Brian Hoey

This was an interesting and mildly amusing look at life in the Royal Household. I enjoyed it as it wasn't a taxing read but there was lots of information and anecdotes to keep me interested. At times it was a bit fact heavy, do I really need to know down to the penny exactly how much someone working for the Queen is paid? But nonetheless there was plenty of juicy gossip about the goings on in the the world of the Queen's Household. I would recommend it to anyone interested in getting a behind the scenes look at the people who run and manage the Royal Household, more-so than people who want to know more about the Queen.… (mer)

Review: Not in Front of The Corgis by Brian Hoey.

I found this book interesting with some humor. Plus, I did learn two things about Royal Corgis’s and that is only the Queen feeds them (but the top chef cooks all their meals) and they are not potty trained and they often poop throughout the Palace. The book was mainly about obsessively detailed accounts of who does what job and for how much. If you are the type of person who is interested in how extensive an operation Her Majesty has to deal with and be aware of in her role as Queen you will enjoy this book. I myself would have wanted to read more on staff duties yet there was some information how the staff got their positions within the Royal House.

Besides the insights into how the Palace is run Brian Hoey commented on the few attractions, events, and humor that he has embellished over with no means of disgracing the Royal Family. Brian Hoey has been writing about the Royal Family for forty years so one assumes that he has more than a passing interest in, and knowledge of, the subjects he writes about. Such as; the story about Prince Charles underwear is new each day, as the previous day’s undergarments are dropped to the floor, kicked aside and the person in charge of that duty throws them away; the story going around for some time about of the late Princess Margaret dismissing a maid for borrowing and wearing one of her gowns for a night out on the town and rumor has it that this maid did this on other occasions; the story behind the title of this book is that wherever the Corgis’s are the Queen is soon to follow.

The subject of housing for the staff and the Royal Family were described in detail but no photographs to accompany the pages to enhance the reader’s curiosity. The book was a one setting read and informative to some point for me.
… (mer)