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Kitty Kelley
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The Royals Mass Market Paperback – October 1, 1998

by Kitty Kelley (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 917 ratings
The #1 New York Times bestselling, controversial portrait of the British royal family -- as told from behind the palace walls -- for fans of Netflix's The Crown and all royal watchers

They are the most chronicled family on the face of the globe. Their every move attracts headlines. Now Kitty Kelley has gone behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace to raise the curtain on the men and women who make up the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Princess Diana...here are the scandals of the last decades: the doomed marriages and the husbands, wives, lovers and children caught in their wake and damaged beyond repair. No one is spared.
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  1. Print length
    784 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grand Central Publishing
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 1998
  5. Dimensions
    4.25 x 1.38 x 6.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0446605786
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0446605786
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pages that genuinely illuminate the careers of the flawed humans who have occupied and circled the throne this century. Never before have all the stories about all the bit players, from Prince Philip to Princess Margaret, from the Queen Mother to the grimly devoted old courtiers, been collected in a single, useful place."-Washington Post Book World

"Salacious...irreverent...juicy details...the product of four years' research...Regarded as the most sensational of her scandal-packed oeuvre...Gripping." - Chicago Sun Times

"Miss Kelley is a fine writer and indefatigable researcher...She has lost none of her edge here in The Royals...A delightful read...As early as the second page, Miss Kelley is referring to the royal family's 'secrets of alcoholism, drug addiction, insanity, homosexuality, bisexuality, adultery, infidelity and illegitimacy' in this century. None of this is exaggerated, none of it is false." - Washington Times

"Kelley's pen is mightier than the sword." - Houston Voice

"The larger, hotter rumors are as interesting for the way they are presented and justified as for what they contain." - The New Yorker

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing (October 1, 1998)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 784 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0446605786
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0446605786
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 1.38 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 917 ratings

About the author

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Kitty Kelley

Kitty Kelley

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Among the awards that Kitty Kelley has been honored with by her professional peers are the Outstanding Author Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors for her "courageous writing on popular culture," the Philip M. Stern Award for her "outstanding service to writers and the writing profession," the Medal of Merit from the Lotos Club in New York City, and the 2005 PEN Oakland Literary Censorship Award. She has also been selected as a member of Vanity Fair magazine's Hall of Fame. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, People, Ladies' Home Journal, McCall's, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
917 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book fascinating and well-researched, with one review noting how it brings facts and rumors together. Moreover, the writing is easy to read, and customers describe it as mildly entertaining with lots of juicy details. Additionally, they appreciate the book's gossip content and find it interesting, with one review highlighting its coverage of the Diana years.

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82 customers mention "Readability"77 positive5 negative

Customers find the book thoroughly enjoyable and fun to read, with one customer noting it's the best book on the royals.

"Kitty Kelley is as entertaining as they come--and certainly intrepid, unintimidated and marvelously descriptive as a biographer...." Read more

"...Other than that, if you like gossipy reading, this is worth it, in my opinion." Read more

"Very good read. There are pictures and was very interesting to see. I am about 1/2 way through the book. Keeps your attention...." Read more

"...That said, the Royals are fascinating and any Royal watcher will find this book worth reading." Read more

26 customers mention "Information quality"26 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's well-researched content, with one customer noting how it brings facts and rumors together.

"...34;The Royals" actually has a lot of accurate reporting when it comes to the historical background of the Windsors, the behind the scenes lives..." Read more

"I enjoy reading Kitty Kelly books! Well researched information and as a result- a fascinating read." Read more

"...it with a grain of salt, but it is well written and she did quite a bit of research...." Read more

"...Despite this, I did enjoy the book overall and found it well researched complete with images I had never seen before and cannot imagine the royal..." Read more

25 customers mention "Writing quality"20 positive5 negative

Customers find the book well written and easy to read, with one customer noting that the writing is not gossipy.

"...Nothing terribly new but written all in one place and the parts about Fergie were interesting because we didn't get too much press on her in the..." Read more

"...The book is thoroughly engaging and well-written." Read more

"...Of course, take it with a grain of salt, but it is well written and she did quite a bit of research...." Read more

"...gossipy (many of the sources quoted are other articles) but it is well written and plausible enough to be engaging although I found some of the..." Read more

21 customers mention "Interest"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging, with one customer noting it covers 500+ pages of fascinating accounts, while another mentions how it explores the Diana years.

"...; is a good compliment to more detailed, serious and high minded histories of the Royal Family...." Read more

"...terribly new but written all in one place and the parts about Fergie were interesting because we didn't get too much press on her in the U.S. I am a..." Read more

"...Keeps your attention. I am really enjoying the history!" Read more

"...Kitty did a good job of giving a historical context of the British monarchy before going into details about selected family members...." Read more

18 customers mention "Enjoyment"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book mildly entertaining and funny, with one mentioning it's a laugh-out-loud read.

