GUEST BLOG: I Love a Good Princess Story by Gabrielle Carr Plus Giveaway!

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I LOVE a good princess story. The gowns. The dancing. The swooning in a prince’s arms. It is all my catnip. So, like many modern girls looking for a slightly realistic version of that princess feeling, I turned to historical romance. Specifically Regency romance.

As a reader, it is one of my favorite genres. A dashing Duke falling in love with a penniless maid or an irresistible governess is close enough to Cinderella finding her Prince Charming to keep me satisfied. Unfortunately, being a chestnut-skinned woman reading this genre meant that I couldn’t find heroines that looked like me between the pages of those books. Not one to give up without a fight I decided to do a little research to see if such stories were remotely possible, i.e., did people of color exist in the greater British society during the Regency era?

I was tickled pink to find out it was a resounding YES! People of color from many different cultures and backgrounds lived and loved in Britain during the Regency era. Not that I should have questioned it. The fingers of the British empire reached all over the world. To their colonies in the West Indies, such as Barbados, St Kitts, and Jamaica. To their trade routes and settlements in India.

If you’re ever interested in reading an account of such a story, may I suggest White Mughals by William Dalrymple. It is the story of British gentleman James Achilles Kirkpatrick and the Indian woman Kahir un-Nissa. James loved her so much he jumped through many hoops to marry her, including converting to Islam. Their love story didn’t have the happiest of endings, but hey, they tried!

And they weren’t the only ones either. There was much more racial, cultural, and religious mixing of British and Indian citizens than some history books would have you think. Some English military men were happy to adopt local ways of living, dressing, and marrying local women. Below is a picture of Captain Colin Mackenzie of the Madras Army in 1842.

Also, there are many accounts of those of the African diaspora living and thriving in England. One such man was Nathaniel Wells. Born the son of an enslaved African woman and a British plantation owner, Nathaniel was sent by his father to Britain to be educated and upon his father’s death he was bequeathed a large fortune. He used his inheritance to purchase his country home, Piercefield House, near Chepstow, and eventually became the High Sheriff of Monmouthshire.

Nathaniel was not alone in finding himself in procession of such a boon. An unfortunate side effect of life in the West Indies is that many of the British settlers were not equipped to withstand the harsh heat and diseases carried by mosquitos such as malaria. Many of these men did not bring their families/wives with them if they had them or couldn’t find marriageable Englishwomen if they were single. The result was that they made families with the enslaved women on the islands. I won’t go into depth about this occurrence because it can fill up another post, but I will probably post about it on my personal blog later.

Another notable figure was boxing champ Bill Richmond. Born into slavery in America, Bill Richmond moved to England where he was educated when he was about fourteen. Due to resentment of his marriage to a white British woman and other prejudices Bill faced he seemed to always be fighting. It’s no wonder he found his love for boxing. Throughout his career, he accumulated wins as a fighter and eventually opened an academy where he trained an elite clientele, including Lord Byron. Bill was even invited to attend the coronation of George IV in 1821 to act as an usher.

Apart from the population touched by enslavement, there was also interaction and exchanges with highborn African individuals. Some of the chiefs of Sierra Leone would send their sons (and a few daughters) to be educated in Britain. It is estimated that about fifty people from Sierra Leone were studying in Liverpool in 1789.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of people of the African diaspora in Britain, may I suggest the book Black and British by David Olusoga. It is a rather thick book, but such as profound and eye-opening read.

So, as you can see, British history is full of people of color from many different walks of life. This rich history is the basis for why I created the multi-author series Regency in Color and wrote my story, Designing His Duchess. I wanted to celebrate and explore the possibilities of these wonderful men and women. And of course, more than anything I wanted to finally see a heroine that looked like me swept up into the arms of a Duke who thinks the sun rises and sets in her eyes. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. If you would like to check out the rest of the series, please feel free to check out our website www.regencyincolor.com.

About The Book

Regency in Color: Book 3
Publication Date: January 21, 2022

Marry or find herself penniless and ousted from her aunt and uncle’s home. Those are Miss Juliana Drake’s current options. Having never felt the need to know how long she could survive without basic provisions, she chooses the latter. Only she knows as much about charming a suitor as she does about charming a snake.

Nothing.

The solution? Colin Lewis Francis Latham, Duke of Herstshire. The man who offered her marriage years ago, then vanished without as much as a by your leave. When he returns to London and offers to instruct her in the art of husband hunting, Juliana is both insulted and desperate enough to accept his offer.

She’s no longer the gullible young woman of her youth. She can handle being near him without losing her head. Although, it would be much easier if she could finally expel him from her heart.

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Designing His Duchess

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About The Author Gabrielle Carr is the author of Regency Romances featuring casts of diverse characters, that are full of heart, hope, and happily ever after. She has always enjoyed indulging in her imagination. At a very young age she had a thirst for reading and the many possibilities it helped bring to life in her mind’s eye. Ms. Carr can normally be found locked away with a good book in her home in Charlotte, NC or traveling the globe to places like India, Bali, Tokyo, or London.