Nonfiction

Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor

Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor

  • Downloads：9755
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-01-19 10:51:35
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Valentine Low
  • ISBN：125028256X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

The gripping account of how the Royal family really operates from the man who has spent years studying them in his role as Royal correspondent for The Times。 Valentine Low asks the important questions: 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， an ancient institution， and a pillar of the constitution。 Today， as ever， a vast 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。 Meanwhile， 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， and yet the task those courtiers face has never been more challenging。 With a cloud hanging over Prince Andrew as well as Harry and Meghan's departure from royal life， the complex relationship between modern courtiers and royal principals has been exposed to global scrutiny。 As the new Prince and Princess of Wales， 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。

Courtiers reveals an ever-changing system of complex characters， shifting values and ideas over what the future of the institution should be。 This is the story of how the monarchy really works， at a pivotal moment in its history。

Download

Reviews

Jennifer Rose ，

Since I normally don't read non-fiction books I decided to pick this one up because I love learning about the royal family。We get an insight into political intrigue within the british government， court politics， what was megxit and many other things。I don't feel that this book really shines a light on the british monarchy and instead really brings about some things that are wrong with the establishment。as much as I'm a fan of the british monarchy it was nice to see inside a bit more。 Since I normally don't read non-fiction books I decided to pick this one up because I love learning about the royal family。We get an insight into political intrigue within the british government， court politics， what was megxit and many other things。I don't feel that this book really shines a light on the british monarchy and instead really brings about some things that are wrong with the establishment。as much as I'm a fan of the british monarchy it was nice to see inside a bit more。 。。。more

Ruth ，

I found this book very insightful as to what goes on behind the scenes of the Monarchy and its institution。 You get a different perspective written by someone who has insider knowledge。

Kel ，

Read the last half。 3 stars for that。 No rating for first half。

Tracy Sauvageau ，

If you are interested in learning how the palace works and who makes decisions regarding the Royal Family， this book details it all！The royals all have teams of professionals to guide them through times of crisis。 This book gives a glimpse into those inner workings。I felt like a fly on the palace walls！However， some of the chapters could get a bit dry。 I personally preferred the chapters about how the advisors interacted with the Royal Family， but I understand the purpose of including that infor If you are interested in learning how the palace works and who makes decisions regarding the Royal Family， this book details it all！The royals all have teams of professionals to guide them through times of crisis。 This book gives a glimpse into those inner workings。I felt like a fly on the palace walls！However， some of the chapters could get a bit dry。 I personally preferred the chapters about how the advisors interacted with the Royal Family， but I understand the purpose of including that information as well。 This was such an interesting read！ I am trying to read more nonfiction this year， are you？ If so， check it out！ It is well written and researched！ 。。。more

Alison ，

Another view of what is happening behind the scenes with our monarchy！ Is it all true， who knows but still enjoyable

Sarah ，

There has been a recent influx of books on the royal family and， unfortunately， this particular book did not work for me。 I found it disjointed and confusing， jumping around from one person （courtier） to the next。 Just as something would get interesting， it would move on to the next courtier and leave me feeling unfulfilled。 There were some interesting bits， but this was not the gripping account the synopsis promises。 More often than not， I was bored and skimmed the pages。 I understand that all There has been a recent influx of books on the royal family and， unfortunately， this particular book did not work for me。 I found it disjointed and confusing， jumping around from one person （courtier） to the next。 Just as something would get interesting， it would move on to the next courtier and leave me feeling unfulfilled。 There were some interesting bits， but this was not the gripping account the synopsis promises。 More often than not， I was bored and skimmed the pages。 I understand that all books are not for everyone and I hope my review/opinion is in the minority。Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more

Elisa ，

Needed charts showing the different titles as an org chart and which courtiers worked with which royals at what times

