The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding, Jennifer Robson

Eight stars

Jennifer Robson appeals to those who love all things ‘British Royals’ as well as fans of historical fiction with her latest piece. How something like the wedding gown worn by Princess Elizabeth could garner so much attention may confound some, but it all becomes clear by the end of this novel. Ann Hughes is employed by Norman Hartnell , a high-end couturier that has recently been asked to make some dresses for the Royal Family. So busy is the shop that when Miriam Dassin arrives from France, her skills make her a wonderful addition to the group of embroiderers. While the group gets to know a little more about Miriam, they learn that she is quite tight-lipped about her life before coming to England, as though it is all a major secret. Soon thereafter, Hartnell is told that his shop will be making Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown, creating a buzz amongst the embroiderers. As Ann and Miriam work, they grow closer to one another, slowly divulging secrets about their respective pasts. When not working on the gown—a top-secret project—they find themselves discovering the allure of the opposite sex. As both Miriam and Ann are young and unmarried, it only makes sense that they turn a few heads. The story tells how both women discover love amidst the backdrop of the most sought after social event of 1947. Speed ahead to Toronto in 2016, Ann’s granddaughter, Heather, makes a discover she will not soon forget. Learning that her grandmother worked on the current Queen’s wedding gown, Heather rushes to England to discover a little more, knowing little about her grandmother’s past before arriving in Canada. It is there that she learns that the famous designer, Miriam Dassin, not only knew her grandmother, but worked alongside her. As Heather makes meaningful connections in England to better understand the life her grandmother left behind, she is touched beyond belief to better understand the life Miriam lived before making it to England to work on the project of a lifetime. Uplifting and heartwarming, as well as full of historical anecdotes, Robson dazzles readers with this piece that is sure to create quite the fanfare! Recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction, as well as the reader whose interest is piqued by talk of royal events.

While I tend not to read stories with strong romantic undertones, I could not help but want to read this piece. I noticed its premise—the wedding gown to the current Queen of Canada—and could not help but wonder if the threads of historical fiction would counterbalance the amorous themes. Robson not only details the characters, but creates a persona of the gown as it is being created. Ann Hughes is a young woman whose life has centred around her sketches and ability to embroider Given this chance to work on the gown, she puts her all into it, perhaps blinded by the world around her and those seeking an early peek at this most talked about piece of fabric. Miriam Dassin has been through so much even before she graces the pages of this book, showing how her backstory helps push her into a world of excitement and secrets, all of which are slowly revealed. Heather’s revelations about her grandmother exemplify for the reader just how little was know about Ann before she arrived in Canada, leaving her family in the dark. As these three women grow in their respective storylines, the one thing tying them all together is the wedding gown, whose importance pales in comparison to the life lessons discovered, but seems to be something about which all three women can use to grow in their own way. The story proves strong and lasts, keeping the reader hooked through the various shifts in time. While there is a regal theme throughout, this does not drown out some of the other narratives that blossom as the story gets more intense. Robson has a way of keeping the narrative flowing without the need to spin the reader in circles. While this is the first piece of Jennifer Robson’s that I have read, I hope it will not be the last.

Kudos, Madam Robson, for a piece that entertained me throughout, while keeping me wondering what awaited around the next corner. You deserve all the praise you receive and I am eager to explore what else you’ve written in your career.

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons

The Ring and the Crown: A History of Royal Weddings 1066-2011, by Alison Weir, Kate Williams, Sarah Gristwood, and Tracy Borman

Eight stars

The idea of a royal wedding still gets the general public twitterpated. Mass spectacles and media events surround the event, with hours of coverage before the event even takes place, particularly those in the House of Windsor. But these events have not always been such a grand affair, as the authors of this book explore in detail. British Royal Weddings have come a long way over the centuries and continue to evolve with the times. Alison Weir begins the discussion, tackling the largest time period from 1066-1714. In this time, Weir explores some of the early weddings, which were affairs that helped solidify more recent land holdings the British Crown defends as its own. In her unique writing style, Weir looks at many of the unions as being political or strongly related to territorial acquisitions. Throughout, there is a theme of the ‘hesitant bride’, forced into the union by her family to secure peace and normally a chaste virgin, who may have sometimes only met her husband the day before (or morning of) the wedding. Kate Williams tackles weddings from 1714 through to the end of the Great War, an equally interesting time. She builds on Weir’s view of unions as a means of land or political stability, as well as exploring hesitant players. In one example, she tells of George, Prince of Wales, who set eyes upon his future wife (Caroline of Brunswick), but felt she was too plain to marry. He was coaxed into the union and did bring about an heir, though wanted it known that he still preferred his mistress. This was also the era of Princess Victoria, whose wedding cake was massive, weighing in at over 300 lbs. Williams adds that it was Victoria’s choosing a white dress that began the trend that is still in use today. Sarah Gristwood handles nuptials from 1918 through to 1960, which launched a new era of weddings, where the public was not only aware of events, but played a more active role. With fewer unions for political necessity, Gristwood describes these marriages as being more love-related, allowing the public to see the royals as human beings. Still, the public was also able to participate by actively listening to the ceremony on BBC (and eventually viewing it). Gristwood recounts protest to the BBC airing the wedding of the future George VI to Lady Elizabeth Bowles-Lyon over the air, as any common person could be listening to it in a public house and still wearing their hat (!!). This was also the time of the future Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding, one of the early events in televised royal pomp and circumstance. Tracy Borman writes of the last era of royal wedding (1961-2011), in which scandal and curses overshadowed many of the unions. The Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret began the era, followed by some of the lesser royals, until the Queen’s own children (Anne, Charles, and Andrew) all wed in the 1970s and 80s. Their marriages drew pomp, but fizzled for reasons the Borman discusses in her narrative. It was not until the latter part of this era, that royal weddings seemed to recover and find a strong foundation of love and commitment, which is where they ended when the book was published, awaiting Prince William’s union to Kate’s Middleton. There is no doubt that weddings of all sorts draw the attention of people, but it would seem those of the royal persuasion seem to pull people in and beg them to make a little something of the affair (no curse intended). Wonderfully crafted by these four female historians! Anyone with an interest in all things royal will surely enjoy this piece, if only to lose themselves for a few hours, or to find something to place atop the coffee table.

This guide through the world of royal weddings came out at the time that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged and awaited their big day. A wonderful collection of stories and images that helped personify the royal nuptials, as well as giving some well-known historians the chance to recount tales of the different unions. Collected in this book that I might call ‘coffee table literature’, it should not be discounted as having superficial writing. It is full of wonderful descriptions of events, just enough for the reader to have a general understanding without bogging them down. Tied to the writing, the book is full of sketches, etchings, paintings, and eventually photographs that add excitement to the stories being told. The authors have been able to accentuate their work with these colourful depictions, including some photos that take the reader back in time. Wonderfully collected, the four parts of the book read easily and the reader gets a general idea of what happened and how things progressed nicely. I can only hope that many will take the time to read this, if only for their own interest, to explore how royal weddings have progressed and some of the little-known facts that emerge. A great read that needs the printed book to give it the full impact, especially with all those photos throughout.

Kudos, Madams Weir, Williams, Gristwood, and Borman. This was the perfect compendium of royal weddings and I applaud you all for your dedication to this massive project.

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons