Not in Front of the Corgis: Secrets of Life Behind the Royal Curtains

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Whether this is due to the inexperience of the couple in royal life, the timing of the publication, or simply that the author doesn't have the access to them that he does with the older royals particularly Princess Anne , is unknown. The best passages deal with the particularities of individuals such as the Queen's corgis or indecisive Charles' regal perfectionism or specific roles of service how a valet is trained.

The book's final chapter is a full on defense of monarchy, but even this is more of a personal opinion. The author's rather subjective assertions as to the economies of the Royal model are accurate. In true English form, when considering this work from someone who has covered the family for decades, what is NOT said is often more significant than what IS said. For example, the text hints at the elephant in "The Firm", but never discusses it. The Queen has managed to run her household and family with an admirable economy. Why would he cut back to her levels once he becomes King?

We all know his expenses are more likely to expand. This fact alone let along others that are not even touched upon in this book makes the succession a key factor in whether the house of Windsor will survive the clear loss of experience that is inevitable with the passing of HRH who has held the throne these 60 years. But the biggest negligence in his discussion of the benefits of monarchy lies in the author's failure to mention the time savings in the English model.

This surprised me, as it makes a nice objective argument. But the Queen's household handles all the pomp and circumstance from diplomatic visits to meeting Olympians, and amply promotes private charitable organizations that benefit society. This allows the Prime Minister to actually focus on governing, as he is scheduled in for a few meetings on a diplomat's itinerary, and doesn't even have to bother with Olympians.

The Queen and her family have more than proven that there are several full time jobs involved in filling these functions and hundreds of full time jobs involved in keeping the houses, ceremonies, and family of the nation running with the tradition and gravitas of a great kingdom. There is so much to think about in this great question of United Kingdom society. How is it that the House of Windsor has maintained internal influence and international branding while the other houses of Europe have faded into the modern background?

A comparison would be nice. Is it merely a relic of the British Empire, successfully extended by the transition to a Commonwealth written by the Queen's father, George VI, and orchestrated during the Queen's tenure? What exactly was Prince William speaking of in fearing that Kate would regret this life if she really knew it? What does "this life", this microcosm of culture truly entail? What does it mean to "work as a royal"?

There is a lovely children's series "You wouldn't want to be A book for adults along the lines of what it actually meant for Kate to marry into "the Firm", would go a long way to explaining the less visible challenges of royalty, and dampening the public not to mention Republican obsession with it's benefits.

Something along the lines of "Royal Life for Commoners". Perhaps it could also cover a bit of the "downstairs" perspective and explain how all those hundreds of jobs free Royals from the drudgery of life cleaning, cooking, dressing to perform this service to the state. In the end, we have to ask, do the benefits of monarchy and I think they are tangible benefits which - being the American I am - I would love to see measured!

Or has our modernity made this an ineffective way to maintain the dignity and governance of the United Kingdom? This is this most ticklish question of all, as I think the risks to the individuals raised in this system Prince Charles being exhibit A, but also the others have to be weighed against the clear benefits to the state.

Perhaps Her Majesty, the Queen, will hear of my thoughts and ask me to write "Monarchy verses Republic, specifically the English form". In the meantime, I'm seeking recommendations from you, Goodreads readers on any titles that might cover some of these compelling aspects of the Royal Family. Not in Front of the Corgis Wasn't sure what to expect but title encouraged me to purchase and read.

Well written with the right amount of fact and humour. Interesting titbits revealed and monetary amounts could be put into today's equivalent. Dec 27, Kate rated it liked it Shelves: The book could really use a good editor - just some better overall structure of chapters and some structuring of the info in it would be a huge improvement.

Occasionally comes across as bitchy. Kind of the same way I"m interested in the operational logistics of the Duggar Interesting.. Kind of the same way I"m interested in the operational logistics of the Duggars. Nov 25, Mlg rated it liked it Shelves: An insider's look at the palace and it's hierarchy. Not a terribly flattering portrait of the royal family who come off like spoiled children. Does Prince Charles really need a staff of ? Maybe it is time to abolish the monarchy. Apr 30, Alaine rated it liked it Shelves: I picked this from the "pet" section of the LA Library's eBooks so I guess I thought it was going to be a book about corgis.

It's about life at Buckingham Palace. Which I don't care about.

