--- product_id: 52490033 title: "Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court" price: "€ 32.18" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/52490033-courtiers-the-secret-history-of-the-georgian-court store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court **Price:** € 32.18 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court - **How much does it cost?** € 32.18 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/52490033-courtiers-the-secret-history-of-the-georgian-court) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description An eye-opening portrait of an enthralling group of royal servants, Courtiers throws new light on the dramatic life of George II and Queen Caroline and their court at Kensington Palace. In the eighteenth century, the palace's most elegant assembly room was in fact a bloody battlefield. This was a world of skulduggery, politicking, wigs and beauty-spots, where fans whistled open like flick-knives... Ambitious and talented people flocked to court of George II and Queen Caroline in search of power and prestige, but Kensington Palace was also a gilded cage. Successful courtiers needed level heads and cold hearts; their secrets were never safe. Among them, a Vice Chamberlain with many vices, a Maid of Honour with a secret marriage, a pushy painter, an alcoholic equerry, a Wild Boy, a penniless poet, a dwarf comedian, two mysterious turbaned Turks and any number of discarded royal mistresses. 'The kind of captivating history I most enjoy: full of unexpected stories. It makes one look at Kensington Palace in a completely new light.' - Lady Antonia Fraser Review: Great fun and full of information - This is a fascinating book. Lucy Worsley has written an account of the courts of the Hanoverian Georges by highlighting a few of the people who lived and worked there. She starts the book by talking about the Grand Staircase at Kensington Palace which has a painting of forty-five of the court servants apparently looking at us over the banisters. There was a huge, and well documented, battle between the old guard of the artistic establishment, as personified by John Thornhill, Hogarth's father-in-law, and William Kent one of the new Italianates. This account sets the tone of the book. Through letters and diaries, gossip and rumour, the picture of court life is built up in a most enjoyable way. Lucy Worsley writes with a light and amusing touch, so that even though we are absorbing a lot of information, it is highly entertaining. In addition to the royal family, we meet many of the great names of the eighteenth century (who, to me, were just the dry old sticks of history lessons) - Sir Robert Walpole, Lord Chesterfield, Pope and Gay to mention just a few, and we meet them through their own words and what other people (often bitchily) said about them. There are lots of pictures within the text and a glorious colour section in the middle. Of course, not everyone mentioned can be pictured in the book, so I have spent a happy afternoon googling characters to see what they looked like. The book is well indexed and referenced so you are well prepared for further research. Review: Interesting view of 18th century history - Felt like old fashion history as I have read similar books in the 1970s revolving around Queen Victoria's court but in the end this did not distract from the fact that it was well written and deeply interesting. Dealing with the times of George 1st and George 2nd it concentrates on the personnalities of the court to bring this period alive. However I do not think that the book really brought out just how political the court still was [for instance the 'The Garter Crises' involving Earl Temple and nearly brought down a government is only obliquely mentioned]. But I do agree with the other reviewers that it is 'very readable - very interesting - very worthwhile! And that the peiople 'come alive as Worsely has creatively depicted their intriguing lives.'. The Kindle edition I read was a model of its kind with links to the notes, a full, and again linked, index and a good bibliography. The plates at the end came out surprissingly well. However it also showed up the Kindle's limitations in that it was impossible to read the family tree at the beginnning even when using the zoom. ## Features - New Store Stock ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 82,107 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 80 in Cultural History of London | | Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,081 Reviews | ## Images ![Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91ewmZNONAL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great fun and full of information *by I***Y on 7 January 2012* This is a fascinating book. Lucy Worsley has written an account of the courts of the Hanoverian Georges by highlighting a few of the people who lived and worked there. She starts the book by talking about the Grand Staircase at Kensington Palace which has a painting of forty-five of the court servants apparently looking at us over the banisters. There was a huge, and well documented, battle between the old guard of the artistic establishment, as personified by John Thornhill, Hogarth's father-in-law, and William Kent one of the new Italianates. This account sets the tone of the book. Through letters and diaries, gossip and rumour, the picture of court life is built up in a most enjoyable way. Lucy Worsley writes with a light and amusing touch, so that even though we are absorbing a lot of information, it is highly entertaining. In addition to the royal family, we meet many of the great names of the eighteenth century (who, to me, were just the dry old sticks of history lessons) - Sir Robert Walpole, Lord Chesterfield, Pope and Gay to mention just a few, and we meet them through their own words and what other people (often bitchily) said about them. There are lots of pictures within the text and a glorious colour section in the middle. Of course, not everyone mentioned can be pictured in the book, so I have spent a happy afternoon googling characters to see what they looked like. The book is well indexed and referenced so you are well prepared for further research. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Interesting view of 18th century history *by M***S on 21 July 2011* Felt like old fashion history as I have read similar books in the 1970s revolving around Queen Victoria's court but in the end this did not distract from the fact that it was well written and deeply interesting. Dealing with the times of George 1st and George 2nd it concentrates on the personnalities of the court to bring this period alive. However I do not think that the book really brought out just how political the court still was [for instance the 'The Garter Crises' involving Earl Temple and nearly brought down a government is only obliquely mentioned]. But I do agree with the other reviewers that it is 'very readable - very interesting - very worthwhile! And that the peiople 'come alive as Worsely has creatively depicted their intriguing lives.'. The Kindle edition I read was a model of its kind with links to the notes, a full, and again linked, index and a good bibliography. The plates at the end came out surprissingly well. However it also showed up the Kindle's limitations in that it was impossible to read the family tree at the beginnning even when using the zoom. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly recommend *by P***S on 18 March 2025* An extremely well researched book. I've rarely seen such an extensive collection of footnotes in such a readable book. The subject matter interested me as I knew less about the Georgian age than I do about the Medieval and Tudor periods, which were the main focus of my studies. I knew the "big" stories, but was fascinated by the amount of information about the day-to-day lives of the courtiers. It is a well written book. In fact, as I read, I could hear Ms Worsley's voice. She is an excellent presenter, and this ability to explain clearly comes out in the book. I'd certainly recommend this book to anyone who knows little about the Georgians or to a student of that period. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/52490033-courtiers-the-secret-history-of-the-georgian-court](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/52490033-courtiers-the-secret-history-of-the-georgian-court) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-10-14*