Jen Pham for Literary Leftovers Bookstore ，

Once ensconced in ceremony， they now sit in plain sight， slate gray suits behind the colours of the ruling family。 I am， of course， referring to the courtiers: private secretaries， the teams who deal with press relations， and all of the rarely-acknowledged people guiding the throne from behind the scenes。 Valentine Low， a journalist known for his work both at The Times and on television as a royal commentator， dives deep into the history of courtiers and their respective relations with the Briti Once ensconced in ceremony， they now sit in plain sight， slate gray suits behind the colours of the ruling family。 I am， of course， referring to the courtiers: private secretaries， the teams who deal with press relations， and all of the rarely-acknowledged people guiding the throne from behind the scenes。 Valentine Low， a journalist known for his work both at The Times and on television as a royal commentator， dives deep into the history of courtiers and their respective relations with the British monarchy。 It is a fascinating look at the time-honoured traditions still in play， and the true influence of those who write the speeches as opposed to those who deliver them。 Low investigates how each courtier made their way into the court， and goes over their career highlights and scandals in equal measure。 He also offers an intimate peek into recent royal dramas， and offers a （mostly） factual take， sprinkled with his own opinions。 For those unfamiliar with English history， you may miss a lot of references to dramas both old and new。 This is a book for those who have a deep appreciation for history， and an interest both in government and the royal family。 Something to note: this book was written before the death of Queen Elizabeth II。 Hence， it does not comment on the events of the last few months， but includes events up to the middle of 2022。 。。。more

Julie ，

4。5 starsThis is very illuminating and breaks the mystique surrounding “The Men in Grey Suits”， a phrase so beloved by Diana。What is refreshing is that this book isn’t just about Harry and Meghan， so it doesn’t just feel like a rebuttal of the Oprah interview and subsequent revelations。We get to see the flawed way that Royal Private Secretaries and other staff are selected and that naturally has an impact on the quality of their advice and their general abilities。 Some have been selected because 4。5 starsThis is very illuminating and breaks the mystique surrounding “The Men in Grey Suits”， a phrase so beloved by Diana。What is refreshing is that this book isn’t just about Harry and Meghan， so it doesn’t just feel like a rebuttal of the Oprah interview and subsequent revelations。We get to see the flawed way that Royal Private Secretaries and other staff are selected and that naturally has an impact on the quality of their advice and their general abilities。 Some have been selected because they won’t rock the boat， while others have brought genuine fresh air to these stuffy roles。We also learn that the King/Queen have their advisers paid for out of the Privy Purse， which others are paid for out of private income。 There is no consistency therefore in salaries， personal attributes or abilities。 The system is also set up in a way that it makes it hard for all advisers to have allegiance to the monarch （which is their overarching responsibility） if their employer is in opposition to a course of action。 Big egos also have no place here。 We see this most starkly with Harry and Meghan and could account for why they went through courtiers at such a lightning rate。 The big take away of the book is that the whole system needs to be modernised and it certainly looks like both Charles and William are willing and able to do this。 A spirit of cooperation between the senior royals must not be undermined by ambitious or egotistical staff。 We must also have a clear picture of the role for all “Spares” of the future。 Whatever we think of Harry and Meghan， he should never have been allowed to build up the level of resentment that has resulted in dividing his family。 His mother was very aware of the dangers more than 30 years ago and I guess it’s another sad consequence of her tragic early death。To be clear， I am not being critical of Courtiers generally or specifically here。 I just feel the role is a rogue one that needs a 21st century makeover。 。。。more

cow boy ，

2。5 starsI seem to be in the minority here， what I thought started off interesting and actually about courtiers turned into a middle aged man ranting about meghan and how it’s not actually racism。

Cortney ，

I had high hopes for this one。 Unfortunately I found it boring and a bit long for what it was。It was interesting reading about the inner workings of the royals but not nearly as gripping as it claims to be。 It seems as though it’s quite biased towards King Charles and Camilla while tearing apart Harry and Meghan。 I understand that it’s the opinion of one person， I just expected a bit more of an unbiased opinion I guess。 Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for the ARC eBook in exchange I had high hopes for this one。 Unfortunately I found it boring and a bit long for what it was。It was interesting reading about the inner workings of the royals but not nearly as gripping as it claims to be。 It seems as though it’s quite biased towards King Charles and Camilla while tearing apart Harry and Meghan。 I understand that it’s the opinion of one person， I just expected a bit more of an unbiased opinion I guess。 Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for the ARC eBook in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Krista ，

Interesting look at the people who run the British monarchy。 I admit I did skim over some parts but the portions I read were fascinating！

