To offer a new approach to Queen Victoria, King (The Court of the Last Tsar) focuses on one important year in her reign-the 1897 Diamond Jubilee. Although he initially establishes context by focusing on the changes that occurred during Victoria's life, he spends perhaps too much time describing the minutiae of the royal household's daily workings.
Thankfully, humorous anecdotes from primary sources, such as those describing courtiers' lack of love for Balmoral Castle, the queen's beloved Scottish home, enlighten the accounting. The queen's callous treatment of her sons, selfish demands on her daughters, and relationships with servants-not to mention coverage of family scandals and the lives of other royals-does seem inevitably comparable to the present royal family. Photos show the various royal domiciles, as well as family members; a brief appendix names various members of the royal household. For libraries with large English history collections. (Index not seen.)
—B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Memorial Lib., Sag Harbor, NY (Library Journal, May 15, 2007)

"Greg King leads you on a tour into the heart of history’s last and greatest royal empire." (Majesty, Volume 28/10)