From the author of Royal Mistresses and sixteen entertaining and informative biographies of interesting women comes this is an uncensored account of bizarre royal marriages and the cruelty of nine centuries of marriages of Princes of Wales and monarchs to titled virginal European princesses and teenage aristocrats who they did not love.
Princes married to gain huge dowries from their wives or military alliances with powerful countries but often preferred seductive mistresses to their wives who, as Princess Diana observed on her ‘Secrets’ videotape, were used as ‘baby factories.’ Young Princess Isabella of France was a romantic and was shocked to discover her new husband in love with gay Sir Piers Gavaston. His homosexual relationship caused so much jealousy at court and Gaveston was murdered. Equally, young and romantic Princess Anna of Denmark found her middle-aged husband King James I in love with the charismatic handsome courtier ennobled as Duke of Buckingham. Both these royal husbands spent long periods ignoring their arranged brides and only visited their bedchambers to fulfill their duty and attempt to sire ‘the heir and the spare’ so their dynasty would carry on the line. Tall, handsome, virile King Charles II was a sex addict and sired fifteen children out of wedlock and ennobled five of his illegitimate sons as dukes. He spent little time with his arranged bride, the young Portuguese Princess Catherine whose dowry he squandered on seductive mistresses and flaunted Restoration beauties like Nell Gwyn, Barbara Villiers and Louise de Keroualle at court. King Charles’ virginal teenage bride made the mistake of falling in love with her husband, but Catherine was unable give him an heir so spent much of her married life alone. Charles let a riotous life heading a court obsessed with sex. He conducted state affairs from the luxurious apartment in Whitehall Palace, the suite he had given, arrogant and debauched mistress Barbara Villiers who bore him 6 illegitimate children and hated her rival, Nell Gwyn.

George Augustus, Prince of Wales, found his mail order bride, Princess Caroline, so physically repugnant he called for a glass of brandy and only consummated a marriage made for her large dowry to pay off his debts. Edward VII had at least fifteen mistresses. These facts were hidden from the public who believed in the fairy story that a royal wedding meant the bride and groom lived happy ever after. These fascinating true stories reveal how money and power were seen as more important than love. The final chapters describe how after centuries of unhappy royal wives, Prince William and Prince Harry have been allowed to marry for love alone.

In the 21st century, Prince William and Prince Harry, painfully aware of their mother’s unhappy marriage and its damaging effects on her have stood out against the system which the Queen has finally modernised and allowed them to marry for love. They have both chosen as wives who are highly intelligent university graduates, stylish girls who after a few ‘princess lessons’ about protocol and who they should curtsey to have changed the system which made so many young wives deeply unhappy.