Dive Into A Good Book ，

This was a hard book to get through。 It was extremely dry and stodgy。 I hate saying that， because I want to love each and every book that I read。 But this one was rough。 There were some stories that caught my interest throughout。 I enjoyed seeing what each person does within the royal household and the importance that they bring to the table。 Except for brief tidbits here and there my mind wandered and I could not help but skim the pages。 Thank you to St。 Martin Press for my gifted copy。

readthisandsteep ，

Courtiers is a fascinating fascinating work of non-fiction by British journalist Valentine Low that takes an in-depth look at the role of courtiers （advisors/attendants to royalty） within the British monarchy。 The book defines the positions， particularly that of personal secretary， and looks at them from historical and modern perspectives。 Detailed descriptions of the jobs， and people who held them， help paint a picture of the behind-the-scenes workings of "The Firm。" This book is an insightful Courtiers is a fascinating fascinating work of non-fiction by British journalist Valentine Low that takes an in-depth look at the role of courtiers （advisors/attendants to royalty） within the British monarchy。 The book defines the positions， particularly that of personal secretary， and looks at them from historical and modern perspectives。 Detailed descriptions of the jobs， and people who held them， help paint a picture of the behind-the-scenes workings of "The Firm。" This book is an insightful history lesson complete with anecdotes and historical facts from times as various as the court of Queen Elizabeth I to the present day。 Specifics about the personalities of several royals and some of the scandals that courtiers have felt challenged by or cleaned up shine a different light on the people and events we think we know。 The chapter about Prince Andrew was particularly eye-opening， as was the information about the lack of diversity among courtiers。 This isn't a salacious and gossipy book， however。 Instead， it is a well-researched， well-written， and balanced look at the professionals inside the institution of the monarchy who have a job to do while adhering to constitutional regulations， dealing with the press/public， and the personalities and private lives of the royals。 History lovers and royalists will both find reasons to love this book！ Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press for my gifted copy of Courtiers。 All opinions are my own。 #courtiersbook #valentinelow #smpinfluencer 。。。more

Melania ，

4🌟 Very informative book on courtiers…reads very slow at times， but provides some interesting insights on how ‘the firm’ works。 The book seemed to really want to write a lot on Harry/Meghan but had very little on William/Catherine and was pretty light on C&C。

Patricia ，

Interesting read regarding the behind the scenes mechanisms of the Royal Family’s staff。 Most of the book is historical with the author only touching briefly on the Sussexes and Cambridges。

Diana Cheal ，

A very interesting insight into how it works behind palace doors。 It’s a shame not more could come forward， but there’s enough evidence there。 Well written and thought out。 Easy to read。

Dannie Lynn Fountain ，

A very comprehensive and in depth look at the people behind the Crown - context on relationships， on how certain decisions got made， and more。 I will say - the cover and the blurb heavily implied that W&K and H&M would feature more in the book - the first 2/3 focused almost entirely on QEII and Charles。 Still， for royal watchers， this is a fascinating read。 Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy。

Robin ，

What a very intriguing look at who really runs the show for the British royalty。

Bonnie DeMoss ，

Courtiers is a look at the powers behind the royal family。 It is written by a member of the media so it portrays the courtiers more favorably than I think is realistic。 It appears to also be an attempt to soften the reality of the way Diana was treated， which I don’t think is fair。 There is a much more favorable treatment of Charles and Camilla in this book while Harry and Meghan are raked over the coals。 I have yet to read a book about Harry and Meghan which is not skewed to one extreme or the Courtiers is a look at the powers behind the royal family。 It is written by a member of the media so it portrays the courtiers more favorably than I think is realistic。 It appears to also be an attempt to soften the reality of the way Diana was treated， which I don’t think is fair。 There is a much more favorable treatment of Charles and Camilla in this book while Harry and Meghan are raked over the coals。 I have yet to read a book about Harry and Meghan which is not skewed to one extreme or the other。 This book also spends more time on the anti-Harry diatribes than others。 I would not look for the truth here。 。。。more

