Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories from History Without the Fairy-Tale Endings

You think you know her story. You’ve read the Brothers Grimm, you’ve watched the Disney cartoons, and you cheered as these virtuous women lived happily ever after. But real princesses didn't always get happy endings.

Sure, plenty were graceful and benevolent leaders, but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power—and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets. Princess Stephanie von Hohenlohe was a Nazi spy. Empress Elisabeth of the Austro-Hungarian empire slept wearing a mask of raw veal. Princess Olga of Kiev slaughtered her way to sainthood while Princess Lakshmibai waged war on the battlefield, charging into combat with her toddler son strapped to her back. Princesses Behaving Badly offers true tales of all these princesses and dozens more in a fascinating read that’s perfect for history buffs, feminists, and anyone seeking a different kind of bedtime story.

• Forget fairy-tale royalty and discover the fascinating lives of real princesses, queens, and empresses from around the world
• Meet Hatshepsut, Wu Zetian, Princess Pingyang, and other women who led armies, fought rebellions, ruled kingdoms, and refused to play the helpless princess
• Discover Nazi spies, royal impostors, political plots, scandalous affairs, and the skeletons hidden in royal closets
• Entertaining bite-sized profiles span centuries and cultures, combining famous royal women with fascinating lesser-known figures and sidebars exploring their lives
• An irreverent illustrated read for history buffs, feminists, and fans of weird history and all things royal

Trade fairy-tale princesses for the fierce women who made real royal history infinitely more interesting.

Linda Rodriguez McRobbie has written for the Boston Herald, Christian Science Monitor, CNN Money, US News & World Report, and Mental Floss. She lives in London with her husband, son, and cat.

Douglas Smith is an award-winning illustrator. He is perhaps best known for illustrating Gregory Maguire’s Wicked novels.