"...It's a fun, fast read. The photos are good. And the research Kelley chooses to quote verbatim is insightful--and entertaining! &#..." Read more

"...This book was funny, sad, frightening, comical and written in a way that made it impossible to put it down." Read more

"...It's entertaining and in my opinion well worth the time - good read before bed (I laughed out loud lots of time)" Read more

"I found this book quite enjoyable and yet often was left wanting more detail on something than was stated...." Read more

11 customers mention "Gossip content"8 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the gossip content of the book, with one describing it as a compelling read for trivia and gossip.

"...This book was really gossipy, fun and one hoot! I t appears to be well research and pictures the totals as immoral" Read more

"This is fun and gossipy. Four stars considering the genre. I wish Kindle handled pictures better...." Read more

"...say, "Unauthorized does not mean untrue." But this book takes whispered innuendo and jumps to very large conclusions...." Read more

"It’s cheaper to read than PEOPLE and provides a compelling read for trivia and gossip, but the writer doesn’t write that well, and their was a..." Read more

10 customers mention "Revealing details"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's revealing details, with one customer noting it provides an inside view of the monarchy.

"...In all seriousness, it humanizes this vast, prominent, proper family and therein makes them far more interesting." Read more

"The Royals was an account of the Windsors that was mesmerizing...." Read more

"Could not put this down. Great book with lots of juicy details." Read more

"Interesting back scene peek. Hope Kate Isn't in for all those kinds of "extra" activities as Will,s father and most especially...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Catherine P. LaViolette
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun, Fast Read on the British Royal Family--Gossipy, Light-Hearted but Surprisingly Accurate!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Kitty Kelley is as entertaining as they come--and certainly intrepid, unintimidated and marvelously descriptive as a biographer. I'd first read this book shortly after it's initial release--before Diana's death--and wanted an uncomplicated, gossipy read the other night. So I re-read the entire book, enjoying it just as much this time as I did originally! "The Royals" actually has a lot of accurate reporting when it comes to the historical background of the Windsors, the behind the scenes lives of the Queen and family, and what really went on immediately after Diana's death. I say this b/c before re-reading "The Royals," I've plowed through many far more serious tomes on the British royal family and books written by or with the participation of friends of the family--and what Kelley describes jibes with accounts gleaned from insiders. The small details Kelley dares to add (the information "insiders" probably wouldn't discuss) is appreciated--particularly the descriptions of the interiors of Princess Margaret's apartment (fraying wires, tottering TV trays and all.....let's hope William and Kate purge them from the space that is now THEIR home at Kensington Palace) and the other residences (tattered old carpets, substandard heating and A/C, ancient toilets that flush UP). The personalities of the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles, Princess Diana and the Queen Mother as described by Kelley are similar to what I've read in other books; she just takes it that one step further.....:-) The Queen is parsimonious aka cheap to a fault and turns a blind eye to Prince Phillip's affairs b/c in large part b/c she turned him out of her bed so as not to have more children while she was first "learning her job" as Queen. Her husband is a bully who once hit his assigned Secret Service agent repeatedly during a visit with President and Mrs. Reagan in California b/c he was impatient with the traffic delays. Charles dithers, lies and longs for the less complicated Camilla Parker-Bowles; not seeing that his lying about his love for Mrs. Parker-Bowles was a good part of the reason his new young wife became depressed, bulimic and determined to "give him some payback." Not that Diana is merely a victim and/or bathed in the sunshine of good deeds and "sainthood," as those who grieved her death recalled her. She is deceitful, purposely difficult, defiant with the Queen and the Queen Mother, and has two very bad habits she is unwilling to alter--her bulimia and attraction to bad men. One of the worst, James Hewitt, was going to publish some of Diana's letters to him in a book along with his personal impressions/memories of the Princess. When the Queen heard he was going to say things like "She has bad breath and wanted sex all the time," she intervened on Diana's behalf and Hewitt became Cad of the entire UK. The Queen Mother is seen as the real prevailing influence on the Queen but, while epitomizing royalty at its best, drinks heavily ("anyone else would be called an alcoholic" notes Kelley), gambles heavily and runs up huge debts ("addicted to alcohol AND gambling" says Kelley).

