Five Gold Rings: A Royal Wedding Souvenir Album from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II (Royalty)

Book Description

Tells the story of five royal weddings, illustrated with wedding dresses, jewelry, gifts, music, photographs and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Five royal weddings.......2007-10-02

There's something irrepressible about a wedding of royalty. Even the most jaded of us is capable of maybe an 'awww' or two as we get to see a bit of a fairy tale come to life. There is pomp everywhere, from the fabulous gown and jewels that the bride is wearing, the wedding cakes and favours, to public displays of the wedding gifts.

This handsome little souvenir album is to commemorate an upcoming wedding anniversary -- that of England's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who will have been married for sixty years, in November 2007. It is also a look at how Royal weddings have changed and evolved from fairly private ceremonies that were witnessed by close family members and courtiers, to now what is a spectacle watched by millions on the television and launching a flurry of books, magazines and various souvenirs from the pleasant to the grossly tacky.

The five weddings themselves occur in a period of time that spans just over a century, from 1840 to 1947, with the criteria that either the bride or groom would be a monarch of the United Kingdom.

The first wedding is that between Queen Victoria and her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in 1840. Victoria had been Queen of Great Britain for two years when her wedding was celebrated, and public curiosity was intense as to who she would choose to be her consort. With the rise of new printing techniques, there were now ways that the public could observe, albeit from a distance -- there were special prints and panoramas that were printed to feed the curiosity about the event.

About twenty years later, the next royal wedding occured, this time between Victoria and Albert's eldest son, Bertie, the Prince of Wales and the future Edward VII, and his fiancee, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, 1863. Now there was the art of photography to add to the documents; some of these were hand-tinted to create a nearly painting like quality. The gifts were also more opulent, and this time, were described in a special magazine that supplied all of the details from what the guests were wearing to engravings that showed various aspects of the wedding service itself.

Thirty years later, another wedding occured, this time between Bertie's son, George, Duke of York, and his cousin, Princess Mary of Teck, in 1894. This time, celebrations and public notice were high, with various royalties from around Europe visiting to pay their respects. The gifts were put on public display this time, and admission was charged, with the proceeds going to a charity. The bride's trousseau was described in various ladies magazines in lavish detail and illustrations.

The fourth wedding was that of George VI and Queen Mary's second son, Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923. No one really expected them to become sovereigns of Great Britain, and so the celebrations were not quite as extravagant as might be expected. But one notable addition was that this was the first royal wedding to be filmed, and soon there would be opportunity for anyone to see it, all for the price of a ticket to the cinema, and sitting through a newsreel.

The fifth wedding was in 1947, with that of two of Queen Victoria's great-great-grandchildren -- Princess Elizabeth, and Prince Philip of Greece. After the dreary years of WWII, and the troubles of rebuilding, London was ready for a celebration. The outpouring from the public was immense, and it seems that all of England took the day off for a holiday. The marriage proved to be one of the most successful in the royal family, and appears to be still quite solid after nearly sixty years.

Each wedding goes into some detail about the clothing, providing pictures and closeups of the brides' gowns, showing some of the intricate sewing and decoration that went into the making. As was traditional, all of the clothing worn were made from British materials and designers. What I found especially beautiful were the samples of lace and embroidery, often with monograms and special designs incorporated into the designs. A very brief history of the couple is also included, talking a little about their childhoods, and what happened after the weddings. At the end of the book, there is also a listing of what music was performed at each wedding, with a few surprises tucked in.

What may surprise you is what you will not find in this book. There isn't any mention of Lady Diana, or of the notorious wedding of Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson.

For anyone interested in royalty, and how what started as a private celebration soon became an opportunity for public celebration, this is a lovely, well-made and designed book. The photographs and pictures are unusual, many of which I had not seen before, and gave a sense of intimacy.

The author, Jane Roberts, is the Royal Librarian, and has compiled a beautiful little volume on the lore of royal weddings. For anyone interested in the English monarchy, it would be a nice addition to their collection.

Five stars. Recommended.

Royal Wedding.......2007-08-05

A wonderful display of that special wedding. It was like the Queen was showing these momentos to me herself.

