The People's Princess

Trigger warnings: bulimia, stillborn baby, death of a spouse

Two Princesses of Wales dubbed "the people's princess" intertwine.

Diana Spencer, future Princess of Wales and "the people's princess," sees a painting of Charlotte, Princess of Wales in Buckingham Palace. Diana is intrigued by the portrait and wants to know more about her life. A researcher gives Diana a copy of Charlotte's diary and the two princesses' tales intertwine.

Diana is painted as a naïve, lonely girl obsessed with looking fat in photos. Her bulimia stems from wanting to look skinny on her wedding day. Although these may be facts about the young Princess of Wales, the portrayal seems very two-dimensional.

Princess Charlotte of Wales will be Queen of England one day, but her life is far from charmed. Her father, the Prince Regent, despises her and keeps her away from court functions; her mother needs Charlotte's protection from divorce.

There are many parallels between Charlotte and Diana -- both are beloved by the common people, they are lonely in their position as princess, and both are romantics at heart. Those who know history know that neither woman's story will end well.

(minor spoilers ahead but honestly everyone knows Diana's story)

Charlotte's story ends with her death, while Diana's ends with her wedding. Ending the book on this point in Diana's history is an attempt to end the book in a hopeful way, but in reality Diana's story is far from a happy one.

Recommended for royal watchers and British historical fiction fans.

Flora Harding has written numerous novels under pen names, including Pamela Hartshorne and Jessica Hart. She lives in York, England.

Publisher: One More Chapter

Length: 384 pages

Release Date: March 21, 2022 (ebook); May 17, 2022 (print)

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.