To Princess Diana, she and Charles, Prince of Wales, were embarking on a fairytale love story when they were engaged in 1981. Diana was a mere 19 years old, over a decade younger than her betrothed, and had a head full of fanciful romance - she expected her marriage to be much like those that she read about in her beloved Barbara Cartland novels.

However, anyone who is familiar with the history of the ill-fated couple knows that there marriage was never meant to be, and it certainly was not written in the stars. At over 30 years old, it was time for Prince Charles to settle down, but the love of his life, the scandalous Camilla Parker-Bowles, was deemed totally unsuitable. With the prospects slim, there were few aristocratic girls fit for the role - the future Queen of England needed to be young and healthy enough to birth both an heir and a spare, as well as have a past without scandal. The young and naive Diana Spencer was perfect for the role … seemingly practically the only girl who would do. She was “the one.”

Such is how the tragic relationship of Diana and Charles began, which is detailed in Wendy Holden’s novel The Princess. Told through varying points of view from those who were close to and had interactions with the Princess of Wales, The Princess brings light to Diana’s life as a teenage girl in boarding school, and later how she was decidedly plucked out of a passel of aristocratic girls as being the one for Charles. Holden goes into Diana and Charles few encounters spent together before they were engaged, spotlights their glaring dissimilarities, and shows how the loneliness that Diana felt throughout much of what should have been a rather grand adult life was just taking off - when she and Charles were engaged. Rather, Diana spent much of her time disconnected from her future husband and everyone else of her former life.

Wendy Holden’s The Princess is a richly detailed, eye-opening look into Diana’s coming of age years. The Royal Family’s search for a suitable mate for Charles, and the fact that Diana was literally selected for the job with no regard for love was the most fascinating part of this story to me. It certainly made me feel for the young Diana, whose hopes for love and romance were dashed as soon as she said “I Do.”

Although I found some early parts of this book to be a bit laborious, I was totally invested by the end. Recommended to fans of the Royal Family, and those who enjoy following their various dramas and scandals.

The third in a series that I have just adored reading. Each book has focused on a woman that is in one way or another connected to the royal family and I have loved each one - maybe because I am a little obsessed with all things ROYAL!

This book focuses on Princess Diana, but it goes back in time before she was the woman we all fell in love with. And the way in which the author presented her story was just genius - without spoiling too much, Princess Diana is recounting her story to an old friend that she reconnects with and I loved hearing her story from her own point of view.

We all know the Princess Diana story or most of us do, but I even learned a few things while reading this book. I know this is historical fiction and the author may have taken some liberties, but I loved how she presented Princess Diana. For me one of the things that stood out was Diana's age and how young she was when she was thrust into the spotlight and was confronted by the world's opinion. I really thought about her age when it comes to Charles and Camilla and how naive she was and how much she may have not realized until it was just too late to change.

I am sad to say I think this was the last of a trilogy, but I sure hope Wendy Holden has something else up her sleeve because the way she writes these real people is just magical.

Not knowing much about Diana Spencer, I was intrigued by this historical fiction account of part of her early life and her introduction and subsequent “romance” to Charles. It did not paint the monarchy, especially Charles, in a flattering light. In this account, Diana is unaware of his continuous affair with Camilla Parker Bowles until they’re already engaged.
Diana is presented as extremely naive and childlike, sure that her marriage to Charles is destined to succeed. Which seems ridiculous until you take into account that she was only 19 years old when she became engaged to Charles - still a teenager - and a very impressionable and easily manipulated one at that.
This was very readable, and much of it was intriguing, but it felt like such a short snippet of her life to focus on. I would’ve loved maybe even just an epilogue or notes that went beyond her engagement. We all know the tragic end to her story, but she still had much life left to expound upon.

Wow! This book is phenomenal! It is moving, heartbreaking, engrossing, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "The Princess', I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

Firstly, I want to start off the rest of my review by saying that I wish there was an Author's Note explaining more about what is for sure based on fact throughout this novel, and what isn't. I'm not sure if one is included in the finished copy of this book, but, in the e-ARC format I have, there really wasn't one. While I know many moments throughout this book are based on true events, because this book is historical fiction, I know some things have been dramatized and / or possibly altered for the narrative told within the book.

Wendy Holden is an amazing writer, and her storytelling is spectacular. The story she is telling immediately jumps off of the page from the first page to the last, and I was hooked from the first moment. I could envision each and every moment, and simply did not want to put this book down. Her characters, both historical people and fictional, were also written so clearly, and I truly felt like I was right there watching everything occur.

