It’s time for our monthly book club post, magpies! This month, we’re switching things up a bit…

In the past, we’ve done separate discussion/selection posts for each book club pick. In the interest of getting a bit more variety in our selections, though, I’m now going to share a single book club post per month, offering a few favorite recent books and inviting you to talk about any of the royal books you’ve been reading recently.

Our most recent book club selection was Robert K. Massie’s excellent biography of Catherine the Great — just in time for the new Helen Mirren television series about her life! (The show premiered last week in the UK, and it starts on October 21st in the US.) I’d love to hear more of your thoughts on the book. Please feel free to share your reactions to the book in the comment section below!

And now, here are my three picks for The Court Jeweller Book Club for the month…

Prince Albert: The Man Who Saved the Monarchy

A.N. Wilson, Harper

Published: September 3, 2019

My chief complaint about Wilson’s biography of Queen Victoria was that he seemed much more interested in the stories of the men in Victoria’s life than he did in her own story. (The subtitle of this book reveals Wilson’s attitude toward Albert in a nutshell; the Victoria biography was subtitled simply “A Life.”) That problem is resolved in his recent biography of her consort, Prince Albert. Wilson seems much more comfortable in the traditional “great man” territory of the book, which does provide an interesting overview of Albert’s life. I’m still working my way through my copy, but it’s been a fascinating read so far. (Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher.)

Our Rainbow Queen: A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and Her Colorful Wardrobe

Sali Hughes, Plume

Published: October 1, 2019

This fun little photo book is an overview of the Queen’s wardrobe, organized by color. Readers of this blog will no doubt be delighted by the numerous pictures of the Queen throughout the years, accompanied by little informative captions. It’s a vibrant, enjoyable addition to my royal bookshelf.

Royal Holiday

Jasmine Guillory, Berkley

Published: October 1, 2019

Novelist Jasmine Guillory was inspired by two important women — Doria Ragland, mother of the Duchess of Sussex, and her own mother — when writing this charming new book, which imagines a Christmas romance between a fictional American woman and the Queen’s private secretary. The characters are endearing, and the little glimpses into the world of a royal Christmas at Sandringham are especially fun for royal watchers. And readers of this blog will just love the tiara cameos!

If you’d like even more royal book recommendations from me, be sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter! And now, let’s hear it — tell us all about the royal books you’ve been reading lately!

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