Two young men with expectations. One predicted to succeed, the other to fail…
Prince Albert Victor, heir presumptive to the British throne, is seen as disastrously inadequate to be king. The grandson of Queen Victoria, he is good-hearted but intensely shy and, some whisper, even slow-witted.
By contrast, Jem Stephen is a renowned intellectual, a poet and a golden boy worshipped by all. But a looming curse of mental instability is threatening to take it all away.
Appointed as the prince’s personal tutor, Jem works to prepare him for the duty to come. A friendship grows between them – one that will allow them to understand and finally accept who they really are and change both of their lives forever.
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‘Clark writes with intelligence, warmth, bravery and wit about big subjects to do with how we choose to live our lives.’ – Sue Townsend
‘Deftly weaving historical fact with plausible fiction, Alan Robert Clark masterfully conjures up the burning passions and beautiful melancholies of Prince Eddy’s short and strange life. Compelling and convincing, elegant and assured, The Prince Of Mirrors is that rarest and most elusive of things: a joy to read.’ – Neil McKenna, the author of Fanny & Stella, shortlisted for the 2013 Green Carnation Prize
‘A gilded cast of characters parades through this sumptuous tale. A clever mixture of history, psychology and sex.’ – Alastair Stewart OBE, ITN anchor
‘In sculpted, luscious prose Clark tenderly imagines the secret longing of a fated prince and the man who ruled his heart‘ – Uli Lenart
‘Touching and compelling – a beautifully written re-imagining of the story of Prince Eddy, perhaps Britain’s most mysterious and intriguing ‘lost’ king.‘ – Gyles Brandreth, author and TV personality