Kim ，

I enjoyed this book， I see others have found it boring。 I liked reading about the different characters that work in the offices for the royal family。 How the status of these courtiers is changing but as Mr Low put it。 The Queen employed people from the crowd that she was used to as this would be more comfortable for her and them。 Prince William seems to be working with， what would seem to me， more normal people。The men in suits do seem to have the best interests of the people they work for in mi I enjoyed this book， I see others have found it boring。 I liked reading about the different characters that work in the offices for the royal family。 How the status of these courtiers is changing but as Mr Low put it。 The Queen employed people from the crowd that she was used to as this would be more comfortable for her and them。 Prince William seems to be working with， what would seem to me， more normal people。The men in suits do seem to have the best interests of the people they work for in mind but they may be out of touch with normality。 Some of the people they work for seem to be too full of their own self importance too， to actually follow advice given。I found it interesting that the book only seem to follow the offices of the Queen， the then Prince Charles， Andrew and Harry。 A bit about the Queen Mother。 There were small amounts of William and Philip thrown in。 Others were mentioned but in very， very small one liners almost。 Does this mean that the other offices run well and if so couldn’t the others learn from them？I thought the author tried to balance criticism with favourable comment where he could so it struck me that this was a more balanced book than those written in favour of particular members of the royal family。 。。。more

Marguerite ，

Courtesy of St。 Martin's Press。 You need to know a lot about British History and care。 Interesting but very hard to keep the characters clear in your head。 Not very interesting！ Courtesy of St。 Martin's Press。 You need to know a lot about British History and care。 Interesting but very hard to keep the characters clear in your head。 Not very interesting！ 。。。more

Sue ，

This book is more than current gossip about the Royal Family even though it's got some pretty interesting gossip。 It's a history lesson about the people who really run the show - the Courtiers。 They are the trusted advisors who work to ensure that the Royal family survives - both publically and privately。 They are hidden from the view of the world but have strong input into how the members of the family will be viewed by the public。 It covers over 70 years of the monarchy from the Wallis Simpson This book is more than current gossip about the Royal Family even though it's got some pretty interesting gossip。 It's a history lesson about the people who really run the show - the Courtiers。 They are the trusted advisors who work to ensure that the Royal family survives - both publically and privately。 They are hidden from the view of the world but have strong input into how the members of the family will be viewed by the public。 It covers over 70 years of the monarchy from the Wallis Simpson affair to Prince Andrew's relationship with a known pedophile and the recent issues with Harry and Megan and Brexit。 It's up to date so also talks a bit about the death of the queen and King Charles。Parts of the book are deadly boring and there is a lot of information from 'unnamed sources' but I still found a lot of the book very interesting。 Most of the people behind the scenes appear to be old white guys who want to keep the monarchy like it's been forever。 No wonder Megan had trouble fitting in - she didn't fit their views of what a princess should act like。 If you are a real follower of the Royal Family， this may be a fun book to skim through but there are no great revelations or juicy gossip。 I did enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations of Will and Harry and their wives - to me that was the best part of the book。 。。。more

Annette ，

This was a behind the scenes look at the British palace。 I thought some parts were interesting but overall it’s a little boring。 It is well researched。 I think anyone really really interested in the British Royalty will enjoy this book Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Jenna ，

“If you are in government， it is about policy。 But this is family。 There’s no policy。 It’s all emotionally managed”。I’ve been a monarchist since the earliest memories but also fascinated beyond the family。 From who assists to whom advises， i can get sucked into it all。 This book does the deep dive into the people surround the family。 It’s not just about Meghan & Harry or Wills & Kate。 It’s about the so-called men in suits and how they fit into the institution， both as workers and foes。 The parts “If you are in government， it is about policy。 But this is family。 There’s no policy。 It’s all emotionally managed”。I’ve been a monarchist since the earliest memories but also fascinated beyond the family。 From who assists to whom advises， i can get sucked into it all。 This book does the deep dive into the people surround the family。 It’s not just about Meghan & Harry or Wills & Kate。 It’s about the so-called men in suits and how they fit into the institution， both as workers and foes。 The parts about Prince Andrew had my eyes opened wide， again， not shocked， but I loved that it wasn’t just focused on the “fab four” aka the current drama focus by the media… but of the institution and players from over decades。 I guess for me， I’m a person who likes hearing every side before rushing to judgement。 Especially these days with social media and click bait titles。 I truly think there’s a grain of truth everywhere but I also know that at the end of it， it comes down to money， protection and sustainability。 I’ll just say one more thing， why do people need to hate Kate if they love Meghan， and if you love kate， why hate on Meghan。 None of us know both side。 None of us walk in their footsteps and so we just never really know what is actually the truth。 This book is just 1 more version of the truth， but from people who work， breathe and life within the palace walls。 Totally soaked it all up！ 4。5 ⭐️ 。。。more

