The Last Princess: The Devoted Life of Queen Victoria's Youngest Daughter

HRH The Princess Beatrice was the youngest daughter and child of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort and the last of their children of die. She was married to Prince Henry of Battenberg and mother of four children: one of them, Princess Ena, became Queen of Spain (the present Spanish King's grandmother). Her real historical significance however lies in the editing of Queen Victoria's journal.Beatrice spends most of her life in the shadow of the Queen, during the Queen's lifetime but as well after her death. More than any other of the Queen's children Beatrice was absolutely dominated by her mother. This biography is therefore as well a biography on Queen Victoria and a mother-daughter relationship. Matthew Dennison delivers quite a psychological portrait of Beatrice - the effects on her by her mother's domineering and quite selfish behaviour. Therefore, it might be just the reason why during this book not very much emerges about Princess Beatrice herself. To a certain extend she remains a personality very difficult to grab. There is an element of pity one feels for her. Matthew Dennison is not abstaining from criticism, especially as the does not have been a very good mother, putting her mother always first, even before her own children.The book however is too weak on the relationship of The Princess with her husband and children. Her eldest son Drino Lord Carisbrooke who was pompous and effeminate or as diarist James Lees-Milne put it "really and old queen" and of whom the PoW said in 1919 "I hear that Irene Carisbrooke is great with child and Drino has retired to bed for the duration". Hardly any words on granddaughter Iris, who married for the first time in 1941 and therefore during Princess Beatrice`s lifetime.All in all, it is lovely that after nearly 50 years a new biography of the Princess has been published and her relationship with the Queen thoroughly exposed and examined. Rightly Dennison sums up: that she was an essential component in the smooth-running of Victoria's queenship. I enjoyed this book very much as it complemented my studies of the rule and personality of Queen Victoria perfectly. For all who are interested in this period it will add much to the understanding of Queen Victoria. All in all: a book to be recommended.

HRH The Princess Beatrice was the youngest daughter and child of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort and the last of their children of die. She was married to Prince Henry of Battenberg and mother of four children: one of them Ena became Queen of Spain (the present Spanish King's grandmother). Her real historical significance however lies in the editing of Queen Victoria's journal.Beatrice spends most of her life in the shadow of the Queen, during the Queen's lifetime but as well after her death. More than any other of the Queen's children Beatrice was absolutely dominated by her mother. This biography is therefore as well a biography on Queen Victoria and a mother-daughter relationship. Matthew Dennison delivers quite a psychological portrait of Beatrice - the effects on her by her mother's domineering and quite selfish behaviour. Therefore, it might be just that why during the book not very much emerges about Princess Beatrice herself. To a certain extend she remains a personality very difficult to grab and I suppose that is what she exactly was. There is an element of pity one feels for her. Matthew Dennison is not abstaining from criticism, especially as the does not have been a very good mother, putting her mother always first, even before her own children. The book is anyway very weak on the relationship of The Princess with her children. Her eldest son Drino Lord Carisbrooke who was pompous and effeminate or as diarist James Lees-Milne put it "really and old queen" and of whom the PoW said in 1919 "I hear that Irene Carisbrooke is great with child and Drino has retired to bed for the duration". Hardly any words on granddaughter Iris, who married for the first time in 1941 and therefore during Princess Beatrice`s lifetime.All in all, it is lovely that after nearly 50 years a new biography of the Princess has been published and her relationship with the Queen thoroughly exposed and examined. Rightly Dennison sums up: that she was an essential component in the smooth-running of Victoria's queenship. I enjoyed this book very much as it complemented my studies of the rule and personality of Queen Victoria perfectly. For all who are interested in this period it will add much to the understanding of Queen Victoria. All in all: a book to be recommended.

Princess Beatrice, the youngest child of Queen Victoria inevitably set apart by her youth from her older siblngs and intended by her mother to be kept single and in service as permanent companion/ secretary at the beck and call of the Queen. Its an interesting account of their relationship and we have to admire Beatrice for persisting with her quite natural desire and right to marry the man she loved even though their marriage was of short duration with Henry's unfortunate death some 10 years later.My only criticism is the author's frequent repetition regarding Beatrice's forced dedication to her mother's every whim and desire, perhaps because of our 21st century views of Victorian life. We see Victoria as a selfish, grief stricken widow unable to halt the marriages and inevitable separation from her of her older children, but clearly dampening the natural high spirits of her youngest child by her overwhelming possessiveness. But Beatrice accepted her role in life in a way we find difficult to comprehend today, though it was not so uncommon in upper class families that one daughter should remain single to act as companion/help to an aging mother.