Royal Russia: The Private Albums of the Russian Imperial Family

Average customer rating:

Excellent
"Good book about the most mysterious royal family"
Not really worth buying
More than you need!
Loved it!

Royal Russia: The Private Albums of the Russian Imperial Family
Carol Townend
Manufacturer: John Blake
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Jewels of the Tsars: The Romanovs and Imperial Russia
The Court of the Last Tsar: Pomp, Power and Pageantry in the Reign of Nicholas II
Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra
Nicholas and Alexandra
The Romanovs: the Final Chapter

ASIN: 1857825039

Book Description

This splendid album of rare and unpublished photographs from the Romanovs' own albums is an intimate portrait of the private and public lives of the family of Nicholas II, Russia's last tsar. This unique collection is taken from the personal album of the Tsar's daughter, Grand Duchess Maria, and from the Tsarina Alexandra's own commemorative album, both now in the James Blair Lovell Archive. An extraordinary chronicle of a way of life that ended in 1918 with the brutal execution of nearly every member of the Imperial Family pictured here.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2004-03-18

In "Royal Russia", Lovell draws the reader into the amazing world of the last Imperial Family with their wonderful photographs. The photographs are excellent, however there are some misidentifictations of the Grand Duchesses. Nonetheless, the book is great.

"Good book about the most mysterious royal family".......2003-10-27

Brief Summary:

In the year 1881 church bells rung from the towers Alexander II is dead. His eldest son Nicholas was crowned czar of imperial Russia. With his wife Alexandra from England. Granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Their first child was born in 1895.Her name was The Grand Duchess Olga Romanov. She was the czars heir. Then in 1897 their second child was born. Her name was Tatiana Romanov. Then in 1899 Marie was born. Then in1901 Anastasia was born. Followed by their final child the new heir Alexei in 1904. Then problems came to Russia there were riots in Russia. The people started to hate the czar and czarina. People were starving in the streets. And Nicholas didn't know anything about it. Alexei was diagnosed with Hemophilia that meant if he bleeds he could bleed himself to death. The Russian Revolution started and the people hated the czar. They imprisoned him and his family. To a small village in Siberia. Then they transported them to a village near Moscow. Where one morning a soldier came to there room and told them to get dressed and get downstairs. The family was told to wait in the basement. A firing squad opened the door and started to fire on the family. The bullets cut their bodies down. There were screaming and lots of smoke. Not one Romanov lived that morning. They say that Anastasia escaped and lived. But that is another mystery.

Critical Thinking:

In the book Royal Russia the Romanov family had many fears. They were imprisoned to Siberia and they went from extremely rich to poor. The girls were the most scared because they did not know what was going on or what was going to happen to them. When they were shot in the basement they probably had a clue what was going on. When they were shot they were terrified on what happened to there family.

Bottom Line:

Good book to read and also has some good pictures to look at that best describes the Romanov family as they were not how they were preseved to be.

Not really worth buying.......2002-02-22

Hmmmm, I was decidedly disappointed in this book. Many of the pictures contained within were very poor quality and there were some blatant mistakes in identification of the family members. A good many of the photographs are not new to the collector of Romanov books. I would not recommend this book if one is expecting to see anything new. I dont think Mr. Blair Lovell would have been pleased!

More than you need!.......2001-07-21

I enjoy reading about Imperial Russia very much, and this is one of the books I have enjoyed the most! It gives you a very good look into these people's lives, which makes this an excellent book for studying!! Five stars for this book!

Loved it!.......2001-06-22

I thought it was a very good book with lots of nice photographs, but as said before, the names of the Grand Duchesses was changed and mixed a little and the author continually repeated himself. The years of the photographs and the ages of the Grand Duchesses in conjunction with this was also a little mixed at places. Other than that, it is a wonderful book and I love it!

Average customer rating:

This is a picture album of a loving family.

Charles and Diana: A Royal Family Album
Tim Graham
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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In Private-In Public: The Prince and Princess of Wales
In Person: The Prince and the Princess of Wales

ASIN: 067174397X

Customer Reviews:

This is a picture album of a loving family........1999-01-29

This is an extremely outstanding album. All the pictures are captioned, and the album features quotations made by either the Prince or Princess of Wales, a famous author, journalist, or a famous magazine.

