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We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals Audiobook
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(3.02) - 1,702 listener ratings
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER It was the most influential marriage of the nineteenth century–and one of history’ s most enduring love stories. Traditional biographies tell us that Queen Victoria inherited the throne as a naïve teenager, when the British Empire was at the height of its power, and seemed doomed to find failure as a monarch and misery as a woman until she married her German cousin Albert and accepted him as her lord and master. Now renowned chronicler Gillian Gill turns this familiar story on its head, revealing a strong, feisty queen and a brilliant, fragile prince working together to build a family based on support, trust, and fidelity, qualities neither had seen much of as children. The love affair that emerges is far more captivating, complex, and relevant than that depicted in any previous account. The epic relationship began poorly. The cousins first met as teenagers for a few brief, awkward, chaperoned weeks in 1836. At seventeen, charming rather than beautiful, Victoria already “showed signs of wanting her own way.” Albert, the boy who had been groomed for her since birth, was chubby, self-absorbed, and showed no interest in girls, let alone this princess. So when they met again in 1839 as queen and presumed prince-consort-to-be, neither had particularly high hopes. But the queen was delighted to discover a grown man, refined, accomplished, and whiskered. “Albert is beautiful!” Victoria wrote, and she proposed just three days later. As Gill reveals, Victoria and Albert entered their marriage longing for intimate companionship, yet each was determined to be the ruler. This dynamic would continue through the years–each spouse, headstrong and impassioned, eager to lead the marriage on his or her own terms. For two decades, Victoria and Albert engaged in a very public contest for dominance. Against all odds, the marriage succeeded, but it was always a work in progress. And in the end, it was Albert’s early death that set the Queen free to create the myth of her marriage as a peaceful idyll and her husband as Galahad, pure and perfect. As Gill shows, the marriage of Victoria and Albert was great not because it was perfect but because it was passionate and complicated. Wonderfully nuanced, surprising, often acerbic–and informed by revealing excerpts from the pair’s journals and letters–We Two is a revolutionary portrait of a queen and her prince, a fascinating modern perspective on a couple who have become a legend.
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"This book was absolutely fascinating! I chose it b/c so many fiction books I'd read were set in Victorian England and made so many passing references to the Queen, I became curious. Gill's writing style was very enjoyable and the entire story was interesting. I would recommend it to anyone - even people who don't enjoy biographies overly much."
— Maureen (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
We Two Listener Reviews
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" I loved reading this book. I've always wandered just what Victoria was like. Was she really the doormat that she seems to have wanted to paint herself? This book answers that question and many more. Great read. "
— Ruth, 2/8/2014 -
" A very readable bio of Victoria & Albert with emphasis on their relationship, and relationships in general. Really makes history come alive. "
— John, 2/6/2014 -
" This is one of the best and most engaging biographies I've read (am still reading). I read a long biography of Queen Victoria years ago which was interesting, but not nearly as lively as this. It only goes through to the death of Prince Albert. "
— Meme, 2/1/2014 -
" This seemed to be well researched, but the writing wasn't very good. I wish I had a nickle for every time the author used the words "misogyny" and "xenophobe". "
— Angie, 1/31/2014 -
" DELIGHTFUL. A great read that goes beyond the obvious romantic history to discuss their partnership, accomplishments, and shortcomings. "
— Andrea, 1/24/2014 -
" Gill goes back and forth in history a bit but she does at least acknowledge various viewpoints of different events, including Prince Albert's sexuality and Victoria's relationship with John Brown (about a page). Not horribly gripping, but what do you expect from Victoria and Albert? "
— Catherine, 1/11/2014 -
" This was a great read historically speaking. It also presented a different view of the relationship between the Queen and the Prince Consort. It hints that they were often at great odds on major issues with raising their children, running the palace and the country. "
— Erin, 12/10/2013 -
" I enjoyed this dual biography. "
— Kirsti, 12/3/2013 -
