Elizabeth and Alexandra by Anthony Lambton

[Helen_Azar]

Sounds almost as bad as The Tsarina's Daughter by Carolly Ericcson ... if you want to read a good fictionalized account of Ella's life, try Most Beautiful Princess by Christina Croft. I just started it and I'm really enjoying it.

I am tempted to say that as bad as this book is, The Tsarina's Daughter is even much worse! And yes, I would highly recommend "Most Beautiful Princess" by Christina Croft too! We do have one copy at FLP (happy to say I ordered it for us  ) but it is in storage until early next year

[Inok Nikolai]

A. Lambton's book was so exceedingly ridiculous, that I just could not get worked up over it — other than to shake my head, and maybe chuckle at some of the more outrageous passages.

For Orthodox Christians, some of those sections of the book dealing with the Church are a real hoot.

Lambton has Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna sliding in and out of her pew in church (of which there are none in a Russian Orthodox Church).

Then she steps into the little booth to go to confession (again, no such booths in an Orthodox Church).

But my all time favorite is the time when Lambton has Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, while still living in Moscow, go to visit Zinaida Yussupova, her good friend at that time.

(As you know, the Yussupovs did indeed have a large old house in Moscow.)

But Lambton has Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna jump into her carriage in Moscow, and, a little while later, pull up in front of the Yussupovs' Moika Palace!

Lambton had probably heard of the Yussupovs only in connection with the murder of Rasputin, which took place in the Yussupovs' Moika Palace... in St. Petersburg!

The poor man didn't realize that it's referred to as the Moika Palace, because it is located on the Moika Canal in St. Petersburg.

I guess those famous Orlov Trotters really were swift steeds — to get Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna from Moscow to St. Petersburg in a matter of minutes, eh?!

[Georgiy]

You'd think he could have done a little bit of research...

[Kalafrana]

Lambton was an odd character, and I think an extremely arrogant man.

He inherited the earldom of Durham in the 1960s, but disclaimed it under the Peerage Act 1963 in order to continue sitting as an MP. However, instead of becoming plain Mr Lambton, he insisted on being known as Lord Lambton, on the basis that this was the courtesy title he had had before his father's death, and he hadn't disclaimed that. (Note that the 14th Earl of Home, who disclaimed in 1963, became plain Sir Alec Douglas-Home). Lambton became a hunior defence minister in Edward Heath's government in 1970, but before very long had to resign amid a major scandal involving call girls and cocaine. He decamped to Italy, and, I believe, carried on with the cocaine if not the call girls.

Maybe the book found a publisher primarily because of Lambton's notoriety. I did read it years ago, but wasn't impressed.

Ann

[Ilana]

He also had a major hatred for the Mountbattens/Battenbergs.

[Kalafrana]

'He also had a major hatred for the Mountbattens/Battenbergs.'

Any underlying reason for it? Lord Mountbatten was by no means universally admired in naval circles (I can quote two examples from personal knowledge).

Ann

[Ilana]

His books on the Mountbattens were written with such an obvious axe to grind that I was actually surprised that the editors let him get away with it.  I think it was jealousy and anger.  I don't think that he felt they earned their place, starting with Louis Battenberg.  A fact that I would obviously contest.

[Kalafrana]

I don't know about Louis Battenberg, but I don't think Lord Mountbatten really earned his place. He was one of a number of dashing and relatively young officers who caught Winston Churchill's eye and were promoted very rapidly - arguably, well beyond their capabilities. As a destroyer captain he was, in truth, a disaster - his official biographer Philip Ziegler estimates that the Kelly only spent about eight weeks out of dry dock because of Mountbatten's incompetent ship-handling.

One of my beefs about Mountbatten is that he always surrounded himself with a vastly inflated staff - as Supreme Commander South-East Asia he had a staff of 10,000 - several thousand miles away from the front! I don't know what size staff Field Marshal Slim - the commander on the ground - had, but it was certainly measured in hundreds.

Ann

[Alixz]

I remember when I read this book.  I laughed at the end where the author has Alexandra leading Ella around by a rope around her neck!

It does sound like Anthony Lambton hates his subjects.

[Petr]

I don't know about Louis Battenberg, but I don't think Lord Mountbatten really earned his place.

Perhaps that is why Edwina had her affair with Nehru.

[historyfan]

A. Lambton's book was so exceedingly ridiculous, that I just could not get worked up over it — other than to shake my head, and maybe chuckle at some of the more outrageous passages.

For Orthodox Christians, some of those sections of the book dealing with the Church are a real hoot.

Lambton has Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna sliding in and out of her pew in church (of which there are none in a Russian Orthodox Church).

Then she steps into the little booth to go to confession (again, no such booths in an Orthodox Church).

But my all time favorite is the time when Lambton has Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, while still living in Moscow, go to visit Zinaida Yussupova, her good friend at that time.

(As you know, the Yussupovs did indeed have a large old house in Moscow.)

But Lambton has Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna jump into her carriage in Moscow, and, a little while later, pull up in front of the Yussupovs' Moika Palace!

Lambton had probably heard of the Yussupovs only in connection with the murder of Rasputin, which took place in the Yussupovs' Moika Palace... in St. Petersburg!

The poor man didn't realize that it's referred to as the Moika Palace, because it is located on the Moika Canal in St. Petersburg.

I guess those famous Orlov Trotters really were swift steeds — to get Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna from Moscow to St. Petersburg in a matter of minutes, eh?!

Oh, for the love of.....! These are things *I* know, and I'm not the expert others are!

[Kalafrana]

Best book on Mountbatten is Philip Ziegler's official biography. Even the very judicious Ziegler got frustrated with his subject, and resorted to putting a notice on his desk saying, 'Remember, he was a great man'!

Ann

[Kalafrana]

'But Lambton has Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna jump into her carriage in Moscow, and, a little while later, pull up in front of the Yussupovs' Moika Palace!'

I am reminded of the American writer Diana Gaboldon, who writes terribly OTT books about a time-travelling heroine who finds herself in the 18th century, and is thoroughly confused about British geography. At the end of Book 1, the hero and heroine (a pair of Jacobites) flee from Inverness on board a French ship, and by the next morning they're in the mouth of the Seine. Now I'm no expert on sailing ships, but the distance is about 800 miles, and the great 19th century clippers were doing 200 miles a day under full sail in the trade winds. Even with the most favourable winds (which were far from guaranteed), I would reckon a week from Inverness to the Seine estuary as a fast passage. On another occasion our heroine is captured by the villanous English in the vicinity of Forfar, which is roughly between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and three days later she's not far from Tavistock, in Devon!

Ann