Not in Front of the Corgis: Secrets of Life Behind the Royal Curtains

While I enjoy reading about the Royals, I never cease to be amazed by the sycophantic self-delusion exhibited by diehard Royalists like this author. " The Monarchy brings in millions in tourism". "the Queen supports the family from her private funds" ..... . Rubbish. Tourists to England go to see its beauty and revel in its history, all of which would exist without the royal family. No one expects to see the royals. And the Queen's personal funds? Come from the fabulous wealth of the Duchy of Lancaster, to which she alone is entitled by virtue of her royal birth. Monarchies in the British style are anachronisms. If a national mascot with no power is needed, let them follow the wise lead of the Scandinavians; still stylish and ceremonial, but truly in tune with the 21st Century. If they fail to remake themselves, they may find, too late, that the changes will be made for them, and be far more drastic than expected. This book and others like it may serve as a manifesto for change.

"Not is Front of the Corgis" is for lovers of the Royal family. I enjoyed this book immensely. I willingly admit that I am a fan of the Royal family, I love the pomp and ceremony that goes with all the Royals. Just for the record I am not a fan of the corgi breed of dog but am a dog lover and have been all my life.Getting a humorous insight into the life at the various royal homes and palaces, along with the titbits of gossip regarding the different aspects of each and every 'department' that is responsible for the daily running of Buckingham Palace is amusing to say the least. The mystery that surrounds the goings on of the royals will always fascinate people. They are different, pompous, spoilt, consider themselves above the normal run of human society, and have become accustomed to every type of luxury that we only dream about! However would I change places with anyone of them? Not a chance! I have absolute admiration of the Queen. She is one amazing lady with the ability to never turn a hair in public over any aspect of wild antics that the royals get up to. Prince Charles will never be able to step into her shoes as the Crown Head of the United Kingdom. More is the pity!!

Interesting and sometimes unimaginable tidbits about the royals.Their odd habits and lavish lifestyles were fascinating to me. However, I found the information about their wealth, how much the servants are paid and other financial facts, meaningless because there was no US dollar equivalency noted. This really lessened my enjoyment of the book.The fact that someone has to iron shoestrings after Prince Charles takes his shoes off was something that is unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but yet the kind of scoop I was hoping for! If you are looking for a short, fun read that won't tax your mind then this is it.I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars because I thought it was good for the type of book it was meant to be. It's not a great literary work that will stand the test of time, but rather a guilty pleasure for someone desiring the inside 411 on how those born with a silver spoon in their mouth (literally!) live.

I enjoyed parts of this book immensely. It was a lot of fun to read about the Queen and her family and household (and especially her corgis - or perhaps I should say corgyn - more of them PLEASE!) I was especially astonished to learn that she pays her staff quite low wages but that they are happy to work for her because it may lead to a really well paid job elsewhere later. BUT there was a LOT of this book devoted to details of just how much everybody made working for her and I found that extremely boring but trudged through it anyway hoping for it to get better, which it does in spots. The author has kind, readable style and I enjoyed his writing.So, a star for the good writing, a star for the fun parts of the book, and two for the corgyn. I'm leaving one off because of the boring parts.

It was interesting to see that the Queen can be just as crazy about her pets as the rest of us are!! They maybe far richer and have more "stuff" than we do but they are after all human beings. Mr. Hoey does an interesting job of explaining all the backside of the Palace and the ins and outs of their world. Yes, their life is stilted because of how they perceive themselves and how they wish the rest of us to perceive them. But they still do some of the same things we all do. It must be trying more often than not to put up with all the "hoo haw" of such decorum in the long haul. We see them only when they choose to be seen doing what they choose to do. The book is a good read into the Palace and royal lives of the family.

I bought this book thinking that there would be at least a chapter or two about the Corgi's, though I knew most of the book was focused elsewhere. I did learn two things about the dogs: only the Queen feeds them, and they often poop in the Palace. Not enough to make the book worth while from that perspective! But I have to admit that I read the entire book with interest, though it is pretty much a dry, obsessively detailed account of who does what job in which Royal building for how much. I am a fan of HRM, have been since I read THE LITTLE PRINCESSES when I was ten, and I took a chance with this book. If you have a lot of time on your hands and you want to get an idea of just how extensive an operation Her Majesty heads up, you might like this book. Otherwise, rent the terrific DVD about Her 50+ years in charge. Or even better, read Alan Bennett's marvelous short novel, AN UNCOMMON READER (guess who?)--full of truth and wondrous humor.

If you're looking for a way to see what the family members are like as people, there is some of that, but nothing all that personal. If a writer who planned to write about any royalty anywhere, even fictional royalty, this book gives a very good look at how the royal puzzle is put together and why. Who speaks to whom, and how, and what their relationship is likely to be. How does the staff prepare to support a royal or royals on a state visit, and what clothing is taken just-in-case. You get to see how all the arrangements are made, who is responsible for what, and why. Do not expect a personal book, such as a Buckingham Palace equivalent of BACKSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

Written by Brian Hoey, 'Not in Front of the Corgis' is an enjoyable read. Picked up as some light reading and that's what it is - a fun, light and pleasant read, told in an informative yet informal manner by Hoey, which kept me reading. Lots of interesting bits and pieces with several eye-openers along the way. Much information about the hierarchy and microcosmic set up of the Palace itself. A large section of the book does deal with facts and figures but, actually, much of this is of interest too and it's never heavy going. The book finishes with some 'fun' but informative trivia. Overall, an enjoyable 'fly on the wall' approach and a very readable book indeed.

Disappointed with this book - not as interesting as I expected. The author obviously tried to make an interesting book out of boring bits of information which left me thumbing through for something interesting about what goes on behind the palace gates other than how much unirforms cost or how many times they are won, the pecking order of the servants, and the fact that the Corgis are allowed to come and go as they please. I would have preferred a bit more info about the Royal Horse Artillery preparing for a Royal Gun Salute, or the history of the carriages in the Mews etc. However, I have learned that any other " Royal " book I read I shall look at the reviews first before I purchase.

Although now 5 years out of date this book is interesting by giving an insight into a world that no reader, I assume which is always a dangerous thing to do, inhabits. It fascinated me to learn of some pretty archaic job titles. It described the standards expected of any one living or working within the environs of the Royal family and applies those standards for the highest ranking family member to the lowest ranked member of staff. All in all, it is an interesting book, aimed more to those who support the monarchy. Republicans can also learn from it. Overall it is a pretty good myth buster.

This book is fun. It allows one a brief glimpse into the reality of the royal family. There is no way of knowing if it is all true but I dare say it is true enough. I do not begrudge the royal family their privileges but I do wonder if their whims are so totally catered for that it spoils their characters. This is not true in the case of the Queen but the perfectionism of Prince Charles and the pomposity of Prince Edward must come from somewhere. The details of the wages of the staff of the royal family I suspect is padding but it is a compulsive read nevertheless. Enjoy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book & although I wouldn't class myself as a royalist,it was very interesting to read about the Royal Family.The workings of the " Firm" & everything related to it was described by Brian Hoey, a man who had been in the know for many years. Read this book & enjoy.