Traitor King

On December 11, 1936 the King of England, Edward VIII, gave up his crown for Wallis Simpson, an American who was divorced twice.  Their courtship had been dogged by controversy and scandal, but with Edward's abdication he thought they could live happily ever after.  In this dual biography historian Andrew Lownie reveals the dramatic lives of both of the Windsors post-abdication. 

I was not surprised that the royal family shunned him. Edward embarrassed them not only by demanding to marry Wallis but also by befriending Adolf Hitler. It was fairly obvious that war with Germany was coming. However, Edward thought he could negotiate peace with Hitler. Edward was scarred by his participation in WWI and wanted to avoid war at any cost. He had a blind spot with Hitler, though, who attempted to recruit Edward to his cause. The family and the government believed that he was incompetent to be king and I believe that is the real reason they forced the issue with Wallis.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor traveled from sumptuously appointed mansions in the south of France to luxurious residences in Palm Beach. Research shows, however, that they were spoiled, selfish people, obsessed with their image, and revelling in adulterous affairs with people of both sexes. I was surprised that they never paid for any of their expenses, hoping the royal family would pay the bills. The reason this is surprising is because Edward held assets worth one million dollars. Both were bisexual and the author tells us who they were with and when. Alot of the research was obtained from letters the author found.

If all this was not enough of a scandal, the Duke, as Governor of the Bahamas, tried to shut down an investigation into the murder of a close friend. No, these two do not appear to be as glamorous as we all once thought.

The book is a quick read and I enjoyed it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Camilla From Outcast to Queen Consort

Camilla From Outcast to Queen Consort was written by one of my favorite UK news reporters, Angela Levin. It paints a much different portrait of Camilla than that in Tom Bower’s recently updated book Rebel King. Let's see what Levin tells us about her.

The publisher's summary:

For many years, Camilla was portrayed in a poor light, blamed by the public for the break-up of the marriage between Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Initially, Queen Elizabeth refused to see or speak to her, but, since the death of Prince Philip, Camilla had become one of the Queen's closest companions. Her confidence in Camilla and the transformation she had seen in Prince Charles since their wedding resulted in her choosing the first day of her Platinum Jubilee year to tell the world that she wanted Camilla to be Queen Consort, not the demeaning Princess Consort suggested in 2005.

Angela Levin uncovers Camilla’s rocky journey to be accepted by the royal family and how she coped with her brutal portrayal in Netflix's The Crown. The public have witnessed her tremendous contribution to help those in need, especially during COVID. Levin has talked to many of Camilla’s long-term friends, her staff and executives from the numerous charities of which Camilla is patron. She reveals why Camilla concentrates on previously taboo subjects, such as domestic violence and rape. Most of all, Levin tells the story of how Camilla has changed from a fun-loving young woman to one of the senior royals’ hardest workers. She has retained her mischievous sense of humor, becoming a role model for older women and an inspiration for younger ones.

Camilla is both an extraordinary love story and a fascinating portrait of an increasingly confident Queen Consort in waiting. It is an essential read for anyone wanting a greater insight into the royal family.

Tom Bower gave us a picture of Camilla as lazy. Angela Levin tells us she is hard working and nice to everyone she meets. However, Levin admits that Camilla did not begin to work hard until she married Charles. Both of them had a big lifestyle adjustment to make after the marriage. As I approached the halfway point in the book I wondered whether it was just a puff piece. Camilla can do no wrong in the author's eyes. Yet Levin has a reputation in the UK as a fabulous journalist. It doesn't really matter much to me because I began to get bored while reading. Levin accounted for every outing her subject had, the clothes and jewels she wore and that people were surprised that Camilla was nice. It was too much repetition. Factor in that I only read the book as a compliment to the one I recently read on the life of Charles and that I don't like Camilla much. 