Lois ，

Edited 12/22/22 to add:I am being contacted by white British folks letting me know that what is being presented in these gossip rag books is not indicative of how average white British people feel。I truly want to let those who have reached out to me know how much I appreciate them and their comments。I always appreciate knowing the world isn't as horrid a place as it appears。This clip from twitter was sent to me 3 times yesterday and once this morning so I'm adding it here:https://twitter。com/LBC Edited 12/22/22 to add:I am being contacted by white British folks letting me know that what is being presented in these gossip rag books is not indicative of how average white British people feel。I truly want to let those who have reached out to me know how much I appreciate them and their comments。I always appreciate knowing the world isn't as horrid a place as it appears。This clip from twitter was sent to me 3 times yesterday and once this morning so I'm adding it here:https://twitter。com/LBC/status/160568。。。Again thank you for reaching out and I appreciate the additional understanding:）Original Review 12/18/22:'The Queen’s courtiers banned “coloured immigrants or foreigners” from serving in clerical roles in the royal household until at least the late 1960s， according to newly discovered documents that will reignite the debate over the British royal family and race。The documents also shed light on how Buckingham Palace negotiated controversial clauses – that remain in place to this day – exempting the Queen and her household from laws that prevent race and sex discrimination。'https://www。theguardian。com/uk-news/2。。。'。。。Buckingham Palace published its diversity statistics for the first time and pledged to do more to improve on the then 8。5% of ethnic minority employees within the household。 Today， the Palace has given an update on its progress， sharing that it now has 9。6% of employees from ethnic minority backgrounds with a target of 10% by the end of this year。'https://www。townandcountrymag。com/soc。。。In 2011 about 80% of the UK population was listed as white British， I think 85% of the population as white period。 So I think a 10% rate of diversity at the Palace *is* reflective of society at large and that its failed to happen before now *is* a reflection on racism within in the Monarchial system。 It's not even unconscious。 It was a policy。 So it's operated as a racist institution within fairly recent decades。Because institutions that aren't racist don't have policies restricting employees based on race。These are not complicated concepts folks。British reactions to Black US Soldiers during WW2 in rebuttal to the idea that the late Queen Lizzie II was 'a product of her times'。Cause no the fuck she wasn't。This is the 40's and she was alive during this period。https://theconversation。com/black-tro。。。This isn't directly related but is fascinating nonetheless。https://academic。oup。com/restud/artic。。。Not to mention why should Elizabeth II be head of state to nations with POC populations if she's racist against the people of the nations that she's head of？ That's gross and disgusting and a reflection of her character or lack thereof。She was a racist。The institution she headed is racist。Her family is racist。These are all verifiable facts。The gaslighting is ridiculous and tiresome。Next the vilification of Meghan。 The author spends so much time on the fake bullying complaints against Meghan。 This is after chronicling that Queen Elizabeth II's father hit his staff， physically struck them。King Charles III threw stuff at his staff。Prince Andrew， Princess Margaret and Prince Philip are all also noted with specific and horrific examples of being cruel and verbally abusive to staff。None of these Royals have HR complaints against them。The complaints about Meghan are largely her being firm and direct。 None of the comments are cruel or verbally abusive。 So the HR complaint is clearly racism。I also think it's manufactured。Kensington Palace， The Cambridges using Jason Knauf have been steadily leaking false stories about Meghan。 They did so in exchange for the press not printing the stories of William's affair with Rose。To downplay the fact that Prince Andrew raped an underage sex trafficking victim。 So if Meghan was formally accused of anything during that time period it would've been leaked to the tabloids。The first story to break in regards to bullying was Wills bullying Harry at the Sandringham Summitt which Harry confirmed was true。Conveniently right before Meghan & Harry could have their Oprah interview the palace came up with bullying claims。It's laughably ridiculous。Just a paper thin bullshit defense。Valentine refuses to deal with Meghan's racist experiences in the UK and with the Palace。 He ignores that the Queen herself was racist so it's not a stretch that her staff and family are as well。He pretends that she 'wanted to be rejected' this is a common claim when dealing with racism。It's similar to claims of race baiting。It's just a flex of white supremacy。