Reddit reviews From Cradle to Crown: British Nannies and Governesses at the World's Royal Courts

I have been reading 'From Cradle to Crown: British Nannies and Governesses at the World's Royal Courts' by Charlotte Zeepvat

It follows the lives of British (and Irish) women who worked caring for Royal Children from 17th c. Russia to 19th. c. India.

Child care for privileged families may not seem a particularly engaging subject on the face of it, but many of these women, often from modest backgrounds themselves, travelled alone to far-flung countries where they did not even speak the language, let alone understand local customs and protocol, in a time before aeroplanes or telephones.

I was surprised at the extent to which Royal Children, especially in Europe and Russia, but also in Asia and the Middle East, were expected to learn the English language, whilst French continued to be the language of the European and Russian Courts the 'inner circles' were often using English preferentially amongst themselves. This trend accelerated once Queen Victoria's children began marrying, as she had so many.

It also covers the development of child-care as a recognised profession, particularly at Norland college where many of these women trained.

Many of these women developed life-long relationships with their employers, they often occupied unique positions, being junior in the official hierarchies of servants, but much closer to the families than those senior to them because of their unique access to the children.

The most famous of the stories covered is that of Anna Leonowens who was a governess in 19th c. Siam/Thailand, which is the subject of the musical 'The King and I', but there are several stories included which are equally compelling.