Synopsis
Unique and engrossing, this is a true story of suppressed passion and domestic intrigue at the heart of Victoria’s court.
After an illustrious military career in the Crimean War, during which he won a Victoria Cross, Howard Elphinstone was appointed guardian to Queen Victoria’s favourite son, Prince Arthur, later Duke of Connaught, who was Governor General of Canada from 1911-16. Martyn Downer’s book includes a fascinating account of Arthur’s first trip to Canada in 1869, which took place despite the threat of his assassination by Fenian terrorists intent on revenging the Irish famine. During his eventful tour, Arthur took part in the defence of Canada following the Fenian raid at Saint John in May 1870. With relations between Britain and the United States at low ebb, Elphinstone also took the prince on a controversial tour of America which culminated in a frosty reception from President Ulysses Grant at the White House.
Elphinstone remained in Court until 1890 when he was drowned in a tragic accident. During this period he became one of Queen Victoria’s closest confidants and a father figure to her nine children. His journals and remarkable correspondence with the Queen, much of which is published here for the first time, shed fascinating and intimate new light on the world of the Victorian Court.
The Queen’s Knight is a captivating portrait of the close and affectionate relationship between Victoria and Elphinstone, and sheds new light on the frail human being at the heart of a vast empire.
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About the Author
Martyn Downer was Head of Jewellery at Sotheby’s auction house in London from 1999 to 2003. He gives regular talks on the subject and contributes to arts and antiques magazines. He is the author of Nelson’s Purse.
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The Queen's Knight
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Transworld Publishers Ltd, United Kingdom, London, 2007
ISBN 10: 0593054857
ISBN 13: 9780593054857
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Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Sir Howard Elphinstone, dashing miltary hero of the siege of Sevastopol, was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1858, aged just twenty-nine. As he recuperated from injuries he'd received during the campaign, the Queen installed this paragon of military valour at heart of her court at Windsor as guardian to her third and favourite son, Prince Arthur. Victoria wanted a soldier alongside her, as an antidote to the ageing ministers and courtiers who stalked the corridors. Intriguingly, as a young woman, before she was queen, Victoria had been completely smitten with Howard's cousin John, Lord Elphinstone, but he had been deemed an unsuitable match for a monarch. Having lost one military hero, she seemed determined to make sure it didn't happen again.The "Queen's Knight" tells an engrossing story of life at the gilded heart of Queen Victoria's court, via the extraordinary friendship between her and Howard Elphinstone, until his untimely death in 1890. It was at first a place of lavish parties and regular dances, as the miseries of the Crimean war faded and the Empire expanded to its zenith. The Queen and Prince Albert deliberately recreated Camelot, as an antidote to the dissolute image of previous generations of monarchs, and Elphinstone was the favourite knight at their round table. In the far more sombre days after Albert's death, Elphinstone became increasingly vital to the Queen, as evidenced by an extraordinarily candid and prolific corresponsdence between them, much of which has never before been published. Set in a sweeping global landscape populated by presidents, princes and prime ministers, The Queen's Knight visits Quebec, explores New York and travels down the Nile to explore the courts of Europe, many of which were about to be destroyed forever by war and revolution. Yet despite this broad canvas, it remains essentially a portrait of the close affectionate relationship between Victoria and Elphinstone. It sheds new light on Victoria's extraordinary life in presenting the frail, human being at the heart of a vast Empire. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR001762167
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. The Queen's Knight This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780593054857
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0593054857I3N10
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780593054857
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The Queen's Knight: The Extraordinary Life Of Queen Victoria's Most Trusted Confidant
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Bantam Press, London, 2007
ISBN 10: 0593054857
ISBN 13: 9780593054857
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Hard Cover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. 452 pages. Book and Jacket are both in Very good condition throughout. Seller Inventory # 136606
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THE QUEEN'S KNIGHT. the extraordinary life of Queen Victoria's most trusted confidant.
Published by
Bantam Press, London. 2007., 2007
ISBN 10: 0593054857
ISBN 13: 9780593054857
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1st. Ed. 8vo. 452pp. Cold., sepia and b/w ills. Original boards with d/w, slight shelf wear. ISBN 9780593054857 US$12. Seller Inventory # 159639
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The Queen's Knight
Published by
Bantam Press, 2007
ISBN 10: 0593054857
ISBN 13: 9780593054857
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Seller: Book Grocer, Tullamarine, VIC, Australia
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Secondhand, Hardback. [Author], [Publisher]. NB: This is a secondhand book in very good condition. See our FAQs for more information. Please note that the jacket image is indicative only. A description of our secondhand books is not always available. Please contact us if you have a question about this title. Author: Martyn Downer Format: Hardback Number of Pages: 480 Sir Howard Elphinstone, dashing miltary hero of the siege of Sevastopol, was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1858, aged just twenty-nine. As he recuperated from injuries he'd received during the campaign, the Queen installed this paragon of military valour at heart of her court at Windsor as guardian to her third and favourite son, Prince Arthur. Victoria wanted a soldier alongside her, as an antidote to the ageing ministers and courtiers who stalked the corridors. Intriguingly, as a young woman, before she was queen, Victoria had been completely smitten with Howard's cousin John, Lord Elphinstone, but he had been deemed an unsuitable match for a monarch. Having lost one military hero, she seemed determined to make sure it didn't happen again. he Queen's Knight tells an engrossing story of life at the gilded heart of Queen Victoria's court, via the extraordinary friendship between her and Howard Elphinstone, until his untimely death in 1890. It was at first a place of lavish parties and regular dances, as the miseries of the Crimean war faded and the Empire expanded to its zenith. The Queen and Prince Albert deliberately recreated Camelot, as an antidote to the dissolute image of. Secondhand, Hardback. Seller Inventory # 9780593054857-SECONDHAND
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The Queen's Knight
Published by
Bantam Press, London England, 2007
ISBN 10: 0593054857
ISBN 13: 9780593054857
Used
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Cloth. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. Hardcover First Edition First Printing 9780593054857 Unique and engrossing, this is a true story of suppressed passion and domestic intrigue at the heart of Victoria s court. Unique and engrossing, this is a true story of suppressed passion and domestic intrigue at the heart of Victoria s court.After an illustrious military career in the Crimean War, during which he won a Victoria Cross, Howard Elphinstone was appointed guardian to Queen Victoria s favourite son, Prince Arthur, later Duke of Connaught, who was Governor General of Canada from 1911-16. Martyn Downer s book includes a fascinating account of Arthur s first trip to Canada in 1869, which took place despite the threat of his assassination by Fenian terrorists intent on revenging the Irish famine. During his eventful tour, Arthur took part in the defence of Canada following the Fenian raid at Saint John in May 1870. With relations between Britain and the United States at low ebb, Elphinstone also took the prince on a controversial tour of America which culminated in a frosty reception from President Ulysses Grant at the White House. Elphinstone remained in Court until 1890 when he was drowned in a tragic accident. During this period he became one of Queen Victoria s closest confidants and a father figure to her nine children. His journals and remarkable correspondence with the Queen, much of which is published here for the first time, shed fascinating and intimate new light on the world of the Victorian Court. The Queen s Knight is a captivating portrait of the close and affectionate relationship between Victoria and Elphinstone, and sheds new light on the frail human being at the heart of a vast empire.384 pages. In Stock. Seller Inventory # 106584
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