If a POC/BAME experiences racism it can only get better by pointing this out and educating the offender。Instead the offender pretends to be the victim and claims that marginalized folks are too sensitive or think everything is racism。The thing is everything in the Western Wirld runs on racism。 When a POC/BAME points racism out and asks directly for accommodations that's not a fault with the POC/BAME， that's a fault with the system。Claims that POC/BAME want to be rejected or were looking for racism are just racists themselves trying to silence their victims。 Those racists feel like they get to be the deciders of what is racism and who is a victim。These are the same people who pass literal white comfort bills in which it's against the law to state historical facts that hurt white people's feelings。No shit。So clearly the problem is racism。It's exhausting。Meghan left。She's not tied to y'all， accepts no money from y'all and STILL y'all can't move on。It's only racism that makes white people behave in such violent and nonsensical ways。Meghan has more death threats than all members of the British Royal Family combined。 Her children have public death threats。Something that no one else in the royal family is facing or has ever faced。Her concerns were real， valid and logical。Instead of making common sense changes the UK ran her out the country。Now they're mad that she's not just letting them tell the story from their point of view。The thing is Fergie & Diana experienced some of what Meghan's dealt with。 It's well documented。 Rather than grow， adjust and learn from the past， the family has now openly associated itself with racism and is considered globally a racist family。A charge the family can't deny， deflect or pretend isn't real。Honestly this will age poorly。 This is about race and in 20 yrs Black people will still be here， still talking about race。This was studied formally and scientifically。Meghan is being attacked because of her race。 It's not a question。The Palace also used race against Meghan。The impact of this is ALREADY being felt in the Commonwealth。It's going to get worse。Meghan was a chance for the royal family to make visible substantive changes。Instead Wills & Kate were jealous and threatened by Meghan's popularity。So they worked to destroy her in the press while she was pregnant。William is an asshole。Not sure how he's gonna argue he's not racist when he failed to speak against the racism inflicted on his own sister in law， nephew and niece。He WILL have to respond and answer at some point。This will impact his reign for sure and most likely his father's reign as well。Stop acting like the Sussex's giving interviews and writing books is betrayal。King Charles III participated in a biography and televised interview with Dimbleby。Princess Diana did the book with Morton and interview with Bashir。Fergie wrote a biography and gave a televised interview to Oprah。Prince Andrew has given more than 1 horrible interview。In all of the above instances the Royals both complained and explained repeatedly。So it just bothers the British public with Harry and Meghan for clearly racial reasons。The hardest is the author acknowledges that the staff knew about Meghan's suicidal struggles。 He claims the palace staff didn't believe her。 He claims they feared she was using it to be able to later say the job broke her。Here's where that defense falls apart: if she was always going to use this as a weapon against the institution wouldn't it have made more sense to get her help？ Then the institution would have evidence of their support。Instead they chose not to believe her。 Even though Diana， Fergie and others who married into family have found the experience overwhelming and it impacted their mental health。So why would Meghan not be believed？Because she was Black。The institution had already decided that they would let her know if she was REALLY feeling suicidal， they would let her know If the vitriol was REALLY racism or just her own fault for being American。 This is epic level gaslighting。 It's bullying and abusive as fuck。The staff risked her and Archie's death from mental illness all because they were too racist to listen to an educated， successful career woman in her mid 30's。 Clearly Meghan and Harry HAD to leave。 The Monarchy isn't ready for them yet。Their treatment will impact the Monarchy much more than it will harm them。After all the monarchy has to make a case for its relevance。 At this point Meghan & Harry are just socialites & philanthropists。 They don't need to do anything more than The Clinton's or The Obama's do。This bothers the racist so much。 This is why the harass the fuck out of Meghan until even her son has had public death threats。The British Press is abusive and they work hand in hand with the monarchy。This will have to be answered and British folks gone be so fucking embarrassed by their rabidly racist behavior。Bet it's the same racist talking heads belittling them now， apologizing and trying to explain。White mediocrity is so incredibly predictable。TL/DR: this is fascinating but racist as fuck🤷🏾‍♀️Luckily I was able to pirate this:） 。。。more

