This was a splendid book! The art was beautiful. I enjoyed the history of how the palaces came to be connected with the royal families abut also how the royal families had their favorites as well and why. The stories were fascinating and the tidbits of history made this a very interesting and lively read. I think it would be a great book for libraries, schools, and for anyone who enjoys British history, palaces, or the Royal Family. I enjoyed the sheer variety of palaces mentioned, as well as the discussion on their architectural highlights. It is sad that some of them are not in existence anymore and wonderful how many are open to be visited and part of historical preservation.
The weaving through of historical facts and anecdotes (including more modern tidbits) gave the book a very immediate feel.
Not sure why Prince Harry was the royal most often quoted for this through, when there are so many others who have strong emotions and connections to these locations.
The illustrations were lovely to look at and quite nicely colored and complemented the writing well.

Those who are Anglophiles, those who enjoy history and those who think it is fascinating to know more about palaces will all enjoy this title. Included are 30 British locations including Buckingham Palace, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Sandringham House, the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle, Kew Palace, Lochleven Castle and many others.

I loved the illustrations that are throughout this book. They were very inviting. The text that accompanied these offered much of interest. The facts are numerous and in addition there are many wonderful stories about each locale. For example, the first entry of Buckingham Palace opens with the king’s abdication while the one on Holyrood House opens with a story about Mary, queen of Scots. As for facts, who knew that BP has 775 rooms and 78 bathrooms along with a post office, cashpoint and much else? I did not. There are many other facts scattered throughout these pages.

This book would make an excellent gift for a fan of Great Britain’s great palaces. It is a real treat.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

I loved this! I find castles so dreamy so this book’s incorporation of whimsical artwork of each of the palaces mentioned was beautiful as well as the little drawings of characters, foods, clothing, etc etc. I also loved the anecdotal stories linked to each of the houses that gave it a lot more personality than just plain architectural information would have.

Absolutely fascinating look at Royal Palaces over the centuries.

Kate Williams never fails to deliver a fact filled yet accessible book that holds the interest of the reader.

The illustrations are absolutely charming.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

The illustration style for this book was amazing. I loved the effect it evoked.

While this book has a lot of historical information, I had a problem with the layout. First, this book would have benefited from having maps at the beginning. Trying to figure out where these palaces are or were was difficult and I had to resort to Google to figure it out.

The organization of the information itself was difficult to follow. Starting with Buckingham Palace, while the most known among non-royal fans, was difficult to follow since a lot of other palaces were dropped in that entry. I wish the order of the entries had been in chronological order or another way because it was difficult to figure out the reasoning behind the layout. Also, there was a lot of hopping within entries that disrupted the flow. The author would be talking about one thing, then we get a paragraph about something else, then back to the original thing. At first, I thought it was a mix-up for an entry or two but there ended up being multiple entries and I concluded it must be the author’s writing style.

Having enjoyed the television series Secrets of the Royal Palaces (which the author Kate Williams appears on) I was hoping to discover even more secrets and scandals. Alas, if you have seen the series there isn’t a lot of new information here. I also found the writing style a little disorienting as it jumps around time and monarchs at speed. However, for any royal history fan, this would make a lovely gift and the accompanying watercolour paintings of the palaces are very beautiful.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

As an American, I am always impressed by how much history there is in other countries. This book is so much fun because it shows all these fancy palaces while teaching history. The illustrations are paintings, I think, and it would have been fun to have seen some actual photos, but those are easy to find online. Every palace talks about the history of that palace and the people who lived and fought there. It was particularly fun when it was someone current I knew about, like when it talked about where Princess Diana lived. I highly recommend this for other people who love Britain and I hope to get a copy for a friend of mine who wishes she were British. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

The artwork and content in this book are wonderful. I read an ebook, and I found it very difficult to navigate on my iPad and simply impossible on my iPhone. It would be an excellent book on paper.

I love England and its history. I really enjoyed this book and reading about the various castles and their history. The illustrations are fun and add a nice touch of color to the book. The book is very up to date with current events. I would highly recommend this book.

Showcasing thirty different palaces, castles, and homes, this book is full of beautiful, vividly colored illustrations and, yes, secrets and scandals both, written in an accessible style. The result is a gorgeous book that’s highly readable.

The Royal Palaces: Secrets and Scandals would make a wonderful addition to any royalist’s home; this coffee table book is a highly enjoyable and fantastic read.



Thanks to Frances Lincoln and NetGalley for the PDF

I always enjoy reading about history, castles and landmarks. Without being a royal hardcore fan, learning about key places like palaces is always interesting. Sadly, I was instantly put off by the digital format: font is too small, text is packed and cluttered. The reading experience wasn't what I was expecting. So I would definitely prefer the paper-based version for this one.
As far as illustrations are concerned, I didn't like the style at all. It lacks refinement and elegance. It felt so raw and rushed. Not my cup of tea. But like all things relating to tastes, it's purely preferential.

As someone that dreamt of being a royal, I loved this book. The artwork is beautiful and the writing was interesting, definitely a book I'll come back to in the future. I'd say a must for Royal fans and history fans!

Thank you for the ARC!

Fantastic read. Fascinating bit of history and yes, scandalous bits, too, that will definitely hold any history buff's attention. Whether history buff, intrigued by British history and eager to learn more secrets about notables and nobles, not to mention royalty, there's something for everyone, even those who come for the architecture. You're in for a treat.

