Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara

Having recounted the ill-fated lives of royal women for adult readers in Doomed Queens, Waldherr aims younger, spotlighting young women throughout history who were born or married into royal families. Illustrated with archival images and the author’s pink-washed portraits, the book presents a colorful roster of rebels, schemers, and victims of marriages that were arranged to “expand territories, forge empires, and strengthen political ties.” Waldherr compiles historical facts and legends in a conversational and often irreverent voice (“When Lucrezia [Borgia] turned thirteen she tied the knot at last! Husband #1 was Giovanni Sforza, a dude double her age”). Numerous pop culture allusions help put some of the stories in modern context but can be forced: the War of the Roses “at times resembled toddlers squabbling over a Happy Meal toy,” and Napoleon’s sister, Pauline, “might have been the Kendall Jenner of her day.” Sidebars offer insight into the evolution of fairy tales, the tradition of dowries, and the pressure to conform to changing beauty standards (“It seems we’ll still do anything to remain fairest in the land”). A cheeky roundup of royal tangles and scandals. Ages 9–12. (Jan.)