I was surprised that Camilla has a huge fear of being jeered in public. It shouldn't have been that surprising given the public abuse she endured for many years from Diana fans. She is still on edge when she is out in public. While I watched the coronation I thought to myself that she looked afraid when she was crowned and wondered if she thought about usurping the throne from Diana. We all know karma is the baddest bitch we know. With the information we get from the book it is likely that Camilla actually had those thoughts.

While I love seeing the author on UK news stations, her book was not very enlightening. I am rating it 3 out of 5 stars.

Rebel King

Rebel King: The Making of a Monarch was originally published under the title Rebel Prince in 2018. Tom Bower updated his biography of King Charles III and I found it to be quite revealing about why his son Harry behaves the way he does. It's a matter of like father like son. Please note that my review contains spoilers. 

The publisher's summary: 

King Charles III faces many challenges as he succeeds his mother to the throne. Despite his hard work and genuine concern for the disadvantaged, King Charles III has struggled in the past to overcome his unpopularity. After Diana’s death, his approval rating crashed to four per cent and has been only rescued by his marriage to Camilla.

In unearthing many secrets and dramas surrounding King Charles, Bower’s book, relies on the testimony from over 120 people employed or welcomed into the inner sanctum. The result is a book which uniquely probes the character and court of Charles that no one, until now, has seen. It offers an unrivalled and intimate look at King Charles, his many years as heir and how a monarch was made.

What struck me the most was how similar Prince Harry's behavior is to Charles' behavior. The public seems to believe that Harry is an aberration in the royal family. He's not. Charles has behaved the same way his entire life. Charles has never had to pay for his mistakes whether they be personal or professional. Charles has also had his fair share of sex scandals although they have been mostly covered up. Charles is no different than his brother Andrew in that he associated with a pedophile and met women through that association. However, Charles knew to keep his mouth shut and let the coutiers handle it. Andrew didn't. 

Tom Bower wrote that Charles suffers from depression and that his grandmother, the Queen Mother, helped him deal with it. The depression began in early childhood when his parents were away on royal tours. I presume there is an abandonment issue here. How could there not be? I was also surprised to learn that Charles had a plan to make Camilla his wife from the day of his divorce from Princess Diana. Many of his coutiers actions in this vain were nullified by continual newspaper accounts of Charles' misbehavior. 

This book is an eye opening account of Charles' life with names, dates and details of every significant event in his life. My expectations for the book were low but I found it to be enlightening. 4 out of 5 stars.

William at 40

My review of Tom Bower's Revenge was a popular read, for my blog at least. I decided to take on another royal family tome, Robert Jobson's William at 40 The Making of a Modern Monarch. I was expecting a few new revelations but, sadly, the only new facts that I am aware of were written in the Preface.  

The publisher's summary:

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is destined one day to be king. Determined to serve his country as his grandmother, the Queen has so selflessly done for seven decades, William is the epitome of a loving husband to Catherine, and a devoted father to their three children: George, Charlotte and Louis. In public, William appears calm, balanced and determined. He is passionate about safeguarding the environment and helping to protect species under threat of extinction. The Duke and his wife have also worked tirelessly to remove the stigma that continues to mark mental health problems. In private, however, those close to him say that William, while being a dedicated servant of the Crown can defy his calm, family-guy public demeanour. This is the definitive account – insightful and nuanced – of the life of the Duke of Cambridge as he approaches his milestone birthday. Jobson explores the complex character of the man who will one day reign as King William V. It is the story of the making of a king for our times. THE STORY OF THE MAKING OF A MONARCH FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY.

 

If you have ever read any newspaper article about William, or a social media post, then you probably are familiar with the material in this biography. These posts seems to rehash his life in its entirety. There isn't anything new here other than the description of William's temper in the Preface. The book seemed to me to be a fluff piece. It begins with his birth and continues to the present day. I guess readers of a younger generation than mine might find something new here but I did not learn anything new about the future King William V. I also did not read anything to justify the subtitle "the making of a modern monarch." Jobson talks about William's listening skills and his use of modern technology as proof that his dynasty will be modern. Any fortysomething individual is going to use modern technology. I don't see that as a reason to call him a modern monarch. I was looking for other reasons for the use of the subtitle. I am not sure what I was looking for, but more than what I got.

