Queen of Bedlam

by Laura Purcell Book 1 in the Georgian Queens series.

First published 2014

Amazon

3.9(318)

London, 1788. Queen Charlotte has spent nearly three decades building a disciplined royal household around George III and their large family. When the king suffers a terrifying mental collapse, private distress becomes a constitutional emergency. Charlotte must protect her husband, her children and the monarchy while physicians, politicians and the Prince of Wales argue over who should control the crown's authority.

Purcell tells the crisis through Charlotte and her daughters, especially Charlotte, Princess Royal, and Princess Sophia. Their rank offers privilege but little freedom: marriage, reputation and duty are dictated by dynastic necessity, while their father's recurrent illness transforms court life into a form of confinement. The novel combines intimate family drama with the political pressures that culminated in the Regency Crisis.

Historical Periods

Regency Crisis1788–1789

Genres

Biographical Fiction Court & Political Fiction Dynastic & Royal Fiction

Historical people

George IV of the United Kingdom1762–1830 George III1738–1820 Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz1744–1818 Charlotte, Princess Royal1766–1828 Princess Sophia of the United Kingdom1777–1848