Serving Victoria: Life in the Royal Household
The popularity of the television series Downton Abbey has spawned a spate of recently published books revolving around upper-class households. Setting her sights considerably higher, Hubbard profiles the royal court of Queen Victoria. Instead of opting for an upstairs-downstairs peek, she profiles a half-dozen ladies and gentlemen of the household, midlevel employees who, while not strictly in service, were called upon to provide a variety of services—often indefinitely—to Her Majesty. Utilizing the diaries and letters of Victoria’s maid of honor, two ladies-of-the-bedchamber, her secretary, her physician, and her chaplain, Hubbard has painted a portrait of the duty, dedication, and discretion that were required of the ­middle-class members of a surprisingly dull and decidedly unglamorous court. Despite a lack of scandal and juicy behind-the-scenes gossip, this is a historically fascinating depiction of Victoria’s domestic routine and retinue. --Margaret Flanagan