When it comes to the House of Windsor, there are many fascinating royal figures to look at. Both George VI and Elizabeth II were not expected to take the throne at birth, and both have led/are leading with poise through wildly difficult and trying times in history. And Princess Margaret has always interested me. However, there are some royal adjacent figures who also deserve attention. And that includes Marion Crawford. Today I’m chatting about The Royal Governess, and why this royal fiction should be your next read!
The Royal Governess, Wendy Holden
In 1933, twenty-two-year-old Marion Crawford accepts the role of a lifetime, tutoring their Royal Highnesses 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 the sheltered and privileged lives of the two young princesses.
At Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Balmoral, Marion defies oppressive court protocol to take the girls 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 the upheaval of the Abdication and the glamour and drama of the 1937 Coronation.
During the war, as Hitler’s Heinkels 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 there when Elizabeth first sets eyes on Philip. But being beloved governess and confidante to the Windsor family has come at a cost. She puts her private life on hold until released from royal service following Princess Elizabeth’s marriage in 1947.
In a majestic story of love, sacrifice, and allegiance, bestselling novelist Holden shines a captivating light into the years before Queen Elizabeth II took the throne, as immortalized on the popular television series The Crown.
Why You Should Read This…
The Royal Governess is of the new generation of royal historical fiction- I would argue it isn’t royal-ish, it is royal historical fiction. Marion, the princesses, and their parents (the Yorks, then King and Queen) are at the heart of this story. It is a very human look at everyone; no one is treated as an idol or a villain, just as complex people. Marion was slightly different than what I pictured, and she really made me rethink about some members of the royal family. (One thing to remember: this is a fictional telling, it may not be what actually happened!) In any case, this is an engrossing and compelling novel.
Note: I would absolutely recommend reading The Little Princesses before The Royal Governess– Marion’s own memoirs are fascinating!
Looking for more royal fiction? Check out my full listing here!
Will you be reading The Royal Governess?
Cheers,
The Historian
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