Born to Rule: Five Reigning Consorts Granddaughters of Queen Victoria

Julia Gelardis Born to Rule is the powerful epic story of five royal granddaughters of Queen Victoria who reigned over the end of their empires the destruction of their families and the tumult of the twentieth century. Here are the stories of Alexandra whose faith in Rasputin and tragic end have become the stuff of legend; Marie the flamboyant and eccentric queen who battled her way through a life of intrigues and was also the mother of two Balkan queens and of the scandalous Carol II of Romania; Victoria Eugenie Spains very English queen who like Alexandra introduced hemophilia into her husbands family---with devastating consequences for her marriage; Maud King Edward VIIs daughter who was independent Norways reluctant queen; and Sophie Kaiser Wilhelm IIs much maligned sister daughter of an emperor and herself the mother of no less than three kings and a queen who ended her days in bitter exile.. Using never before published letters memoirs diplomatic documents secondary sources and interviews with descendents of the subjects Julia Gelardis Born to Rule is an astonishing and memorable work of popular history.