The Royal Governess

~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

Synopsis:  IIn 1933, twenty-two-year-old Marion Crawford accepts the role of a lifetime, tutoring the little Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose.  Her one stipulation to their parents the Duke and Duchess of York is that she bring some doses of normalcy into their sheltered and privileged lives.
 
At Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Balmoral, Marion defies stuffy protocol to take the princesses on tube trains, swimming at public baths, and on joyful Christmas shopping trips at Woolworth’s. From her ringside seat at the heart of the British monarchy she witnesses twentieth-century history’s most seismic events. The trauma of the Abdication, the glamour of the Coronation, the onset of World War II. She steers the little girls through it all, as close as a mother. 
 
During Britain’s darkest hour, as Hitler’s planes fly over Windsor, she shelters her charges in the castle dungeons (not far from where the Crown Jewels are hidden in a biscuit tin). Afterwards, she is present when Elizabeth first sets eyes on Philip. 
 
But being beloved confidante to the Windsors comes at huge personal cost. Marriage, children, her own views: all are compromised by proximity to royal glory. In this majestic story of love, sacrifice and allegiance, bestselling novelist Holden shines a captivating light into the years before Queen Elizabeth II took the throne.

One (or more) Sentence Summary:   I a fan of The Crown and love other books about Royals (see all the Melanie Summer reviews!). My "reads" are always fictional royal families and I was pleasant surprised with The Royal Governess.  It took us back to the time when Queen Elizabeth was a child.  The main character Marion Crawford (Crowfy) is highered to education Elizabeth and Margaret.  We get a glimpse into Elizabeth's life and all the quirkiness that came with it.  I think some of the older Royals were a bit odd but added some "humor" to the novel.  We also see how much stress she was under as a child (I can't imagine).

I didn't find The Royal Governess to be a quick read, but one that held my attention throughout.  There was a lot to cover and Wendy Holden did an amazing job making it all work in one story.  While you are waiting for the next season of The Crown, pick up the Royal Governess to get your "royal fix."

Other books by Wendy Holden look like ones I would really enjoy.  They are more of the "chick-lit" genre. I hope to grab a few of them to enjoy.

Wendy Holden is a British novelist of comedies of manners. She's authored ten Sunday Times top ten bestsellers and has sold over three million copies worldwide.

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