Opposite the title page, there is a handsome picture of the Prince and Princess at Highgrove. She is carrying William piggy-back while he if carries Harry on his hip. This picture serves as a theme throughout the book.

The album is divided into sections - A Royal Romance, A Family, Roving Ambassadors, Private Lives, and A Sense of Style. I shall take two or three from each of the section and the quote which accompies it.

A ROYAL ROMANCE: On the left is a full page of Harles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer when they announce their engagment. Beneath the title for this section, the Prince and Princess begin their honeymoon cruise in Gibraltar. This quote is at the bottom of the page, 'I've met all Prince Charles' girlfriends, and you're streets ahead of all of 'em. If he doesn't marry you, he's out of his tiny mind.' ARTHUR EDWARDS

A charming picture of Diana when she was still a kindergarter teacher. 'That enchanting teenager with the chubby cheeks and frilly shirt..." JUDY WADE. A picture of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. 'With Prince Charles beside me I cannot go wrong. LADY DIANA SPENCER. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer after their first official appearance together at Goldsmith Hall in London. 'In Diana's early months of public life the strain of her new-found position as the world's most famous woman told, and only by the enormous iffort of will did she cope with the unbearable attention and lack of privacy.' ALAN HAMILTON

There are two pages devoted to the wedding rehearsal and the wedding - splendid pictures. 'Our wedding was quite extraordinary as far as we're concerned. It made us bother extremely proud to be British.' 'When you marry in my position, you going to marry someone who, perhaps is one day going to be Queen. You've got to choose somebody very carefully, I think, who could fulfill this particular role, and it has got to be somebody pretty unusual.' THE PRINCE OF WALES. 'The cubbly-cheeked blonde hairdo vanished...a more stylish, more confident woman stands by the side of Prince Charles today. It says a lot for her steely determination that she has come through a period of awesome adjestment and emerged more dazzling than ever.' JUDY WADE.

A FAMILY: Under the title A Family is a picture of William and Harry at Highgrove. 'It's an affectionate family under perpetual scrutiny.' SIR ALSTAIR BURNET. Diana is holding William and there is a picture of all three - Charles, Diana, and William - while thay are on tour in Australia. 'The birth of our son has given us both more pleasure than you can imagine. It has made me incredibly proud and somewhat amazed.' PRINCE OF WALES. Rwo pages are devoted to Prince Charles and the two boys. 'He is a doting daddy and does everything perfectly.' THE PRINCESS OF WALES on Charles os a father. The next two pages are great with both parents and bother boys at Highrove.

ROVING EMBASSADORS: Beneath the title for this section are their passports. 'Charles and Diana are mirrors and examples of stalwart British qualities: civility, courtesy, and coziness, with a dash of styles and a bit of fun' TIME. The Prince and Princess of Wales are seated in identical chairs, each of them is smiling, and each of them is wearing the same color. 'To be modern, yet keep the mystique - that is the trick. It is a trick that Charles and Diana have gracefully mastered.' TIME

PRIVATE LIVES: The pictures in this section are very casual. Beneath this caption is a picture of Prince Charles joking with the crowd at polo. This section is devoted to the couple and their boys at Highgrove, on vacation, and at KP. 'Charles and Diana are arguably the most famous, the most glamourous couple in the world.'

A SENSE OF STTLE: This section is devoted almost entirely to Diana who is shown wearing many of the various styles of dresses and hats which she made famous. Pages 94-95 picture the Prince and Princess of Wales together surrounded by photographers. The last picture appears on P. 96 and features both the Prince and Princess walking through the streets of Budapest during a tour of Hungary in 1990. She is wearing a pink suit trimmed in purples, and his shirt and tie complement her outfit.

One must actually see the pictures and read the quotations simultaneously to fully appreciate these beautiful pictures and unique pictures of The Princes and Princess of Wales and their two young princes - William and Harry.

