Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics

ISBN:0060846739
Pages:336
Date:2006-04-01
Publisher:William Morrow
Rating:5.0

Read Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics Online
1. Online Book Mirror [rapidshare.com]

    Book Description
In this follow-up to her bestselling Sex with Kings, Eleanor Herman reveals the truth about what goes on behind the closed door of a queen's boudoir. Impeccably researched, filled with page-turning romance, passion, and scandal, Sex with the Queen explores the scintillating sexual lives of some of our most beloved and infamous female rulers. She was the queen, living in an opulent palace, wearing lavish gowns and dazzling jewels. She was envied, admired, and revered. She was also miserable, having been forced to marry a foreign prince sight unseen, a royal ogre who was sadistic, foaming at the mouth, physically repulsive, mentally incompetent, or sexually impotent—and in some cases all of the above. How did queens find happiness? In courts bristling with testosterone—swashbuckling generals, polished courtiers, and virile cardinals—many royal women had love affairs.

• Anne Boleyn flirted with courtiers; Catherine Howard slept with one. Henry VIII had both of them beheaded.
• Catherine the Great had her idiot husband murdered, and ruled the Russian empire with a long list of sexy young favorites.
• Marie Antoinette fell in love with the handsome Swedish count Axel Fersen, who tried valiantly to rescue her from the guillotine.
• Empress Alexandra of Russia found emotional solace in the mad monk Rasputin. Her behavior was the spark that set off the firestorm of the Russian revolution.
• Princess Diana gave up her palace bodyguard to enjoy countless love affairs, which tragically led to her early death.

When a queen became sick to death of her husband and took a lover, anything could happen—from disgrace and death to political victory. Some kings imprisoned erring wives for life; other monarchs obligingly named the queen's lover prime minister. The crucial factor deciding the fate of an unfaithful queen was the love affair's implications in terms of power, money, and factional rivalry. At European courts, it was the politics—not the sex—that caused a royal woman's tragedy—or her ultimate triumph. /p>
Reviews From AMAZON.COM
Splendid Read and Fascinating History
More than the scandalous relationships of royal women, this delightful book offers insight into the often dreary lives of royal wombs. No wonder queens looked beyond their impotent, idiot kings for some kind of life. They risked everything in the exciting and dangerous game and lost more than they won. Great read, great insight and wonderfully written.
What's good for the gander is good for the goose
At last year's Renaissance Faire, my mother heard a woman talking about her forthcoming book, "Sex With The Queen." Since I adored Eleanor Herman's "Sex With Kings," I spent a good ten minutes jumping around because she hadn't told me at the Faire, and then settled down to wait for the second book of royal love lives.And Herman does not disappoint in "Sex with the Queen: 900 years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers and Passionate Politics." Without being biased one way or another, Herman explores centuries of queens who did the same as their kings, sometimes with tragic results. It's a juicy, scholarly book -- and that is not a contradiction.Most European queens were raised to be chaste, demure and obedient, in the image of the Virgin Mary. They generally married young, knew nothing of sex or pregnancy, and were expected to spawn lots of kids. But some of these queens weren't content to just sit and embroider -- they ran straight into the arms of hot courtiers.Some of these queens had mad or impotent husbands, and some were married to gay nobles -- one nobleman was overjoyed when his wife had an illegitimate child, which saved him from having to sleep with her. One or two (like Elizabeth I) never wed at all, leaving rumors of lovers and illegitimate children. They slept with warriors, peasants, priests, and other nobles, sometimes with tragic results -- and sometimes not.There's Elizabeth I, the unwed queen with lots of weird rumours; the lusty Cathering the Great, who lusted after many men, but only really loved one; Queen Matilda, whose lover (not her poor mad husband) ruled her country; Queen Victoria's relationship with her Scottish groom; the flirtatious wives of Henry VIII; Czarina Alexandra and her diabolic lover Rasputin, and the ill-fated Princess Diana.Just as she explored the royal mistresses in "Sex with Kings," Eleanor Herman provides some insights into how the queens of Europe lived and loved. It's a fun, juicy read (that title says a lot), but also shows us a part of Europe's royalty that usually doesn't get much attention.Herman also studies the role of the queens in society, the public perception of them, and why it was a bigger deal if they slept around than if the king did. Sexism isn't all to blame, as Herman reminds us. Similarly, she is fair to all the queens and kings, never going out of her way to justify anyone's behavior, but not condemning anyone unfairly either. Actually, some of the royal hubbies were absolutely delighted that their wives found comfort and/or sex elsewhere.Her writing style strikes a good balance between slightly wry conversation and scholarly insights, with lots of historical details that add a lot of dimension to these illicit romances. It's a bit like trading gossip with a good pal, who has all the dirty laundry from the royal bedroom. Very fun, and it often offers insight into the lives of the pampered, lonely royals."Sex with the Queen" is an equally excellent follow-up to Herman's debut, and a delicious historical study. Absolutely one of 2006's must-reads.