What was childhood like for the princes and princesses in the Victorian and Edwardian period? Here their education, recreation and general upbringing is discussed, from Queen Victoria's isolated and lonely childhood, to the children of King George V and Queen Mary. We see glimpses of Prince Waldemar of Prussia, who enjoyed collecting fossils on the Isle of Wight and terrifying his grandmother with a pet crocodile; Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, who was the first prince to attend public school despite enjoying cricket much more than education; and Prince Louis of Battenberg, who introduced the 'Katuf' into his family, and recorded his voice on a wax cylinder. Contrasts are drawn between childhood at the English court and that of the Queen's decendants at European capitals, as well as the differing attitudes of royal parents. For example, Queen Victoria found babies to be "very froglike", whereas Queen Alexandra still gave children's parties to her children when they were adults.

Queen Victoria and Albert, the Prince Consort, had nine children who, despite their very different characters remained a close-knit family. Inevitably, as they married into European royal families their loyalties were divided and their lives dominated by political controversy. This is not only the story of their lives in terms of world impact, but also of personal achievements in their own right, individual contributions to public life in Britain and overseas, and as the children of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort. John van der Kiste weaves together the lives of each of these children and shows how their mother was the thread that kept the family together. It is a refreshing insight into one of history?s most popular royal families.