The writing in this book reminded me of one of those old time, small town society columns in which the local grand dame - maybe the mayor's wife - writes about bridge clubs and garden clubs; the column always ended "and a good time was had by all" only about Buckingham Palace. The writing also reminded me of report fodder, if you were going to write a school report on the royal family, which is highly unlikely.

I was not a fan. Yet for some reason, I kept reading I will admit, I skimmed some. There were some delicious bits at the beginning and again at the end; but this was mostly the lintiest most dustybunniest kind of fluff. Not what the title promised The first part of the book was interesting, but I had hoped he would have delved deeper into what it was like to work at the palace and for the Royal family. For this American, and many others, I would guess, the idea and experience of having or being a servant is foreign.

What does a footman do? How are they trained? The same goes for butlers, etc. The end of the book was so focused on money that it lost a star.

Not in Front of the Corgis: Secrets of Life Behind the Royal Curtains

I did find it interesting to find that some Royals must pa Not what the title promised The first part of the book was interesting, but I had hoped he would have delved deeper into what it was like to work at the palace and for the Royal family. I did find it interesting to find that some Royals must pay rent on their houses.

This is only a book for those intrigued by royalty. The last part lost me because a lot of titles of people I didn't recognize were thrown around, and the titles were unfamiliar to me as well. I just read the queens last corgi died. I wonder if she will get another or does she feel she is too old, which in and of itself is sad. May 08, Erin rated it really liked it. There were a number of interesting tidbits about the Royal Family and the people who support them in this book. It was amusing to find out that even with so many use cases and the weight of tradition, Buckingham Palace runs with a smaller staff than the White House.

This one was a quick and fun read. I'd recommend it to any who might have an interest in the "below stairs" goings-on of such a large family and their many holdings. Oct 23, Jeannine A. Quite Interesting I loved the title of this book and caught on very quickly! The author did a fantastic job of describing what happens upstairs and downstairs among the British Royalty. Quite interesting to see the difference between the the different Royals and how they treat the people who work for them. Sep 03, Meg Morden rated it really liked it Shelves: Lots of interesting facts in about the day to day life but no shocking disclosures.

As someone who has been fascinated by the Royal Family and Great Britain and has read many serious tomes on many different eras and aspects of the Empire, I find Not in Front of the Corgis delightful and informative. Sep 20, C-shaw rated it liked it. I'm always interested in reading about the royals. This was pretty good, though too much written about staff salaries in , which didn't interest me, and very little about the corgis, about which I don't care much either.

There were a few insights into major members of "The Firm," and I did enjoy those parts very much. Feb 23, Natasha rated it it was ok Shelves: Want to know who earns what? This the book for you. Want to know what each job entails? This is the book for you. It's not a fly on the wall type book and lags in spots. But it does give you a good look on how the royal households are run. Apr 14, Barbra rated it liked it. Enjoyable read learning a few unknown facts about the Family.

Very entertaining Everything you wanted to know and were afraid to ask about the royals and palace living. I loved reading it. Delightful As an avid lover of and having a corgi rescue and enjoying books about the history of the Tudor period, the title made this a must read. So very glad I did. Oct 12, Ellen rated it liked it.

I like reading how other people live, and especially rich famous people, To royalty they have never known anything else!

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Fun read Fun, easy read for anyone interested in the royals and the inner workings on their lives. I recommend it as an informative, easy read. Sep 27, Cathie rated it liked it. A detailed behind the scenes look at how the British royal family operates. Good review I confess to being a royal watcher, yet this book had plenty of tidbits i did not know.

Worth the money for serious trivia buffs. Based on the blurb In its Kindle listing, I expected a lighthearted book. Instead I got lots of facts and explanations. Not what I expected, but interesting none the less. Mar 25, Tess Burton rated it liked it Shelves: I do love a trashy read every once in a while. True, I don't have much interest in the so-called celebrities that constantly occupy The Daily Mail's sidebar of shame, but the Royal Family is a different story.

I'm fascinated by the servant-master relationships that go on, I love the history of the monarchy and the traditions it holds. Most of all, I love the gossip. Because with a family that's so ridiculously far removed from reality, how can I help but get sucked in? Not in Front of the Corgis I do love a trashy read every once in a while.

