A Royal Affair: George III and his Troublesome Siblings

The acclaimed, best-selling author of Aristocrats returns with a stunning, new book — the dramatic story of a king trying to hold family and state together, as both his siblings and his American colonies rebel.

The young George III was a poignant figure who tried hard to be a father to his siblings and his nation. But behind the sweeping panorama of 18th century royalty and politics is the story of a scandal-ridden family trapped between desire and the protocols of royalty. At the heart of Tillyard’s story is Caroline Mathilde, who married the mad Christian of Denmark in her teens, but fell in love with the royal doctor Struensee: despite George’s agonized negotiations, a terrible fate awaited them. Around this tragedy, Stella Tillyard weaves the dramas of the rakish Duke of York; the Duke of Cumberland, caught up in a notorious divorce; and the Duke of Gloucester, secretly married. Desperate for control, George constructed the Royal Marriage Act, a decision that still bedevils the royal family today.

All this, while contending with his tumultuous American colonies. And at every step, a feverish press waiting to pounce on the gossip that was fostering a new national passion — a heated mix of celebrity and sex.