinette’s early life, told in her own words. This book follows her privileged childhood and adolescence in the beautiful palaces of Vienna as the youngest and least important of the daughters of the all powerful Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and invites the reader to share the long journey, both emotional and physical that ended with her marriage to the Dauphin Louis of France at Versailles.
This is the unforgettable story of a charming, fun loving and frivolous young girl, destined for greatness, coming to age in one of the most magnificent and opulent courts that the world has ever seen.
'As soon as the introductions were over, the King took my hand and led me to the Dauphin, who I had barely noticed since entering the room. He seemed to be trying his best to hide from view and looked uncomfortable and ill at ease in his suit of white satin, sewn all over with diamonds and gold embroidery and I noticed with irritation that he was scratching at his neck underneath the fine white linen of his shirt collar, leaving red scratch marks beneath his powdered wig.
‘Are you ready?’ the King asked as he gave my hand to the Dauphin. ‘All of Versailles awaits you.’
I nodded, feeling the Dauphin’s hand grow hot and clammy against my own. ‘I am ready.’
Reviews:
'Melanie Clegg writes with a refreshing, unpretentious style and an eye to detail that shows her familiarity and expertise with the subject material and giving us a glimpse into the world of a much-misunderstood woman.'
'A wonderful first offering. Unputdownable – the passion of the author for her subject material is compelling and touching, and makes for an emotional read. It completely drew me in and I read it in one sitting.’
'‘I love books in diary format, and I really loved this one. I had trouble at first believing that the girl who was so badly educated that her governess wrote her lessons for her would really keep a diary, but the story drew me in from the start, with the atmosphere of the Imperial court at Schonbrunn drawn so vividly that I could smell the hot chocolate and violet perfume.'
'Maria Antonia grows up on the page, from the child putting mice in her governess’s shoes to the young woman trying to comfort her awkward husband as they enter the chapel at Versailles, and the rest of the Imperial court are drawn very vividly, from Maria Theresa herself to the young adventurer Karl von Zweibrucken. The Secret Diary Of A Princess wears its research lightly, but it’s obvious that the research is there. I’d definitely recommend this novel to anyone interested in Marie Antoinette, or anyone who wants more than a ‘wallpaper historical’.'
List Price: $3.00
Description
The dramatic and often tragic years of Marie Antoinette’s early life, told in her own words. This book follows her privileged childhood and adolescence in the beautiful palaces of Vienna as the youngest and least important of the daughters of the all powerful Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and invites the reader to share the long journey, both emotional and physical that ended with her marriage to the Dauphin Louis of France at Versailles.This is the unforgettable story of a charming, fun loving and frivolous young girl, destined for greatness, coming to age in one of the most magnificent and opulent courts that the world has ever seen.
'As soon as the introductions were over, the King took my hand and led me to the Dauphin, who I had barely noticed since entering the room. He seemed to be trying his best to hide from view and looked uncomfortable and ill at ease in his suit of white satin, sewn all over with diamonds and gold embroidery and I noticed with irritation that he was scratching at his neck underneath the fine white linen of his shirt collar, leaving red scratch marks beneath his powdered wig.
‘Are you ready?’ the King asked as he gave my hand to the Dauphin. ‘All of Versailles awaits you.’
I nodded, feeling the Dauphin’s hand grow hot and clammy against my own. ‘I am ready.’
Reviews:
'Melanie Clegg writes with a refreshing, unpretentious style and an eye to detail that shows her familiarity and expertise with the subject material and giving us a glimpse into the world of a much-misunderstood woman.'
'A wonderful first offering. Unputdownable – the passion of the author for her subject material is compelling and touching, and makes for an emotional read. It completely drew me in and I read it in one sitting.’
'‘I love books in diary format, and I really loved this one. I had trouble at first believing that the girl who was so badly educated that her governess wrote her lessons for her would really keep a diary, but the story drew me in from the start, with the atmosphere of the Imperial court at Schonbrunn drawn so vividly that I could smell the hot chocolate and violet perfume.'
'Maria Antonia grows up on the page, from the child putting mice in her governess’s shoes to the young woman trying to comfort her awkward husband as they enter the chapel at Versailles, and the rest of the Imperial court are drawn very vividly, from Maria Theresa herself to the young adventurer Karl von Zweibrucken. The Secret Diary Of A Princess wears its research lightly, but it’s obvious that the research is there. I’d definitely recommend this novel to anyone interested in Marie Antoinette, or anyone who wants more than a ‘wallpaper historical’.'
The dramatic and often tragic years of Marie Antoinette’s early life, told in her own words. This book follows her privileged childhood and adolescence in the beautiful palaces of Vienna as the youngest and least important of the daughters of the all powerful Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and invites the reader to share the long journey, both emotional and physical that ended with her marriage to the Dauphin Louis of France at Versailles.
This is the unforgettable story of a charming, fun loving and frivolous young girl, destined for greatness, coming to age in one of the most magnificent and opulent courts that the world has ever seen.
'As soon as the introductions were over, the King took my hand and led me to the Dauphin, who I had barely noticed since entering the room. He seemed to be trying his best to hide from view and looked uncomfortable and ill at ease in his suit of white satin, sewn all over with diamonds and gold embroidery and I noticed with irritation that he was scratching at his neck underneath the fine white linen of his shirt collar, leaving red scratch marks beneath his powdered wig.
‘Are you ready?’ the King asked as he gave my hand to the Dauphin. ‘All of Versailles awaits you.’
I nodded, feeling the Dauphin’s hand grow hot and clammy against my own. ‘I am ready.’
Reviews:
'Melanie Clegg writes with a refreshing, unpretentious style and an eye to detail that shows her familiarity and expertise with the subject material and giving us a glimpse into the world of a much-misunderstood woman.'
'A wonderful first offering. Unputdownable – the passion of the author for her subject material is compelling and touching, and makes for an emotional read. It completely drew me in and I read it in one sitting.’
'‘I love books in diary format, and I really loved this one. I had trouble at first believing that the girl who was so badly educated that her governess wrote her lessons for her would really keep a diary, but the story drew me in from the start, with the atmosphere of the Imperial court at Schonbrunn drawn so vividly that I could smell the hot chocolate and violet perfume.'
'Maria Antonia grows up on the page, from the child putting mice in her governess’s shoes to the young woman trying to comfort her awkward husband as they enter the chapel at Versailles, and the rest of the Imperial court are drawn very vividly, from Maria Theresa herself to the young adventurer Karl von Zweibrucken. The Secret Diary Of A Princess wears its research lightly, but it’s obvious that the research is there. I’d definitely recommend this novel to anyone interested in Marie Antoinette, or anyone who wants more than a ‘wallpaper historical’.'
The AgeCooking for Marie Antoinette"I've cooked for Marie Antoinette, Jane Austen, Francis Drake and Louis XVI, using the correct table settings and methods. I've prepared food for all sorts of people who've been dead for centuries. But there isn't anyone alive who could teach me what I