3 out of 5 stars.

The Widow Clicquot

The Widow Clicquot is a biography of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot. After the death of her husband she became driven to succeed as a champagne vintner and created the Veuve Clicquot brand. Veuve means widow in French. Nicole was called Veuve Clicquot by her contemporaries and that is how the brand got its name. I think it is the best champagne in the world.

The book begins in 1789 Reims with an eleven year old Nicole. When the French Revolution arrived in Reims, Nicole had to leave the royal school she attended and be disguised as a peasant in order to safely return to her home. Soon thereafter, her family was discussing possible matches for a marriage. Nicole was lucky to catch the dashing François Clicquot. François was from a wealthy textile family. He, however, preferred to dabble in the production of wine than working in the textile business. François died early in the marriage. A business competitor, Jean-Remy Moet, told everyone who would listen that François killed himself because his business was failing. However, Nicole vowed to make something from her husband's vines. Moet, though, continued to lie about Nicole to keep her business from growing. He wanted her out of business so that he could buy her land. 

During this era sparkling wine was rare. It was not yet called champagne. It was vin mousseux. I was surprised to read that there were several successful women in the wine business during the 18th century. I always thought Nicole was a trailblazing anomaly but she wasn't. These other women were not from the bourgeois class and had more freedom to become entrepreneurs than Nicole had.

Most of the book discusses the problems Nicole had in building her company. She had to deal with the internal politics of France as well as Russian politics. Russia was where she could sell alot of wine, if she could get her bottles over there. Moet again was a trouble maker. He frequently thwarted her plans to have her bottles put on ships that were headed towards her market in St. Petersburg. It kind of makes me want to ban Moet champagne in my household so I can be in solidarity with Nicole. She is definitely seen as a heroine in the book, almost like a character would be in a fiction book. 

The Widow Clicquot tells an inspirational story that anyone can prosper if they don't give up. It took Nicole a lifetime to reach her goal. I think today people would give up after a few years of poor sales but our heroine had a vision that she could not ignore.

4 out of 5 stars 

Empire of Pain

Empire of Pain details the Sackler family's pharmaceutical businesses. The Sacklers have given us librium, valium, oxycontin as well as the antiseptic betadine and the laxative senotkot.  From the language that the author has used, it is obvious that this book was intended not just to ruin the family name (which they did a good job of themselves) but to show that the opioid epidemic in the U. S. was directly caused by the use of oxycontin. However, "gaps" in the meticulously researched expose speak loudly.  

The Sackler brothers Arthur, Raymond and Mortimer were the children of American immigrants Isaac and Sophie Sackler. As first generation kids, their parents instilled in them the desire to make a name for the family. Sophie wanted all of her sons to be doctors and they all became one. Arthur, being the oldest, led his brothers to inherit all of his jobs and businesses when he went to college, whether that be a paper route or a vice president in one of his many corporations that he started while still in high school. When it came time to start a new corporation for the Sackler family, Purdue Pharma, Arthur's push to succeed caused him to shelter the family under 30 shadow companies. This business structure remained over the decades. These umbrella corporations handled things that would be a conflict of interest for Purdue Pharma, such as medical advertising and medical trials. The main company did the research and development, the drug trials and the advertising of the drug. Arthur made a ton of money for the family and succeeding generations merely followed his business plan.

Another one of Arthur's ideas was to take a product and advertise it as not just being for the main purpose it was created for but also to broaden its functions so that more people would want to buy the product. Arthur was a master advertiser. He was taking over the advertising for companies when he was still in high school. With the Sacklers being involved in pharmaceuticals, they were steering people toward drugs that were created for patients with severe pain even though their pain might be considered slight or moderate. These company strategies were later determined to be criminal and resulted in the company's downfall.

