The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

TCJ Book Club Pick: Massie’s CATHERINE THE GREAT

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Get excited, magpies: our July/August selection for The Court Jeweller Book Club is…

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Peter III and Catherine II of Russia (Wikimedia Commons)
Massie’s book is a completely fascinating biography of a completely fascinating royal woman. Catherine’s life has become the stuff of legend, but Massie capably transports the reader back to the world of the eighteenth century, breathing life into Catherine’s journey from a small German principality to the throne of imperial Russia.
Portrait of Empress Catherine II (Wikimedia Commons)
The biography is lengthy, but it’s very accessible, and I think both those who are familiar with the subject and those who are reading about the empress for the first time will find things to enjoy within the text. Massie is a master of his genre, and the book is an absolute joy to read.
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We’ll be discussing the book in September, so you’ve got plenty of time to grab a copy and get lost in the world of Catherine’s imperial court! Copies are available at Amazon (and other retailers), and there should be plenty to be found in the second-hand market, too!
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TCJ Book Club Discussion: ROYAL SISTERS

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Grab your copy of our latest book club selection, magpies: it’s time to discuss Anne Edwards’s Royal Sisters!

The Queen and Princess Margaret at the London Coliseum during the Queen’s fifth wedding anniversary celebrations, November 1952 (AFP/Getty Images)

Originally published in the 1990s, Edwards’s book takes a look at the young lives of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, from their childhood until the 1950s. Their romances with Philip Mountbatten and Peter Townsend form a major part of the book. Edwards is keenly interested in the way the regal position of each princess informed her romance.

Peter Townsend in Brussels, March 1955 (Central Press/Getty Images)

The book was republished in 2016, no doubt thanks to the success of The Crown. Edwards has provided a new foreword to the book that discusses her own personal connections to her biographical subjects — including her friendship with Townsend.

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What did you make of Edwards’s glimpse into the early years of the Queen’s life and reign? What did you make of the portrayal of her relationship with her younger sister? Let’s discuss the book in the comments below!

Our discussion of Royal Sisters continues below in the comments! Stay tuned later this morning for the big reveal of our next selection for The Court Jeweller Book Club!