Following the timeline of her life from birth through her joining the ranks of European aristocracy and her marriage to the Crown Prince of Romania, this biography paints a colorful portrait of the famous Queen Marie, one of the most celebrated leaders in Romanian history. With stories pulled from the young queen’s diaries and letters, Pakula sheds light on Marie’s struggles to gain footing in a male-dominated court, her early years as an admired beauty of Europe, and the decisive period during World War I when she ultimately ran the Romanian Government. With the sweep and panache of a great epic, this fascinating story of the life and leadership of Queen Marie is a historical biography at its best.