For fans of The Woman Who Knew Everyone and Kingmaker, Queens of Society explores the lives of six remarkable women who made careers out of being society hostesses—and in doing so, brought about a form of social revolution

In the aristocratic circles of early twentieth-century London, the company was as starched as the tablecloths. But a revolution was on the horizon, in the form of six remarkable society hostesses who would change the political, social and cultural landscape of Britain forever.

Some of these “queens of society,” like Lady Sibyl Colefax, were born into high society. Others, like Edinburgh-born Mrs. Ronnie Greville, clambered their way to the top by any means necessary. Lady Nancy Astor and Lady Edith Londonderry were political creatures, becoming, respectively, the first female MP ever elected and the head of the Women’s Legion. Lady Emerald Cunard, meanwhile, cultivated artists and royals, playing a pivotal role in Edward VIII’s relationship with Wallis Simpson and igniting a scandal that would shake Britain. And American Laura Corrigan just liked a damned good party—the more extravagant, the better.

In an age when the place of women was uncertain, becoming a hostess was not a chore, but a career choice, and these six women presided over London from their dining tables and salons—charming, scheming, and mingling their way through two world wars, the Great Depression, an abdication, a coronation, and an upheaval in class structures that would bring their world to its knees. With a glittering cast of players from the Mitfords to the Mosleys, from millionaires to maharajahs, from film stars to royalty, Queens of Society is the witty, warm and fascinating story of six women whose influence can still be felt today.

Praise for the UK edition

“Gloriously gossipy...a snapshot of a bygone age from Gosford Park-style big country house parties to dancing until dawn in Park Lane mansions long demolished.”—Red Magazine

“Rich in anecdote...a fascinating account...group biography is a difficult trick to pull off, but Evans is deft with her interweaving of narrative and history.”—The Sunday Times

“So entertaining—and there’s lots of insider fun to be had. . . . Excels at anecdotes and punchlines....The strength of Queen Bees is its wealth of detail and its author’s nose for a human story....This book dances in and out of its subject to the sound of plate-smashing, cut-glass gossip, ukeleles, Beecham's orchestras, jazz bands, Nazi anthems and bombs. ‘I’ve been to a marvellous party,’ wrote Noël Coward. Thanks to Queen Bees, we can feel as though we were there too.”—The Times

“The individual characters of these unusual women are well delineated and all played significant roles in their time....An entertaining ‘spectacle of celebrity, talent, and burning ambition.’”—Sunday Express

“Wonderfully readable.”—Country Life

“An exciting read, Evans has painted a compelling portrait of six inspiring women.”—The Mitford Society

“The book, like their parties, is often ‘enormous fun.’”—The Guardian

“Delightful....Crammed with fascinating anecdotes.”—The Independent

“A compelling portrait of six inspiring women.”—The Lady

“Evans’s pacy account of these intrepid social lion-hunters sparkles with famous names.”—Mail on Sunday

“An irresistible and witty account.”—Woman & Home

“Evans makes a good case for her hostesses’ importance as purveyors of soft power: the artistic, cultural and political reach of their address books, she argues had a profound impact on modern British society. All were marvellously quotable, as spiteful as they were ambitious, mistresses of the apparently throwaway remark designed to draw blood, but their success was due as much to their status and fortunes as to their brilliance. One of the pleasures of books like these is that you close them with a feeling of overwhelming gratitude for your own mundane life.”—Literary Review

“This is a whirl of a book, gossipy, light and fun.”—Times Literary Supplement

“If guest lists and gossip columns, invitations and address books, seating plans and social mountaineering tick your box, this is the book for you.”—The Times