This novel tells the story of Princess Diana from mainly two time periods in history that interconnect: the earlier from before Diana marries Princes Charles up until right before the wedding, and the latter in 1992 as Diana meets up with her childhood friend Sandy and tells how her wedding to Prince Charles came to take place. Sandy is introduced earlier in the novel, and how they become friends is shown as well.

Throughout the book, I could really feel Diana’s emotions: from her desire to love and be loved, her fears, pain, yearning, and so much more. Her beautiful heart jumps right off of the page, she helps those both near and far, and that all is truly so powerful. The ending of this book, in both timelines, truly broke my heart.

Sometimes, the change in narration within chapters felt a bit unnecessary at times. I sometimes wish that it would have stayed with one narrator a bit longer to finish that moment in history rather than jumping to a different point of view. However, this didn't take away from my understanding of the story at all, it just felt a little jumpy at times.

If you enjoy historical fiction, I highly recommend this book! I look forward to reading what Ms. Holden writes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this novel, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I am really enjoying reading these companion books, but this one has to be my favorite. Wendy Holden does a good job discussing a more recent Royal Outsider in just the right way that you know it's both historical fiction, but has some truth to it.

Like many others, I watched Diana's story unfold in the media in real time, and saw her poor treatment by the Royal Family and Prince (Now King) Charles. I was shocked and saddened by her death. Then recently I read Spare by Prince Harry, and let's just say I don't think much of the Royal Family. I'm glad Harry escaped them.

This fictional retelling of Diana's early years is very believable. I wish she hadn't been such a romantic and had seen Chuck and Camilla for who they really were. But she was so young and they were in their 30s, and manipulating her the whole time. But at least, years later, Harry's eyes are open now.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

We all knew her, we all loved her and significantly we all knew where we were when we found out she died.
So much has been written about her, so many interviews that enlightened us and her death left a gaping hole in our hearts and in the world.
A reimagining of her young life up until her marriage gives her that era a voice and a tangible dimension.
Her accent and her demeanour so well known that it was easy for the reader to picture and hear her as an adolescent with her trademark kindness and innocence.
Her friendship with an orphan girl sets the scene and a visit from this friend in the early nineties cements the journey Diana endured as she shares her experience.
I am huge royalist and to observe Diana’s view on the royal family pre marriage, the first time meetings of senior royals and ultimately her desire for true love was touching.
I adored the snippets and commentary from the senior royals.
Their essence and persona captured beautifully.
The interactions with Camilla set the tone for future suspicions but the rise coloured glasses shielded her from logic.
I was immersed, nostalgic and entertained reading this.

The Princess by Wendy Holden is a fictional telling of Princess Diana's life. It makes your heart break for what this woman went through and gives you a deeper understanding of the monarchy. The author did an amazing job writing this and telling the story as evident through solid research.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Princess by Wendy Holden!

I remember as a young girl, waking at 4:00 AM to watch Diana marry Prince Charles. I’ve been to the traveling museum about her life and I can tell you with complete clarity where I was when I heard she had died. Then again, watching her funeral. I have always admired Princess Diana and reading her story was devastating to me. I expected to love reading about how she came to be The Princess but instead, was heartbroken by how her fairy tale dream was shattered by Prince Charles and his family.

“That’s what I want more than anything, Sandy. To fall in love and become a part of someone forever.”

I realize this depiction of Diana’s life is fiction, but Wendy Holden does her research and I have to assume that most of it is based on facts from other resources, books, and interviews. Plus, after reading Prince Harry’s story, I frankly am even more angered by the Monarchy.

Diana fell madly in love with Prince Charles but sadly, as we all know now, it wasn’t reciprocated. Diana was used as a “perfect bride” for Prince Charles while he continued his unsavory relationship with Camilla. The way she was treated by the staff, the family, Prince Charles, and Camilla made me so angry. Diana’s friends tried to warn her and protect her, but her dream of marrying the Prince was too strong, and even once she moved into the Palace, she realized her mistake but it was too late…” her face was on all the towels.”

“And Charles can keep Camilla in his cupboard,” the old queen went on, “so long as he marries Diana Spencer. That’s always been the arrangement for Princes of Wales.”

As heartbreaking as this story was to read, Holden did an amazing job in the telling of Diana’s innermost thoughts, her conversations with the Royal Family, and how she decided to continue the charade of their marriage. Diana was loved by so many people, the children she cared for in the daycare, her college friends, and her sisters (her sister Sarah was even supposed to marry Charles first), that her genuine care and love for others overpowered the ways she was treated by the Royal Family. She rose above all of it and came out a better person. In fact, it made me quite angry to watch Charles and Camilla on TV when he became King. I just couldn’t stomach it.

