Courtiers - Valentine Low

Courtiers

By Valentine Low

  • Release Date: 2023-01-24
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Score: 4
4
From 72 Ratings

Description

The gripping account of how the Royal family really operates, from the journalist who has spent years studying them. Who really runs the show and, as Charles III begins his reign, what will happen next?

Throughout history, the British monarchy has relied on its courtiers - the trusted advisers in the King or Queen's inner circle - to ensure its survival as a family and a pillar of the country. Today, as ever, a carefully selected team of people hidden from view steers the royal family's path between public duty and private life. Queen Elizabeth II, after a remarkable 70 years of service, saw the final seasons of her reign without her husband Philip to guide her. Now, a newly ascended Charles seeks to define what his future as King, and that of his court, will be.

The question of who is entrusted to guide the royals has never been more vital. Yet, as the tensions within the family are exposed to global scrutiny like never before, the task these courtiers face has never been more challenging. With a dark cloud hanging over Prince Andrew as well as Harry and Meghan's controversial departure from royal life, William and Kate - equipped with a very 21st century approach to press and public relations - now hold the responsibility of making an ancient institution relevant for the decades to come. In fascinating and explosive detail, Valentine Low explores the previously unknown relationship between modern courtiers and the royal family.

Courtiers pulls back the veil to reveal an ever-changing system of complex characters, shifting alliances, and a battle of ideas over what the future of the institution should be. This is the inside story of how the monarchy really works, at a pivotal moment in its history.

Reviews

  • Good read

    5
    By ElliotPepper
    The pacing of the narrative is good. Interesting tales of the inner workings of palace life. This book is well balanced and spares no one. I highly recommend reading this book if you are interested in the goings on of palace life behind the scenes.
  • Talk about wishful thinking…

    1
    By Anthony "Chipmunk" Wiggins
    I purchased this book under false pretenses. I was misled into believing that this would be a “behind the curtain” look into the lives of the men and women who serve the royal family (which I’ll admit has always been fascinating to me). However, I quickly realized that what I got was something else entirely. I think it borders along the criminal to use direct quotes throughout your book and attribute them only to “unknown sources”, or “close friends”. Doing so only causes your audience to question your authenticity (and in my case, lose interest). From attributing his own imaginings to the thoughts and feelings of the royals and their staff, to making snide, callous remarks about people to whom he has little (if any) relationship to is unprofessional and amateurish. Coupled with that, the author spends an endless amount of time doing a severe hatchet job on Harry and Meghan (I should have known coming in, that the author would be more inclined to flatter the Prince and Princess of Wales to the demonization of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex). All told, this author is a searing reminder of why celebrities (which the author is not, nor will he ever be) desire a sense of privacy. To steer clear from the homemade gutter garbage that is the tabloid reporter.