A grand old Duke

Jessica Douglas-Home

IN THE INTRODUCTION TO A Royal Life, Hugo Vickers, royal biographer and historian, announces: “This book is not a biography or memoir.” I disagree. This book is a new and original kind of biography — one that I have never encountered before. Vickers is like a conductor wielding his baton, controlling the voices of both the Duke and the 14 contributors who are brought in to speak about his character and his life. In addition, the Duke’s three children, his wife and his Austrian, Greek, Bavarian and Yugoslav cousins dance in and out of the pages to make their own observations. The text includes excerpts from diaries such as those of the photographer Cecil Beaton, playwright Noel Coward and the journalist Kenneth Rose. Each chapter opens by informing us of the…

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The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2022

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