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The Viceroy's Daughters

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The Viceroy's Daughters

By: Anne de Courcy
Narrated by: Maggie Ollerenshaw
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About this listen

The lives of the three daughters of Lord Curzon: glamorous, rich, independent and wilful.

Irene (born 1896), Cynthia (b. 1898) and Alexandria (b.1904) were the three daughters of Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India 1898-1905 and probably the grandest and most self-confident imperial servant Britain ever possessed.

After the death of his fabulously rich American wife in 1906, Curzon's determination to control every aspect of his daughters' lives, including the money that was rightfully theirs, led them one by one into revolt against their father. The three sisters were at the very heart of the fast and glittering world of the '20s and '30s.

Irene, intensely musical and a passionate foxhunter, had love affairs in the glamorous Melton Mowbray hunting set. Cynthia ('Cimmie') married Oswald Mosley, joining him first in the Labour Party, where she became a popular MP herself, before following him into fascism. Alexandra ('Baba'), the youngest and most beautiful, married the Prince of Wales' best friend Fruity Metcalfe. On Cimmie's early death in 1933, Baba flung herself into a long and passionate affair with Mosley and a liaison with Mussolini's ambassador to London, Count Dino Grandi, while enjoying the romantic devotion of the foreign secretary, Lord Halifax. The sisters see British fascism from behind the scenes, and the arrival of Wallis Simpson and the early married life of the Windsors. The war finds them based at 'the Dorch' (the Dorchester Hotel) doing good works. At the end of their extraordinary lives, Irene and Baba have become, rather improbably, pillars of the establishment, Irene being made one of the very first Life Peers in 1958 for her work with youth clubs.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Anne de Courcy (P)2021 Orion Publishing Group
Historical Women War Royalty
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I own this book and have read twice before but having it on Audible meant I would listen whilst I worked! Third time round and I still enjoyed it. Curzon’s daughters were such interesting women. Irene my favourite and quite ahead of her time in pushing for her own financial independence much to his annoyance. The sections with Cimmie becoming entangled and married with the vile Tom (Oswald) Mosley make you shudder. I found it well read, yes Wallis Simpson’s accent is a little odd as is that of Fruity Metcalf but they didn’t ruin it for me. Highly recommend if you have an interest in this era.

Three Intriguing Women

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Love social history and avid reader of this subject. Completely different world they inhabited, one of wealth and privilege. The chapters discussing the 1930s made me realise just what a bubble they lived in. When most were suffering because of The Depression, their lives continued on as before. Very good book and well read.

Different World

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An amazing and detailed account of the Curzon lives. I would heartily recommend to any student of the era or of the rich echelons of English society 👍🏻

Amazing interesting detail 👍🏻

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I was interested in Lord Curzon but the story of his three daughters is just as, if not more fascinating. It is a fabulous window into that pre and post war society. The narrator is supremely good at communicating each of the many personalities. This has been one of my very best listens. I defy anyone to disagree!

Absolutely rivetted to this listen.

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Wonderful story, well researched & written. Well read, too, apart from the abysmal attempt at accents by the reader … very unnecessary to attempt an Irish brogue, an Italian accent & an US drawl.

Fantastic piece, except the tragic attempt at accents

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