    It's a fun, fast read. The photos are good. And the research Kelley chooses to quote verbatim is insightful--and entertaining! "The Royals" is a good compliment to more detailed, serious and high minded histories of the Royal Family. In all seriousness, it humanizes this vast, prominent, proper family and therein makes them far more interesting.
    51 people found this helpful
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  • MsReadalot
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gossipy, fun, isn't that why we bought it?
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    We all know what Kitty Kelly is like-and that's why we buy her books and that's what makes tabloids stay in business. I kept coming back to it whenever I had a moment. Nothing terribly new but written all in one place and the parts about Fergie were interesting because we didn't get too much press on her in the U.S. I am a pretty fast reader, and for 7.99 I it's not too bad of a price. (Even though it was very outdated, at least there were a lot of pages). That being said, the editing was horrid! And K.K.'s writing isn't consistent-In one section she says "Charles told his parents that he wanted to go to "Papa's School" and then on the next page she says" Charles finally consented and chose his father's school" (which apparently, he hated). Little things like that. And my biggest gripe was the photos. Instead of adding 20 photos of Di to the 247,092,036 pictures of Diana that we have already seen, I would have liked to see a lot more photos of the other royals-the pathetic 2 they have of Princess Margaret, for example. One is a really bad shot, and one she looks like a harridan. She was actually quite beautiful. Other than that, if you like gossipy reading, this is worth it, in my opinion.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Karen J. Leavitt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very well written
    Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Very good read. There are pictures and was very interesting to see. I am about 1/2 way through the book. Keeps your attention. I am really enjoying the history!
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  • Mrsjpjp
    3.0 out of 5 stars Mildly entertaining.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    You have to take any dirt digging biography with a grain of salt. Kitty Kelley likes to say, "Unauthorized does not mean untrue." But this book takes whispered innuendo and jumps to very large conclusions. Rather than merely reporting actions and statements, she spends a lot of time judging motives and making assumptions. I'd rather hear about what an interesting person says and does and draw my own conclusions. That said, the Royals are fascinating and any Royal watcher will find this book worth reading.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Mar
    5.0 out of 5 stars Kitty Kelly
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2024
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    I enjoy reading Kitty Kelly books! Well researched information and as a result- a fascinating read.
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  • Anna Lee Brendza
    4.0 out of 5 stars Take me home in spirit, English roads ... (sorry, Glen Campbell)
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Kitty does it again! In this book, as in her others, she puts a cloak of humanity on the family that IS Britain and we discover that when their humanity is exposed, they are just like us: at times lovable, at times disgusting, but always subject to the same heartaches, joys, selfishness,, pride, fears, sorrow and pain as the rest of us. I loved this book. All my ancestors on both sides came from England and although they acquired American citizenship, I'll borrow from a poem that says, "... that is forever England" and I loved reading about the royal family. They mess up their lives as much as ordinary citizens do, and that makes me cheer for them. Their antics and actions seem to be "larger than life" but I loved them all. My daughter went to England to research our family and came back with a huge map of Durham County showing where my grandfather was born, "in the shadow of Durham Castle,' as he as he used to say. This book was funny, sad, frightening, comical and written in a way that made it impossible to put it down.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • A. Koshal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I had been wanting to read this for many years but never got around to it until recently. This book wasn't quite as scandalous as I was expecting it to be (though there are some naughty anecdotes and details). Kitty did a good job of giving a historical context of the British monarchy before going into details about selected family members. Much of the book focuses on Queen Elizabeth II and the late Princess Diana. Their respective courtships and marriages are discussed in great detail as are some of the scandals and behind the scenes dramas some of us may have known nothing about.The book is thoroughly engaging and well-written.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Blue Shadow
    3.0 out of 5 stars Mai arrivato
    Reviewed in Italy on May 7, 2013
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    Il libro sarà andato perduto nelle Poste e chissà quando e se lo avrò. Il venditore mi ha risarcita e per questo merita almeno 3 stelline.
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  • debbie white
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on July 23, 2015
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    This book was an excellent read .
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  • Manuel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Lecture
    Reviewed in Spain on July 1, 2020
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    Fascinating. Very well informed.
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  • H.A.B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars WELL RESEARCHED! ....VERY WELL WRITTEN!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 27, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I love biographies, especially when they are well researched.

    This book is wonderful - it gives you a great insight view into the British Royal Family ... and i promise you, you won't be disappointed !!!

    Kitty Kelley has done an amazing job with all the details and stories she has brought together to write this book, and i was so impressed that I ordered two more copies to give as presents.....
    From the first page to the last you are spellbound and you never stop thinking "WOW" ...as there are so many new details your learn about the British Royal Family ...

    I am so pleased with this book that i shall now order my next Kitty Kelley book - as she has found in me a new fan to her style and knowledge as how to put a story together.
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  • Marian Bashaw
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Royals
    Reviewed in Canada on October 31, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last. It was a thorough, no-nonsense account of flawed, undeserving people adored by so many. The author reveals the "royals" inbreeding ( cousins marrying cousins), sexual incompetence and irresponsibility, meaningless rituals, obsessive entitlement and double-standard behaviour to make us aware of the error of putting human beings on pedestals. The book is well researched and testimonies fully documented.
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