All she had wanted was for the man of her dreams to return her love. And of all that had happened in her epic, extraordinary life, that was the one simple thing that never had.

Holden makes you feel like you are a fly on the wall inside the palace. Her conversations felt real and she placed the reader inside pivotal moments in time. If you grew up admiring Princess Diana, check out this personal novel of her life.

The Princess is a historical novel about Princess Diana's life during her teen years. The book begins when Sandy meets Diana at boarding school during their young teens. As the novel unfolds, most of the chapters are from Diana's perspective, but some are also from Sandy's perspective both in the 1970's and later when they meet again in 1992, on the brink of Diana's divorce. This is a sympathetic look at Diana's life as an insecure teen who longs for a traditional family, and especially as she develops a crush on Prince Charles and is thrilled by the opportunity to get to know him. The novel culminates in her fairy tale wedding.

I wanted to read this novel because I am interested in Princess Diana's life. I remember reading stories about Charles and Diana before their marriage and, of course, getting up early to watch the big wedding.

I found this a leisurely paced read, but I enjoyed that pace over the summer months. I would recommend this book for royal watchers, and especially for anyone interested in Diana's young life.

The Princess is a different kind of look at Diana and Charles saga. The third book in Wendy Holden’s Royal Outsider’s series looks at Diana’s childhood through her marriage to Charles.

I really enjoyed The Princess. It made Diana and her choices completely relatable and understandable. Wendy Holden manages to keep the story moving while remaining true to history. This is my second I’ve read by the author, and I’ve got to go go back to read the second in the series about Wallis Simpson.

Bittersweet tale of Princess Di and how her love of romances and desire to be loved in fact was used by others with a vested interest in the royal marriage of 1981. Diana is seen as a romantic and eager to please while Charles is aloof and only follows what he feels is best for his country. This story is sad in that it shows how the royal family and media manipulated Diana's youth, eagerness, and infatuation as a teen with Charles to have the royal wedding of all time. Only history knows the real costs in the end that the fairy tale wedding in fact had a darkness that only recently has come to the surface.

Fast-paced with different POVs throughout which include a childhood friend's memories of the time she spent with Diana's family and later after the separation of Diana and Charles. The royal family's exchanges with Diana aren't surprising. The author does try to show Camila not as the villain but is more fleshed out. Though her scenes aren't many.

I did get confused at times with the author going back and forth through time.

A tragic tale of Princess Diana that uses her belief in romance and happily-ever-afters and the harsh reality that became of her life.

The Princess takes a look at Diana's life in the lead up to the "wedding of the century" to Prince Charles. Told through multiple perspectives, including her own, Diana is sure she is in love and welcomes the fairytale adventure that awaits her that she didn't have with her own parents. But it's not smooth sailing for Diana as the backdoor schemes may ruin her dreams.

This reminded me of Z: a Novel for Zelda Fitzgerald, a fictional take on a real person/event. I loved that Holden took events leading up to the wedding & marriage because I feel like enough has been said about Charles and Diana's marriage. I feel that you aren't going to change your feelings if you are Team Diana. Charles comes off as a dick in this and you feel for Diana and what's about to come in her life. I loved the POV of her friend because it put in perspective how loony toons royal/aristocracy live really is. Finally, it as someone who has inhaled all things Diana and royals, it really seemed that Holden did her research to write this.

I loved this new point of view of Diana Spencer as a love struck teen and all the manifesting on her part, and orchestrating on the part of the royal family to make this match happen. As a long time fan of the royals it’s so easy to see Diana was chosen for her naïveté and you know what’s bound to happen. I also always feel bad for Charles being forced to marry for duty rather than love. This book is delightful and gives the very probable friendships and sibling interactions that were witty and endearing.

This is a fictionalized version of Princess Diana’s life.

I love a book about the royal family, but this was not for me it. I just didn’t like it. I’d skip this one.

This book follows Princess Diana from childhood and up to the 1990s. She had a close friend named Sandy in elementary school and when her world starts to fall apart, she reaches out to her to tell her all about how she truly ended up as princess.

Being completely honest, if I wasn’t reading this book for review, I wouldn’t have finished it. It was slow to start and then by about half way I hated everyone. Granted, I’ve never liked Prince Charles but this book made me really dislike him. I was never one who knew a lot about Diana, since I was young when she was around, but always had positive feelings about her. This book made me dislike her too.