Customer Reviews:

A beautiful photographic overview of a beautiful time.......2000-08-04

Despite the Amazon header, "The Last Courts of Europe" was in fact edited by Jeffrey Finestone, with an introduction by Robert Massie. The book is divided into several sections: Great Britain; Russia; Austria-Hungary; Prussia; The Lesser German States; Belgium, Luxembourg and The Netherlands; France; Scandinavia; Iberia; Italy; The Balkans; and The Eleventh Hour. There are over three hundred photographs, all beautifully reproduced in sepia tone.

The selection is excellent. Best of all, there are many photographs included of lesser-known royals and less-documented royal families. Though it is easy to find photographs and information on modern royals, deposed or ruling, of almost any nation, for the Victorian-Edwardian period it is a lot harder. A good job was also done of finding photographs that demonstrate the intertwined relationships of Victorian royalty. (My personal favorite is a picture of King Nicholas I of Montenegro with his children [and their spouses] and grandchildren: it includes two Russian Grand Duchesses, two Grand Dukes, the King and Queen of Italy, a Prince and Princess of Battenberg, the Crown Prince of Serbia and a Serbian Princess, and numerous Princes and Princesses of Montenegro.)

Book Description

The official publication, published to celebrate The Queen's Official 80th Birthday in June 2006. A unique and personal biography-in-pictures, celebrating the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Combines the official with the informal, to show The Queen's life as daughter, sister, wife and mother, as well as Head of State.

Customer Reviews:

excellent Amazon.com service.......2007-06-11

We continue to be completely satisfied with the excellent service we receive through Amazon.com and its affiliates. Everything is sent quickly (usually ahead of the estimated delivery date), cleanly, in excellent condition, and exactly as advertised. Thank all those involved with this process.

Queen Elizabeth II: A Birthday Souvenir Album.......2007-05-12

Beautiful end papers. Nice collection of photos with anecdotes. This little keepsake is a must have for any anglophile or royalist.

A Photographic Album of the Royal Family

Average customer rating:

Too much history is included for a photograhic album.

A Photographic Album of the Royal Family
Jane Masterson
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews:

Too much history is included for a photograhic album........1998-11-09

The front cover is rather crowded with the cover of arms, a picture of the Duchess of York with one of her daughters, a picture of Queen Elizabeth II, and a picture of the late Diana, Princess of Wales , and her two sons.

The book begins with a picture of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II wearing a bright colored floral dress of pansies. This is followed by a two page history of the family. The Greatest Annual Affirmaton of the Queen's military role is the Trooping of the Colour Ceremony which is held on the second Saturday in June. There is a picture of the 1990 event.

There are pictures of Prince Charles wearing the red beret of the Parachute Regiment of which he is the Colonel-in-Chief and of Prince Charles when he was in command of the minesweeper HMS BRONNINGTON in 1975. Prince Andrew has been the most recent member of the family to carry on the Royal fighting tradition and is pictured in uniform beside his naval helicopter. Also, there is an inset of Lord Louis Mountbatten who was killed by the IRA. Lord Mountbatten was also Prince Charles' hero. Several more pages are devoted to the various ceremonies of the royal family along with pictures - a few of which are not of the best quality.

This is followed by the famous kiss on the balcony and Prince Charles and Princess Diana exiting St. Paul's Cathedral. From the day of the wedding and even before, the Princess of Wales has been recognized as a leader of fashion. Her wedding dress was highly acclaimed and since then her lead in taste has been followed by many fashion houses. There is an exquisite picture of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a Catherine Walker coat dress which she popularized.

There are several more pages devoted to family history in which there are pictures of the royal family interspered - Prince William and Prince Henry going to watch their father play polo in the rain, the Prince and the Princess in Australia with Prince William, and of Diana holding William.

The Duke and Duchess of York with their first child, Princess Beatrice, are pictured, as well as, the Duchess of Kent, and Princess Anne fighting a battle with the weather and her skirt. Of course, you know the weather always wins.

Then, back to Diana, Princess of Wales, in the early days of her marriage meeting her people. I must admit that Princess Diana outshines the rest of the family regardless of the whether she is pictured by herself or with a group. She has that natural beauty, charm, poise, personality, and a dazzling smile for all occasions.

There are several pictures of Queen Elizabeth II and her corgis. This particular book concentrates more on the Prince and Princess of Wales, their vactions, and their children.

