• Matriarch

  • Queen Mary and the House of Windsor
  • By: Anne Edwards
  • Narrated by: Corrie James
  • Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,332 ratings)

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Matriarch  By  cover art

Matriarch

By: Anne Edwards
Narrated by: Corrie James
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Publisher's summary

The life of Princess May of Teck is one of the great Cinderella stories in history. From a family of impoverished nobility, she was chosen by Queen Victoria as the bride for her eldest grandson, the scandalous Duke of Clarence, heir to the throne, who died mysteriously before their marriage. Despite this setback, she became queen, mother of two kings, grandmother of the current queen, and a lasting symbol of the majesty of the British throne. Her pivotal role in the abdication of her eldest son, the Duke of Windsor, is just one of the events that provide the backdrop for both thrilling biography and for narrating the splendors and tragedies of the entire house of Windsor.

©1984 Anne Edwards (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A magnificent portrayal of majesty...Edwards depicts the whole panorama, from pageantry and protocol to small private detail, with superb narrative finesse, psychological insight, and impressively far-ranging and scrupulous research." ( Chicago Tribune)

What listeners say about Matriarch

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A Fascinating Story Superbly Narrated

This is not your typical royal story. Although it is a biography of Queen Mary, which touches on the royal family from Queen it is the unstated conflict of personal happiness vs. duty that makes this book so intriguing.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Royal Approach to a biography

I loved that it still felt as though we are treating the family as Royalty. Not dishy, even though there was plenty to sound smarky about. It took you alongside their journey without bias, but with enough color to help you choose your own sides.

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Fantastic Book

This book was truly extraordinary. I am fascinated by the English monarchy, and this book helped me to fill in some of the blanks.

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What great insight to the royals

Really explains why they were so screwed up. I say were as William seems more empathetic and down to earth. Harry too, although he seems a bit out of sorts from not having the support he needed from his family. Didn't realize how interbred they were.

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Fantastic read

I absolutely loved this book. It was a wonderful recounting of history, well read, and fascinating.

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Great Biography

Loved it. As another reviewer mentioned, I didn't want it to end. Very interesting and informative.

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Fascinating story, great reader

The story moves right along, never boring. Interesting account of not just Queen Mary but also her whole family and the time she lived in. Highly recommend this great listen.

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Wow!

As an avid Crown fan, I decided to give this a try. I love Queen Mary's portrayal on the show and new nothing of her story. This book did not disappoint. My only complaint is it is so hard to keep track of all the figures. If I had an actual hard copy I could reference back much easier. Since people are often referred to by title and those change over a persons life time, and many characters have the same first names, it does get a bit confusing. I will say it made me open up my tablet and try to figure out the royal connections through Europe, it is astounding how related everyone was.

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Different perspective on familiar history

I enjoyed getting to know this Queen beyond the usual photographs and historical facts. It was interesting to see events unfold from her perspective.

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Great Historical Book!

If you love British history, you will enjoy this book. It is read beautifully. I would highly recommend it.

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