Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages That Shaped Europe

Preview

Failed to add items

Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.

Add to basket failed.

Please try again later

Add to wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Remove from wishlist failed.

Please try again later

Adding to library failed

Please try again

Follow podcast failed

Unfollow podcast failed

£0.00 for first 30 days

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Get 3 months for £0.99/mo

Get this deal

Try Premium Plus free

Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.

Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.

1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.

Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.

Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.

Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.

Access exclusive sales and deals.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages That Shaped Europe

By: Deborah Cadbury

Narrated by: Charlotte Strevens

Get this deal

Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £28.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

Queen Victoria had over 30 surviving grandchildren, and to maintain and increase power in Europe, she hoped to manoeuvre them into dynastic marriages. Yet they often had plans of their own, and her matchmaking was further complicated by tumultuous international upheavals.

Queen Victoria's Matchmaking travels through the glittering, decadent palaces of Russia and Europe, weaving in scandals, political machinations and family tensions. It is both an intimate portrait of the royal family and an examination of the conflict caused by the power, love and duty that shaped these arranged marriages. At its heart is Queen Victoria herself: doting grandmother one moment, determined manipulator the next.

Essays

Europe

Great Britain

Modern

Politics & Activism

Royalty

England

Marriage

Imperialism

Heartfelt

Russia

War

Middle Ages

Listeners also enjoyed...

Queen Victoria's Granddaughters: 1860-1918 cover art

Queen Victoria's Mysterious Daughter cover art

Most relevant

This book was such a treat! "Queen Victoria's Matchmaking" examines not only the monarch's life-long mission to secure peace across Europe through marriage and familial ties but also breathlessly portrays the political and socio-economic situation across Europe throughout the second half of the 19th century. Rich and fascinating details of various events, decisions and turmoil within the royal family and its many branches - my favourite bits were all the diary entries - are accompanied by an excellent, in-depth analysis of continental political developments and why Queen Victoria's mission, as we all know, ultimately failed.
I revelled in listening to this book, excellently written and flawlessly narrated by the one and only Charlotte Strevens. It was so much fun and such a treat!
Thank you, Deborah Cadbury, for writing such an excellent book. And thank you, Charlotte Strevens, for the exquisite narration that felt like music to my ears!