The author performed meticulous research. He read every document in every lawsuit of which the family was a part. The author's premise that oxycontin was the sole cause of the opioid epidemic does not hold water. He shows how those people prone to addiction and those who were already addicted to other drugs became addicted to oxycontin. However, he does not cite any data that shows that all people with chronic pain became addicted.  This was the family's defense. Many patients with chronic pain from identifiable conditions shown on x-rays and MRIs could not be shown to be addicted. Given that the author researched every single document on Purdue Pharma it is suspicious to me that there was no study showing this to be true. The author always refers to specific documents to prove his point. However, he sidetracked on this point and I can only surmise that is because there is no evidence to the contrary. 

A big part why family members behaved the way they did was due to their overwhelming wealth. The second and third generations grew up with no boundaries and no real concern for how well they performed in school or how well they performed their jobs in the company. If a problem arose concerning reports of addiction from oxycontin use, they simply ignored it because it was not in their interest.

Empire of Pain is a great resource for readers who want to learn the details about the oxycontin problem.  I highly recommend it.  5 out of 5 stars.

The Cartiers

The Cartiers is scheduled for publication in June 2021. However, I was able to buy a Kindle copy last month.  The author, Francesca Cartier Brickell, is a Cartier descendant.  When her grandfather, Jean-Jaques Cartier, was still alive she found a box full of old letters and documents in his home.  They reviewed them together and this knowledge became the basis for the book.

The book covers the beginning of the Cartier jewelry dynasty from its beginning in 1819 with Louis-Francois Cartier.  Louis-Francois started out in the jewelry business as an apprentice to Bernard Picard who owned  a well established workshop.  Workshop managers were known to use a whip when apprentices made mistakes. Many apprentices did not fulfill their apprenticeships but Louis-Francois was very determined because he had watched his father build a life from nothing.  His son Alfred learned the business from him and was able to pass it on to his three sons, Louis, Pierre and Jaques. The next generation sold their jewels to the Romanov dynasty as well as other royal families throughout the world.  Today, Cartier is a prominent international jeweler known for their creativity and excellence in workmanship.  

This book is an inspiring read for entrepreneurs.  Entrepreneurs will learn how to run a business so that it grows and maintains relevance through good economic years and bad.  The Cartiers figured out how to survive during the French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon, the fall of the Romanovs and both world wars.  It was interesting to read about the thoughts of the family on how to accomplish this. The book is also a behind the scenes look at how the Cartiers sold to the rich, royal and famous and offers tidbits on some of their best clients.

The Cartiers is a wonderful history book on the world of high jewelry.  5 out of 5 stars.

The Queen's Marriage

I don't usually read biographies let alone salacious ones at that. However, I have been watching Lady Colin Campbell's You Tube channel and she certainly knows alot about the royal and aristocratic families. I decided to take this book out of the library and see what new information there is inside it.  Most of the information is well known but there are a few shockers. Yes, this is a spoiler alert!  

So what's the shocking story?  When the Queen's sister Margaret was told that she could not marry her divorced love, Margaret let her sister know that her husband had been sleeping around.  The Queen not only lost her closest friend, Margaret, but felt estranged from her husband Phillip.  She fell into a deep depression and had electric shock treatments administered to her.  The Queen's advisors all said that she couldn't do her job if she was on psychiatric meds and in the 1950s shock treatment was well regarded and a fast treatment.  I find this shocking ( pun intended).  How could anyone believe that electric shock therapy was a good thing?  The Queen could have been permanently physically damaged.  What were they thinking?

The other astonishing tidbit was both the Queen and Princess Margaret were conceived via artificial insemination. Their mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, did not like sex and cut her husband off while on their honeymoon.  A reliable physician inserted King's George VI 's semen into her.  This all sounds pretty gross to me but the author said this was not unusual for aristocratic couples who could not conceive.  Sometimes a surrogate was used too.

The biography is a quick read and I enjoyed it despite having to reread the sections that seemed unbelievable. I had to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.  5 out of 5 stars.