Not in Front of the Corgis was good for a little bit of the ol' goss. It was an easy read at pages and filled with little snippets and stories for my entertainment. We get a decent look at what life is like for the family and its Royal servants, specifically who is the most liked member of the family according to the servants. It's quite an eye-opening account at just how many people are employed under the crown and a quite a lot on a low salary and just how many ridiculous tasks they're required to perform.

There's a lot of these little tidbits not nearly as many as I would like, but enough and it honestly made me dislike the Royal family a fair bit. Not that this was the author's intention; he's quite unbiased and professional, making sure to drop in some stories that show the Royals in a positive light to off-set the bad ones. Recently, he was told that a former royal correspondent for a national newspaper, who had frequently attacked him in print, had undergone surgery for a serious stomach condition. The former reporter was surprised - and delighted - when a large ad very expensive bunch of his favourite flowers were delivered to his home, along with a handwritten note from his old adversary wishing him well.

It was a generous and thoughtful gesture that was entirely spontaneous and, on his orders, carried out without any publicity. I wasn't at all interested in this information, but luckily the author padded the chapters with more stories and funny little goings-on. So it was easy to stay entertained through the boring chapters by marveling at some of the silly servants' names like "Keeper of the Privy Purse" and "Mistress of the Robes". At the end of the day, this was a trashy read.

A bit of fun, a light read with some interesting facts about the Royal family. This is not the kind of book to pick up if you're interested in the history of the monarchy or if you want a more high-brow recounting of the family's lives with a tad more substance.

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It's essentially a well-written tabloid, and one I really rather enjoyed. Members Reviews Popularity Average rating Conversations 50 7 , 3. Add to Your books. Recently added by gentlespirit , Mandy. No current Talk conversations about this book. A quick read, although some parts were a little boring for me. The Princes, especially Prince Charles come across as overindulged and spoilt. Some of the behaviour depicted in this book is quite frankly, ridiculous.

TineSidhe Aug 23, I found this book interesting with some humor. The book was mainly about obsessively detailed accounts of who does what job and for how much. If you are the type of person who is interested in how extensive an operation Her Majesty has to deal with and be aware of in her role as Queen you will enjoy this book.

I myself would have wanted to read more on staff duties yet there was some information how the staff got their positions within the Royal House. Besides the insights into how the Palace is run Brian Hoey commented on the few attractions, events, and humor that he has embellished over with no means of disgracing the Royal Family. Brian Hoey has been writing about the Royal Family for forty years so one assumes that he has more than a passing interest in, and knowledge of, the subjects he writes about.

The book was a one setting read and informative to some point for me. Juan-banjo May 31, Darth-Heather May 31, No one knows more about the Royal Family than their 1, staff. They know which royal is most popular below stairs, who the Queen gives her cast-off clothes to, who has his shoelaces ironed, and what goes on behind a trick mirror at Buckingham Palace. Some of the more interesting stories include: The Prince of Wales has never picked up his own clothes or undressed himself. He has three valets to take care of his clothes. If he has several engagements in one day, his valet places several ties in the car so he can change en route.

He likes to wear the tie of the organization or military establishment he is visiting.

The record is five changes of tie in one day. Regarded as the most warm and welcoming state room in the palace, the White Drawing Room actually painted yellow has a secret ante-chamber.

In one corner of the drawing room is a large fixture containing a full-size mirror. During functions a footman is stationed alongside it and at a signal he presses a button and the entire fitment swings open to reveal the Royal Family, who have been waiting in the Royal Closet, a small drawing room hidden behind the mirror, having their own per-function drinks.

William Tallon, page of the backstairs for the late queen mother, and his lifelong friend Reg Wilcock, page of the presence, were openly gay.

Not In Front of the Corgis: Secrets of Life Behind the Royal Curtains

The queen mother, like most of the royal family, was relaxed about their relationship. This is an interesting behind the scenes, gossipy look at what goes on in the Royal Household. There's really not lots about the corgis, much to my disappointment. Olivermagnus Jan 17, This book gives interesting information about the palace, people who work there, old customs, and some stories. If you're looking for gossip you're going to be disappointed.

If you want to know about the rooms, the layout, who does what, the ranking of the staff and stuff like that, you are in for a treat. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Charles, Prince of Wales. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Lobb of St James's. Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom.

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George V, King of the United Kingdom. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. The Keeper of the Privy Purse. Diana, Princess of Wales. Major Sir John Griffin.

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