Thursday, September 09, 2004
Unhistorical facts
Okay, I admit to being annoyed about something minor, and I am going to vent a bit. I just finished reading "Death at Glamis Castle" by Robin Paige ( a husband and wife writing team actually ). The book was a not bad Victorian mystery. During the narrative there were occasional notations at the bottom of the page about actual historical characters. That is fine, but if you are going to write a novel like that, please make sure your facts are straight!
At one point "Prince Eddy" is mentioned ( the oldest son of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra ) as having been betrothed to a Princess May before his death in 1892. I was reading along thinking "oh, I didn't know that" until the historical note at the bottom of the page said that after Eddy's death, May married his younger brother George. That was commonly done in royal circles and is how Henry VIII wound up married to Catharine of Aragon.
Now actual facts - Eddy's younger brother eventually became King George V in 1910 after Edward VII died. George's queen was MARY, not May. You do not even have to have any interest in royalty to know that. The famous ocean liner was not the Queen May.
The authors also said that George V was Queen Elizabeth's father. Actually he was her grandfather. George VI ( younger brother of abdicated Edward VIII ) was her father.
At first I wondered if the queen's missing "r" was just a typo. If so it would have to be a typo in the narrative half a dozen times, and once in the historical footnote.
At one point "Prince Eddy" is mentioned ( the oldest son of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra ) as having been betrothed to a Princess May before his death in 1892. I was reading along thinking "oh, I didn't know that" until the historical note at the bottom of the page said that after Eddy's death, May married his younger brother George. That was commonly done in royal circles and is how Henry VIII wound up married to Catharine of Aragon.
Now actual facts - Eddy's younger brother eventually became King George V in 1910 after Edward VII died. George's queen was MARY, not May. You do not even have to have any interest in royalty to know that. The famous ocean liner was not the Queen May.
The authors also said that George V was Queen Elizabeth's father. Actually he was her grandfather. George VI ( younger brother of abdicated Edward VIII ) was her father.
At first I wondered if the queen's missing "r" was just a typo. If so it would have to be a typo in the narrative half a dozen times, and once in the historical footnote.
// posted by Kelley @ 1:36 p.m. 
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How do you remember this stuff???
That is it no more learning for you...
bavthree
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That is it no more learning for you...
bavthree
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