After the war, with the old Victorian princesses long departed, a new generation took centre stage. Yet another book in the Wrexford & Soane series that I couldn’t put down once I’d started reading. I mean, really, when you have science, art, murder, and romance all in one lively, compelling, intricately woven story you just absolutely cannot put it down. You COULD read this as a stand-alone, but I wouldn’t recommend it simply because the first two books lay the groundwork for the relationship between the main characters and the secondary characters – besides, they are just darned good reads!

Princess Diana statue to be installed to mark her 60th - BBC

In 2011, Worsley presented the four-part television series If Walls Could Talk, exploring the history of British homes, from peasants' cottages to palaces; and the three-part series Elegance and Decadence: The Age of the Regency. In 2012 she co-presented the three-part television series Antiques Uncovered, with antiques and collectibles expert Mark Hill, [13] and (broadcast at the same time) Harlots, Housewives and Heroines, a three-part series on the lives of women after the Civil War and the Restoration of Charles II. [14] Later that year she presented a documentary on Dorothy Hartley's Food in England as part of the BBC Four "Food and Drink" strand. Despite one of the biggest murder inquiries in Britain, no one has been brought to justice for the killing. The novel boasts a colourful secondary cast, including Charlotte’s two wards, Hawk and Raven (aka the Weasels) her housekeeper, McLellan, who is as much bodyguard as she is servant, Wrexford’s friend Kit Sheffield and his valet/assistant, Tyler; and they’re joined by the formidable Dowager Marquess of Peake, Charlotte’s aunt, a wonderfully forthright and shrewd lady I hope we’ll meet again in future books. Staff at Heathermount, set in 14 idyllic acres in Sunningdale, Berkshire, remembered him as a "mummy's boy" who followed one of the matrons "like a lost lamb". The less academic pupils, like George, were encouraged to concentrate on woodwork, metalwork, weaving and gardening, and to perform in ambitious theatre productions, such as La Boheme and The Mikado. George, a loner who was said to have stalked and photographed hundreds of women, always maintained his innocence.

Transforming Nottingham House

In 1689, the King and Queen commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to draw up plans, but the Queen herself, excited by the project, took charge of the project to transform this little house into a palace. William and Mary began an era of magnificent balls in a golden three-year period, beginning in 1691. They used their new ornate rooms, elegant staircases and impressive halls to great effect. Guests ate, drank, gambled and flirted until dawn. I liked several of the new characters, especially Cordelia and Charlotte’s aunt Lady Peake. I hope we see more of them in future books. Aged 14, George moved to a council boarding school for boys who had "emotional and behavioural difficulties".

Barry George cleared of Jill Dando murder after retrial Barry George cleared of Jill Dando murder after retrial

According to reports of this case, George followed the civil servant and asked her out. When she rejected him, he grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt. He received a three-month suspended prison sentence. Queen Anne (1702-14) flitted from palace to palace, in between bouts of ill health and 17 pregnancies. Sadly, none of her children lived to succeed her.Owens, Mitchell (1 June 2012). "Kensington Palace's New Look". Architectural Digest . Retrieved 6 September 2020. George's childhood was not easy. His parents' marriage was unstable and led to bitter divorce in December 1973, when Barry was 13. They invigorated court life at Kensington, hosting lavish receptions and leading society life with sparkle. Clever Caroline held intellectual salons, where the brightest minds in arts and sciences gathered. She also helped shape the design of the palace gardens. Here she must re-enter the world she left, but without disclosing that she's the (in)favmous AJ Quill! It's really good that the author is able to make you feel inside the story and give you deatils of what was happening in that period. It was not imposed to you, but I felt like I was inside the story and was living in that era!