RARE BOOK GUIDE - THE RUNNERS, THE RIDERS & THE ODDS

12 December 2009

The People's Princess



I had thought this phrase was made up by Alastair Campbell for the famous Blair soundbite on the day Diana died but I just pulled this 1984 book out of a box and lo!- here is the original People's Princess...Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck (1833- 1897). She was not quite as good-looking as Diana (indeed she was also known as 'Fat Mary') but like Diana she had a knack for popularity. She was also one of the first Royals to patronise a wide range of charities. She is the current Queen's great grandmother. Elizabeth II seems to have thrown off the Hanoverian look...

The book goes for about £15 as a hardback nice in wrapper, with one online chancer looking for $100. It was published by Kensal Press,London in paperback and hardback. I am told royal books sometimes make more than they are worth on Ebay...

1 comment:

Joel Robuchon said...

Surely Lucian Freud's royal portrait shows the Hanoverian look of QE2's great gran?