I am confident that the book you're looking for is "The Ordinary
Princess," by M.M. Kaye. This book (which was first published in 1980)
features a Princess Amy, whose theme song is "Lavender's Blue."
Here are a few online descriptions of the book...
"The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye (Juvenile Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
Delightful! The perfect story of a misfit princess who runs away to
avoid a distasteful arranged marriage, and finds love in an unexpected
way. This story, which is complete with friendly woodland creatures,
is set long ago and far away, in a land of fairies, kings, and
beautiful princesses. Woven into the story is the nursery rhyme poem:
'Lavender's Blue, Rosemary's Green, When You Are King, I Shall Be
Queen.' "
Homepage of Lucy Day Werts
http://home.uchicago.edu/~ldwerts/Book-Recommendations.htm
"The Ordinary Princess
By M.M. Kaye...
All across the Kingdom, excitement is running high: a seventh
princess, always the luckiest and most beautiful of all, has just been
born to good King Huldebrand and Her Majesty queen Rodehesia. When
the christening day arives, Her serene and royal Highness Princess
Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne is showered
with the most extravagant, marvelous presents-until her last fairy
godmother proclaims , 'You shall be Ordinary'!
And so she is. Princess Amy looks so ordinary, so unprincesslike, that
no one can be found to marry her. The King and queen are desperate.
But Amy knows that she doesn't want to wed a royal stranger, and runs
away from home, embarking on a most extraordinary adventure for the
Ordinary Princess!...
The Theme Song: Lavender's Blue..."
Once Upon a Time
http://www.geocities.com/curlugirl510/ordinaryprincess.html
"Along with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage, Princess Amy of
Phantasmorania receives a special fairy christening gift:
Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and
freckles, and would rather have adventures than play the harp,
embroider tapestries . . . or become a Queen. When her royal parents
try to marry her off, Amy runs away and, because she's so ordinary,
easily becomes the fourteenth assistant kitchen maid at a neighboring
palace. And there . . . much to everyone's surprise . . . she meets a
prince just as ordinary (and special) as she is!"
Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0142300853/qid=1080085887
The best price I've seen for "The Ordinary Princess" is from eCampus,
which has both hardback and paperback editions for sale:
eCampus
http://www.ecampus.com/bk_detail.asp?referrer=CJ&AID=5029466&PID=216178&ISBN=0385178557
You can also buy the book from Amazon (link above) or from Barnes & Noble:
Barnes & Noble (paperback)
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=1PHJT37G0A&isbn=0142300853&itm=1
Barnes & Noble (hardback)
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?userid=1PHJT37G0A&isbn=0670035440
Google Web Search: "the ordinary princess" + "lavender's blue"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22the+ordinary+princess%22+%22lavender%27s+blue%22
I hope this helps! If this is the wrong book, if a link doesn't work
for you, or if anything I've said is unclear, please request
clarification; I'll be glad to offer further assistance before you
rate my answer.
Best wishes,
pinkfreud |