Summary of Anne Edwards's Matriarch

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

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#1 Princess May of Teck was considered as a suitable bride for Prince Eddy, who was the second heir to the British throne. She was eventually chosen to be the Queen Consort of England.

#2 The young woman was chosen to be the Queen Consort of England. She was the daughter of a morganatic marriage, and her father was penniless. Before their marriage, the Duke of Teck had been living on his meagre military pay and an occasional handout from the Austrian Emperor.

#3 The young woman was chosen to be the Queen Consort of England. She was the daughter of a morganatic marriage, and her father was penniless. Before their marriage, the Duke of Teck had been living on his meagre military pay and an occasional handout from the Austrian Emperor.

#4 Princess May of Teck was chosen to be the Queen Consort of England, and she was the daughter of a morganatic marriage. She was never to forget the circumstances of her exile in Florence, and she was determined to turn this embarrassing period to her advantage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Sep 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9798350031409

IRB Media

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Insights on Anne Edwards's Matriarch

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The prospect of becoming Queen Consort of England was a daunting one for Princess May. She was 24 years old, and Prince Eddy was one of her less charming cousins. Nevertheless, she was summoned to Balmoral Castle by Queen Victoria.

#2

The young woman was between her slim brother and her aristocratic father in the front seat of the luxurious carriage. The rear seat was occupied by her flamboyant mother, Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck, who was extremely fat.

#3

The Tecks were always in debt, and in 1883, when Princess May was 16, they ran off to Florence to escape their creditors. They were saved from ruin by the Queen’s ability to wheedle the Queen into advancing her large sums of money.

#4

Princess May was sent to live in Florence with her family after her parents’ divorce. She was 19 years old, and she knew that her marriage prospects were bleak. Yet, she was going to become engaged to the second heir to the British throne.

#5

Prince Eddy was born in 1864, two months premature and without any nurses or doctors attending him. He had been blighted with poor health since infancy. His lack of character and his inordinate slowness were cause for greater concern.

#6

The relationship between Prince Eddy and his brother was extremely close. They were sent to Switzerland to learn French, and when they were finally forced to go their separate ways, Prince Eddy went to Cambridge to further his education and his brother went to pursue his naval career on H. M. S. Canada in the Royal Navy’s West Indian and North American squadron.

#7

The Ripper murders, which took place in London in 1888, were the subject of worldwide media attention. The Queen took an active interest in the case, and supposedly consulted with a psychic. The killer was described as being of medium height, having a small, fair moustache, and wearing a deer-stalker’s hat and collars and cuffs.

#8

The end of the relationship between Prince Eddy and Princess Hélène came in July 1891. His parents were very worried about his condition, and his love for Princess Hélène cannot be held responsible for his condition. He was simultaneously wooing another beautiful woman, Lady Sybil St. Clair-Erskine.

#9

The choice of Princess May had been a careful, cautious process of elimination. Princess May had to be completely trustworthy and committed to her duty. Not many young women would have cared to fill the position.

#10

The Duke of Teck’s father had been heir-apparent to the throne of Württemberg, a state in Southwest Germany with Stuttgart as its capital. His rights to the succession were forfeited in 1835 when he married the Hungarian Countess Rhedey; the marriage was unconstitutional in Württemberg.

#11

The Queen’s life at Balmoral was deliberately isolated. There were fewer servants than at any of the other Royal residences, and the Queen was attended by the controversial John Brown, a Scotsman who had been with her since Prince Albert’s death.

#12

Princess May’s visit to Balmoral was a call to duty. She understood the special circumstances of being a royal personage, and she would do whatever was asked of her if Queen Victoria decided to marry Prince Eddy.

#13

Princess May was met by Princess Beatrice, the Queen’s youngest child, who greeted her with a nervous smile. The Queen was dressed in black silk, with a very full skirt, the bodice buttoned down the front, and a décolletage filled in with a dainty chemisette.

#14

The Queen was at least seven inches shorter than Princess May, and she was seventy-two years old. Her posture was as correct as that of the young woman she faced, and her eyes were quick to take in every detail of her visitor’s appearance.

#15

The Queen’s approval for the couple to marry was certain by the time Princess May returned from Balmoral. The Queen had always admired Lady Geraldine’s ability to speak French, Italian, and German correctly and fluently, and to write in a fine hand.

#16

The Wales family decided not to wait until Christmas. On December 2, 1891, Princess May