The Princess and the Goblin is George MacDonald's fantasy novel and the sequel to his The Princess and Curdie. Eight-year-old Princess Irene lives a lonely life in a wild, desolate, mountainous kingdom, with only her nursemaid, Lootie for company. Due to her sheltered upbringing, her father being absent attending to affairs of state and her mother being dead, Irene has never known about the existence of the goblins, which lurk in the underground mines.
It is the tale of a princess who is cursed by a mean, jealous, witch so that she has no gravity. The book is full of puns, so MacDonald makes much both of her weightlessness, and the lack of gravity in her character. Naturally her parents are upset and try to have her cured, but to no avail (although the efforts of a couple of Chinese philosophers to provide a cure are rendered amusingly). However the Princess is quite happy with her "light" state (of course it is in her nature to be always happy).
A handsome prince needs to find his princess, the prettiest and loveliest girl. How ever will he find her? He holds a ball of course! Everyone in the town is wondering...WHO will the prince choose? Follow this charming story with a BIG surprise at the end, the perfect gift for all little princesses.
The souvenir edition will be packed with decade-by-decade tributes, with beautiful images of the Queen’s journey from a young age, through to grandmother and elder stateswoman. It will include stories from her childhood days to serving the nation in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the war, right through her Coronation and becoming a mum. The special issue will also reveal how the Queen coped with difficulties in her life from Princess Margaret’s love for Captain Townsend to the aftermath of Diana’s death and on to becoming the much-loved Queen she is today with Prince Philip by her side.