Sara Planz ，

How does the Royal Family keep everything under control？ Things like handling the press， public engagements， and just general day to day operations of the Institution。 Enter the Courtiers， the behind the scenes palace staff who assist in everything from advising to serving as the private secretaries for the senior members of the Royal Family。 This is a fascinating look at how the role of courtier has changed over time and throughout the generations。 The global stage has changed dramatically， wit How does the Royal Family keep everything under control？ Things like handling the press， public engagements， and just general day to day operations of the Institution。 Enter the Courtiers， the behind the scenes palace staff who assist in everything from advising to serving as the private secretaries for the senior members of the Royal Family。 This is a fascinating look at how the role of courtier has changed over time and throughout the generations。 The global stage has changed dramatically， with the internet and social media now serving as the main forms of communication for everyone， and the Royal Family has had to adapt to this new 21st century normal。 History lovers will enjoy the detailed stories from some of the most influential courtiers in history， while royal watchers will enjoy the palace drama that has taken place over the decades。 This is an in depth， behind the purple curtain look at some of the most important players in the House of Windsor。 。。。more

Leigh ，

Despite all the hype surrounding this book its not as salacious as many thought it would be。 For the most part it's a look at what happens behind the scenes at the palace from the days of the abdication to the present day。 There are some interesting points but the book is also a bit dry and boring at times。 I found the Princess Margaret， Andrew and Harry and Meghan parts most interesting。 It was interesting to see how much power the queen actually holds as she overruled many of her courtiers。 Bu Despite all the hype surrounding this book its not as salacious as many thought it would be。 For the most part it's a look at what happens behind the scenes at the palace from the days of the abdication to the present day。 There are some interesting points but the book is also a bit dry and boring at times。 I found the Princess Margaret， Andrew and Harry and Meghan parts most interesting。 It was interesting to see how much power the queen actually holds as she overruled many of her courtiers。 But the book didn't quite live up to the hype。 It was good and enjoyable but not the best of all the royal books that have been released lately。 。。。more

Keila ，

I will admit that I watched the first two seasons of The Queen when it came out and really enjoyed it， but besides a headline here and there I really don’t pay too much attention to other people’s comings and goings。 This book is told from the perspective of courtiers – trusted advisors in the King or Queen’s inner circle。 This book covers over 70 years’ worth of insight from the royal court。 From the dark cloud hanging over Prince Andrew to Harry and Meghan’s departure from the royal life。 It a I will admit that I watched the first two seasons of The Queen when it came out and really enjoyed it， but besides a headline here and there I really don’t pay too much attention to other people’s comings and goings。 This book is told from the perspective of courtiers – trusted advisors in the King or Queen’s inner circle。 This book covers over 70 years’ worth of insight from the royal court。 From the dark cloud hanging over Prince Andrew to Harry and Meghan’s departure from the royal life。 It also touches on William and Kate and how they are coping with the new world of social media。 This book was so interesting even for me as a casual observer to the royal family。 Courtiers pulls back the veil and reveals the inner workings of the monarchy。 While it was a bit dry at time， the topics were entertaining enough to keep me interested。 This documentary is unlike any that I’ve ever read in how its laid out， and I really appreciated it。 I think I expected a little more out of this one in terms of juicy details， but I can also appreciate why they weren’t there。 These are real people’s lives。 I enjoyed the historical aspect to this book the most and the insight into each member of the royal family。 Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher， St Martin’s Press， @stmartinspress， for my e-copy in exchange for this honest review。 Check this one out January 24th for a gripping account of how the Royal family really operates， from the journalist who has spent years studying them。 。。。more

Christine ，

Dry as a digestive biscuit。 To say that couriers are a snooty bunch would be an understatement。 I learned a few tidbits and a few interesting things about the "Firm" otherwise， it was a long read but I suffered to the end just incase there was something juicy to learn。 Dry as a digestive biscuit。 To say that couriers are a snooty bunch would be an understatement。 I learned a few tidbits and a few interesting things about the "Firm" otherwise， it was a long read but I suffered to the end just incase there was something juicy to learn。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0