A fascinating and enlightening book packed with delicious details about the newest American princess and her rebellious prince charming
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SUMMARY Prince Harry has been one of the most eligible bachelor in the world for many years. He’s a rebel, a rule-breaker, a soldier and a prince, who at the age of 33 has finally decided to settle down. The woman he has chosen to marry however, is a commoner and a professional actress. But there’s more, she’s divorced, she’s biracial, and Megan Markle is not even British. An America Princess illuminates the lives of Harry and Meghan leading up the announcement of their engagement. It identifies their similarities and their differences, but most of all it reflects the love they feel for one another, despite, or perhaps because of their differences. The book concludes with speculation on the wedding fanfare and what this marriage may mean to future generations.
“Yes, Megan Markel is different from every royal bride in the history of the British monarchy. A biracial, childless divorcée, in her mid-thirties, she is a college graduate with a double degree; and a self-described self-sufficient go-getter…. But Meghan Markle is something else that no other royal bride has ever been. She is a standard bearer for all young women who have been told it’s impossible to “have it all.”
REVIEW As a royal-watcher, this is a fabulous must read prior to the big wedding day on May 19th 2018. Just a few fun facts derived from the book:
- Meghan and Harry are 17th cousins.
- Both Meghan and Harry’s parents are divorced.
- Meghan and Harry both went to private parochial schools.
- Harry and Meghan met in London July 2016 on a blind date.
- Meghan and Harry are both passionate about social justice.
Megan and Harry are breaking so many royal traditions that it’s impossible to keep count. The author, Leslie Carroll does a fabulous job of explaining royal protocols, rules and traditions. Carroll explains about the first time that Meghan and Harry openly broke royal protocol. They did so by being openly affectionate, having their arms around each other waist, during their first official royal engagement, on World AIDS Day on December 1, 2017. Even the queen has broken one of her own previous inviolable traditions by allowing Meghan to be the first royal fiancée ever to be permitted to participate in the family’s Christmas celebration and to attend church with them on Christmas morning in 2017.
Carroll’s writing is clear and easy to read, and the story of course, is what makes the book. The chapters alternate between the lives of Meghan and Harry. I did not enjoy reading once again, about the maddening end to the the marriage between Harry’s parents and the subsequent death of Princess Diana, but it is after all, a huge part of what makes Harry who he is. At times the story seems to meander down small rabbit trails, but when doing so, was always providing good background information. American Princess is recommend to royal-watchers, and anyone interested in knowing a little more about Harry and Meghan.
Leslie CarrolI is considered to be one of America’s experts on European royalty and is a frequent media presence whenever the House of Windsor marks a milestone. The Chicago Tribune has described her historical nonfiction as “an irresistible combination of People magazine and the History Channel.”
Thanks to LibraryThing, William Morrow and Leslie Carroll for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Published April 24, 2018.