" Recounts the early life and marriage of Queen Victoria to her beloved Albert. Ends very abruptly, unfortunately, with the "Mrs. Brown" chapter of Victoria's life, which has the effect of undermining the book's focus on her marriage to Albert. "
— Tessa, 10/29/2013 -
" A little repetitive, but otherwise, very interesting. "
— Dawn, 10/10/2013 -
" This is a great take on a complicated relationship. It reads much easier than a usual history text. "
— Constance, 6/26/2013 -
" Very readable and informative. Loved the subject matter and would like to learn more. "
— Darcie, 2/26/2013 -
" I thought this book was really well written. I used the find definition option quite a lot while reading it. Really was an excellent intimate portrayal to their lives. Hated for it to end. "
— Susan, 11/2/2012 -
" The movie "Young Victoria" got me interested in her and her marriage to her first cousin. It's fascinating stuff but I did bog down about two-thirds of the way through. That's just me. I don't do as well with non-fiction. "
— Gail, 9/15/2012 -
" A well written historical account of the life and reign of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, based in part on their correspondence and journals. Insightful. "
— Debbonfiglio, 3/27/2012 -
" Very good accounts of the lives of Victoria and Albert. Lots of background information. "
— Librarians, 3/24/2012 -
" Amazing that the story of the marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert could be riveting page-turning. An extraordinary story of an era. "
— Susanne, 2/17/2012 -
" Man, how different would history have been if Prince Albert hadn't been such an unrelenting prude? "
— Jess, 1/28/2012 -
" For a relatively short book, it covers a lot of ground, both personal and political. Not the normal hagiography of either of the main subjects. The depiction of Vicky as victim of her father's goals is heart-breaking. A less than sympathetic treatment of the Queen as widow. "
— Kathleen, 12/9/2011 -
" A well written historical account of the life and reign of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, based in part on their correspondence and journals. Insightful. "
— Debbonfiglio, 5/3/2011 -
" Although you might expect a history of the quintessential Victorian marriage to be a little dry, it's actually quite juicy: from the sad and abusive upbringings of these two rulers, to their unexpectedly contentious marriage, this book is admirably restrained while divulging all the juicy details. "
— Jessica, 4/11/2011 -
" Very interesting view of their marriage. I enjoyed it very much. "
— Richard, 4/1/2011 -
" This was a great read historically speaking. It also presented a different view of the relationship between the Queen and the Prince Consort. It hints that they were often at great odds on major issues with raising their children, running the palace and the country. "
— Eealtmeyer, 3/4/2011 -
" OK, so far, I would give it 3 stars. It is a historical book, no fancy add ins, not much embellished, very dry - but with that said, I find it interesting. "
— Laura, 2/28/2011 -
" Listened to this book while I was working on holiday cards this year. I found a lot to dislike in both Albert and Victoria. I hadn't expected that. It was definitely an interesting approach to a couple who are usually considered saintly. "
— Shani, 1/9/2011 -
" Wonderful portrait of the marriage of Victoria and Albert! So engagingly written; intreprets the material in a fresh, interesting way. "
— Adele, 1/7/2011 -
" Not a big non-fiction reader but I found this book very easy to read and full of interesting information. The writing is a bit sensational in places and the notes are not references in the usual manner. I would have liked to see more references as well. "
— Stuart, 1/5/2011 -
" What can I say? I like reading about Queen Victoria and I learned some new information from this book. However, the book does assume the reader has some basic knowledge of the subject and it is not a starter book. "
— Susan, 12/26/2010 -
" I really enjoyed this biography! What a pair, and it was especially interesting because the two lived through such complicated times. The Industrial Revolution, Imperialism, various wars...it was engrossing and a little romantic at the same time! "
— Jessica, 12/7/2010 -
" A dual biography of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and their marriage. Balanced and richly detailed, and a good read. "
— Ellen, 11/30/2010
About Gillian Gill
Gillian Gill is the author of Virginia Woolf, We Too, Nightingales, Agatha Christie, and Mary Baker Eddy. She received her PhD in modern French literature from Cambridge University and has taught at Northeastern, Wellesley, Yale, and Harvard.
About Rosalyn Landor
Rosalyn Landor is an English-born television, theater, and multiple-award-winning audiobook narrator. Her television credits include Love in a Cold Climate, Rumpole of the Bailey, Sherlock Holmes, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. She has won numerous Audie awards and AudioFile magazine Earphones awards.