I don’t know if part of my issue was that I knew what was coming or just the way it was formatted. I thought at first it was going to be told through the eyes of her fictional friend Sandy. But instead, it was told from everyone’s perspectives. When Diana starts to share with Sandy how she was manipulated to marry Charles, the perspective switches to Charles’ valet Stephen, and then to the Queen Mother, and to Charles at one point, and even some other minor characters. It felt very disjointed and I never connected to anyone. Then it would jump back to the 90s and you’d have Sandy’s perspective again.

This book made Diana sound so dumb and whiney. I know she was 20 when she got married and 18/19 when they started dating, but this book makes her seem incredibly immature and naiive. I think it’s supposed to make you feel sympathetic but the book also has a ton of her friends telling her how dumb she’s acting and she chooses to ignore them.

I enjoyed the earlier years because I didn’t know much about Diana’s childhood or family life and that made me sympathetic. Considering how negatively this book paints everyone, I’d be shocked if it gets sold in the UK. Not to say they don’t deserve it or it’s not true, but wow. Holden does not like the Royal Family, that’s for sure.

I pretty much skimmed the last 40% of this book, so take my review with a grain of salt. I felt like it was slow, poorly organized, and not entertaining. I don’t think I’d read an other books by Holden because I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. I think there are much better books out there with modern historical fiction.

The Princess by Wendy Holden is the 3rd book in her Royal Outsiders series. I have not read the previous two books, but wanted to read about Princess Diana during her early years until she married Prince Charles. This was a very good historical fiction of Diana Spencer’s life at a private school, being lonely, and a lover of romance novels; which will eventually lead as she gets older, to being recruited to become the wife of Prince Charles.

We meet Diana who attends a boarding school, and connects with Sandy, a quiet and underprivileged girl, who has no friends. In a short time, Diana and Sandy will become best friends, and Diana brings Sandy (who is an orphan) to her home during the holidays. With her parents being divorced, Diana is lonely, and it is Sandy (early on), as well as other friends at a private school, who she makes feel important. Her older friends tease her, as she is totally a romantic, always dreaming of falling in love with a handsome prince.

The Royal family is determined for Prince Charles to marry soon, as he as now 30 years old, and they need to find the right girl for him; the girl has to be young, aristocratic, with no previous liaisons. Charles is not interested in anyone, other than Camilla Parker Bowles (his mistress), but the royal family wants a sweet innocent young lady. The Queen Mother and Prince Phillip, with help from Stephen Barry (Charles Valet) to work together to arrange Diana Spencer (18 years old), who comes across as a perfect candidate.

Once Diana met Charles, she immediately fell in love with him, since she always believed in love. But, on occasion, she will be invited to events and fall all over Charles, who was really not interested; especially since he was 30, and Diana was only 18. Though Diana spends time with the royal family, especially the Queen Mother, she still felt her love for Charles; ignoring his constant travelling and being away a lot, not to mention his indifference, and eventually his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles.

In 1992, years after her marriage to Prince Charles, Diana sees her old friend Sandy, and together she discusses her life as the Princess of Wales; and how the royal family was truly behind pushing Charles to marry Diana, and how her life was not what she thought it would be.

The Princess was very well written by Wendy Holden, giving us historical look at how Diana came to be The Princess of Wales. This was destined to be an ill-fated marriage, filled with our knowledge, sadness and sympathy for Diana. Early on, Diana was very naïve, as she always dreamed of a fairy tale with a Prince. Holden gave us a beautiful and sympathetic portrait of everyone’s memory of the People’s Princess. I really enjoyed this book.

This book is brilliant. Diana tells a childhood friend about the shenanigans and string-pulling that brought about her engagement to her Prince charming. What if all those Barbara Cartland books on Diana's shelves shaped the future princess into a hopeful romantic? A woman who just wanted her own happy ever after? Reading this new release brought back memories of teenage me watching the wedding of the century. If you are a royal watcher and have a fondness for Princess Di, you will not want to miss this book.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

The world did not deserve Princess Diana.

Diana seemed so naïve, she wanted a life that fit into a love story. At a very young age she fell head over heels for Prince Charles. Why? I have no idea. He ain't cute, he a dick and they barely spent any time together.
There is some manipulation once it was decided that the family wanted to have Prince Charles to marry Diana. Diana even helped some because of her need of being loved. She made the statement somewhere in the book that she was going to marry someone that couldn't divorce her.
I do think Prince Charles wanted to marry old horsey the whole time but his family could not accept that and in the long run it hurt him, the family, Diana, his boys and the whole dang world.

I have always loved Princess Diana so my heart broke all over again for her.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review