The book would have been far better without all the history, and each picture captioned with a brief sentence or two. After all, it is, according to its title, a photographic album, not a history book. It would have been totally dull withouth the beautiful Diana, Princess of Wales, and her youthfulness.

The back cover is extremely crowded with six different pictures atop a flag among other things.

This refers to the hardcover edition. 126 pages. 91/2" x 11"

Prince and Princess of Wales: A Royal Colouring Album
Average customer rating:

Another awesome coloring book

Delightful book

This book is absolutely a classic to be cherished forever !

Prince and Princess of Wales: A Royal Colouring Album
Peggy Howe
Manufacturer: Howe & Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Diana: The People's Princess: A Royal Colouring Album

Princess Diana and Prince Charles Fashion Paper Dolls in Full Color

Royal Family of Britain Paper Dolls

Diana, Princess of Wales, Paper Doll: The Charity Auction Dresses (Paper Doll Series)

After Diana: William, Harry, Charles, and the Royal House of Windsor

ASIN: 0912027002

Book Description

Prancing plumed horses, a golden carriage, a fairy tale wedding and other great highlights of the courtship and early marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana are captured forever in this magnificent illustrated historical album. 24 Pages of exquisitely stunning illustrations and incisively researched text are contained in the brilliiantly colored, spellbinding covers. Already a classic on Amazon.com with some rankings higher than other well-publicized Diana books.

Customer Reviews:

Another awesome coloring book.......2006-01-29

Another great coloring book and Fascinating way to share your Diana years with your child. My daughter loves ours

Delightful book.......2000-08-08

This is a delightful and freshing book. The illustrations are wonderful and all remind us of the Diana that we all pictured would always exsist. A must for any Diana collector.

This book is absolutely a classic to be cherished forever !.......1998-05-10

Reading this story and coloring these wonderful illustrations took me back to the era when Princess Diana first entered our lives. The illustrations are of the best of this genre and the story is elegant in it's simplicity. I am truly impressed with this book!.

Average customer rating:

Royal Family Album
Helen Digby
Manufacturer: Smithmark Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Diana: The People's Princess: A Royal Colouring Album

Average customer rating:

Awesome Coloring book
Exquisitely detailed and complimentary to Diana's life.
I've discovered a classic!
Unique collectible for Diana fans

Diana: The People's Princess: A Royal Colouring Album
Peggy Howe
Manufacturer: Howe & Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Prince and Princess of Wales: A Royal Colouring Album
After Diana: William, Harry, Charles, and the Royal House of Windsor
Royal Family of Britain Paper Dolls
Diana, Princess of Wales, Paper Doll: The Charity Auction Dresses (Paper Doll Series)
The Diana Chronicles

ASIN: 0912027010

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Coloring book.......2006-01-29

I bought this book to share Diana's legacy with my daughter.
when we recieved it we decided that we didnt want to ruin it so we scanned all the pages on to our Computer and this way she can print them out and Color them and later on she will still have her Diana coloring book!
I love the artwork it is just fab!

Exquisitely detailed and complimentary to Diana's life........2004-03-20

This book is very positive and heartfelt. The closing page left my heart and soul very sad. Anyone who does not read this book will be missing out on a unique experience.

I've discovered a classic!.......2001-05-23

I ordered this book mostly out of curiosity. What a great surprise. This book is a great way to learn the history of Diana without exploiting the controversial aspects of her life. The cover is striking, the illustrations show a respect for detail, and the story is clearly researched and poigantly written . Also, I have noticed this book has stayed in the top 100,000 in ranking while other books about Diana have fallen to the wayside. Quite an accomplishement for a book of this type! Like "The Great Women of History" coloring alum this book will have staying power.

Unique collectible for Diana fans.......2000-07-12

This album is an unusual collectible, sure to be appreciated by Diana's fans! It was very well written, held my attention, and the illustrations were detailed and some of the best I've seen. I'ts obvious, much time and research went into this book, written with heartfelt admiration for Diana. This author has two other books I've also purchased, that are equally enjoyable.

Average customer rating:

A Royal Album
Patrick Lichfield
Manufacturer: Elm Tree Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 024110856X

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