Let's just say, I took pages of notes as I read, at least initially. Ultimately I got so caught up in it all that the notes largely fell by the wayside. Don't worry, though. I'm not going to flood you with the product of my note taking. There are too many facets to them to give you the full picture..... and the watercolor artwork is wonderful.... so I'll restrain myself. I will, however, do something I rarely do on the blog and share part of the official book blurb, much as I always feel like that's cheating:

"Included in the book are such famous royal residences as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, but also lesser-known locations such as Falkland Palace and Beaumaris Castle. Covering the breadth of British history, there are tales from the Medieval era to the present.

Among the palaces included are:

Hatfield House, where young Elizabeth I held court before finding out she would become queen
Whitehall Palace and Banqueting Hall, home to Charles II's secret laboratory, where he tried to create an elixir of youth using human skulls
Glamis Castle, the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Greenwich Palace, where Elizabeth I survived an assassination attempt when poison was placed in her saddle
Frogmore House, a long-time royal residence used by Queen Charlotte, King George V and Princess Alexandra
Osborne House, designed by Prince Albert in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo
Windsor Castle, the famous residence of Queen Elizabeth II before her death

Revel in the glory and glamor of royal life, as well as the salacious scandals that defined these palaces. The book is vividly brought to life by numerous beautiful illustrations by James Oses, and will be irresistible to anyone interested in British royalty and the history of Great Britain."

As for my own take on the book, I obviously enjoyed it. The artwork is just detailed enough to create a sense of what might be seen without distracting you from the content. I mean, so many of these sites look absolutely serene and even bucolic, never mind the horror and bloodshed that may have happened there. Let's just say, Charles II's residency at Whitehall made me shiver. While the various stories aren't necessarily connected, the author does an excellent job giving them their place in time and the role the sites played in events, plus giving s the cast of players. True, some of the facts shared may seem rather meaningless but, well, it's still somehow awe inspiring to know how many bedrooms are in Buckingham Palace, not to mention bathrooms, offices, and such.

Each site is beautifully illustrated. The author somehow manages to dish the more scandalous bits without quite morphing into gossip, making it seem like you're sitting in one of those countless sitting rooms talking one-on-one with her. Even better, silly as, say, the number of rooms may be, there are countless fascinating bits about the people who lived and worked there, too. Even casual fans will find something of interest within, perhaps something they've never thought about. And, hey, we even get to visit Macbeth's stomping grounds, fictional though he may be. And, and, and....so much more, even details about the 1974 attempted kidnapping of Princess Anne. And, hey, how could I not mention that one of the illustrations captures the late Queen Elizabeth's corgis at rest. Thanks #NetGalley and #QuartoPublishingGroup - #WhiteLion - #FrancesLincoln for allowing me this early look at some of the places where history happened. It made me once-and-forever history buff heart happy. This will make a great gift, I might note. Now, excuse me while I go savor those lovely illustrations a bit longer. I've never been to England, so this may be as close as I get.

This was a most fascinating read. The author gives us insights into some of the Royal Palaces across the British Isles. There were some that I'd never even heard of and it was interesting to read about them. The well-known palaces also had so much previously unknown information about them. It was a well-researched read that read easily and never felt boring or teachy.
I had to laugh though - the present Royal Family has this very stiff upper lip snobbery (& ridiculous social rules etc) - but when you read about their ancestors, good grief the scandals there, chopping heads off wives; 52 illegitimate children; macabre alchemy rituals - I feel for the poor children who carry the names of these bygone ancestors who were more than dubious characters. I applaud the royals who give their children non-royal names - children needn't be burdened with names of dubious ancestors or for that matter six or seven of the crazy names.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

A nice, informative little book about around 30 British royal palaces, castles and houses. Maybe a bit repetitious sometimes, but then again, I think this book isn't really meant to be read in one sitting but rather as a short guide to freshen up ones memory of both the buildings and the people who once (or presently!) use them as a home or workplace. Wonderful illustrations.

If you grew up pretending to be a prince/princess, consider yourself a Royal Watcher, or just love gorgeous illustrations, then I can't recommend this book enough. From Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London to Windsor Castle, this book contains 30 of the most famous and historically significant buildings in the UK. Every location contains beautiful illustrations (some of which I would love to have framed and hanging in my house!) and entertaining, informative essays about their inhabitants and notable events. This book would be a beautiful addition to any coffee table!

This is an interesting book full of history about several palaces. Some of the palaces featured are well known, like Buckingham Palace but there are others with which people may be less familair. The illustrations are eye-catching. I enjoyed learning some of the stories associated with these buildings.

Thank you NetGalley, Kate Williams, and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC copy of this book.

The Royal Palaces is a wonderfully crafted book detailing various royal palaces across England. As a loyal follower of all things British royalty, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The watercolor illustrations throughout are beautifully done and add such a nice touch to the stories being told of each of the locations. My personal favorite palaces that are described include the following: Hampton Court, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Frogmore House, Stirling Castle, and Lochleven Castle.

If you enjoy royal residences throughout history, then I highly recommend this beautiful book. I hope to have a hard copy of my own once it is released!

A thoroughly well researched and written book about these famous and some not as well known palaces.
This is a must read for Royal fans & historians.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

True to its subtitle, this book outlines many salacious stories of England's late ruling families, as well as interesting selections from the histories of the homes they once occupied. From the Welsh ruins of Beaumaris Castle, to the foreboding Tower of London, the specters of each location enrich Williams' accounts of love, war, tragedy, and perseverance. Paired with charming illustrations, this is certainly an easy selection to tuck into, and let one's imagination do the rest. A fairly easy read, it is one I would recommend to anyone who is interested in learning a little more about the royals who have shaped the histories of England, Scotland, and Wales.