King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War: by Catrine Clay

" “Have I gone mad?” Nicholas asked his wife, Alexandra, in July 1914, showing her another telegram from Wilhelm. “What on earth does Willy mean pretending that it still depends on me whether war is averted or not?” Germany had, in fact, declared war on Russia six hours earlier. "

With historical material like this the book is bound to be very informative and more.

Queen Victoria had taken care to keep a family together with holidays in summers and every possible occasions, affections between cousins suitably encouraged and marriages made or arranged or combination of both. Europe was at one point a criss cross of royalty all related, and so peace ought to have been a cinch, one would think.

But then there were personal jealousies and insecurities, especially with questions of who had precedence at ceremonial dinners and weddings and such important affairs. Kaiser Wilhelm famously is supposed to have been peeved with a lower rank at one such occasion of a family get together at dinner in England.

He on the other hand did try forbearance of others what with his having caused grief to the other two -

"the family tension caused by Otto von Bismarck’s annexation of Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark (Georgie’s and Nicky’s mothers were Danish princesses)"

and the consequent tension in England within family, what with half of them relating more to their German relatives (there were scores of other princely states apart from Prussia where Vicky had married, Vicky who was daughter of Queen Victoria and mother of Kaiser Wilhelm) and the king and his parents (when Victoria's son was still alive and of course the king, or even when Victoria was still alive and therefore the Queen Regina) naturally more concerned about Denmark.

This book is published after papers - royal letters and diaries - released in UK by Queen Elizabeth, and promises to be interesting and informative in understanding the history further.

One wonders if there will be more light shed on the failure of George in saving Nicholas and Alexandra, both his first cousins, former through his mother's sister and latter through his father's sister, from the terrible fate that could be seen coming. He withdrew the offer of refuge in Britain due to political considerations, is what is known so far, due to advice from the ministers.

One wishes monarchs would have more courage when it came to saving lives of humans - blood relatives especially but even otherwise - especially when innocence is unquestionable. One would think that was a prerequisite of creed of nobility of character.

So why did he not do it? One might know after reading this.