Last week I shared a new biography of The Queen that was released in honour of her Platinum Jubilee. However, not all biographies have been quite so well-received, at least not by the Royal Family. When former royal governess Marion Crawford (aka Crawfie) released her memoirs of working for the Royal Family in 1950, the family immediately cut off their cherished Crawfie and refused to speak to her ever again. It offers a lot of insight into the Royal Family, though, and The Queen’s formative years. If you haven’t already, you need to read The Little Princesses by Marion Crawford!
The Little Princesses, Marion Crawford
Once upon a time, in 1930s England, there were two little princesses named Elizabeth and Margaret Rose. Their father was the Duke of York, the second son of King George V, and their Uncle David was the future King of England.
We all know how the fairy tale ended: When King George died, “Uncle David” became King Edward VIII—who abdicated less than a year later to marry the scandalous Wallis Simpson. Suddenly the little princesses’ father was King. The family moved to Buckingham Palace, and ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth became the heir to the crown she would ultimately wear for over fifty years.
The Little Princesses shows us how it all began. In the early thirties, the Duke and Duchess of York were looking for someone to educate their daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, then five- and two-years-old. They already had a nanny—a family retainer who had looked after their mother when she was a child—but it was time to add someone younger and livelier to the household.
Enter Marion Crawford, a twenty-four-year-old from Scotland who was promptly dubbed “Crawfie” by the young Elizabeth and who would stay with the family for sixteen years. Beginning at the quiet family home in Piccadilly and ending with the birth of Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace in 1948, Crawfie tells how she brought the princesses up to be “Royal,” while attempting to show them a bit of the ordinary world of underground trains, Girl Guides, and swimming lessons.
The Little Princesses was first published in 1950 to a furor we cannot imagine today. It has been called the original “nanny diaries” because it was the first account of life with the Royals ever published. Although hers was a touching account of the childhood of the Queen and Princess Margaret, Crawfie was demonized by the press. The Queen Mother, who had been a great friend and who had, Crawfie maintained, given her permission to write the account, never spoke to her again.
Why You Should Read This…
Originally released in 1950, The Little Princesses is an exceptionally tame royal biography. It paints Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret in a very positive light, provides insight into a happy childhood, and shows the Royal Family at their best. Given that in the 1980s and 1990s (and forward) we became very used to gossipy, oftentimes tawdry royal biographies, The Little Princesses stands in stark contrast. However, the Royal Family was incensed by the book. Crawfie was a beloved and cherished member of the staff who also held a special position in the family, and she was never spoken to again after releasing it. And they didn’t address the fact that part of the reason that she wrote it was that her royal pension was nowhere near enough to cover her retirement.
The book holds an important place in House of Windsor history because of all of this. However, it is also a sweet and lovely look into The Queen’s childhood. It includes childhood letters, never-before-heard stories (in 1950), and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Royal Family. If you haven’t already read this book, it is a must-read ahead of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations!
If you are interested in a fictional telling of Crawfie’s life, The Royal Governess is for you!
Have you read The Little Princesses by Marion Crawford?
Cheers,
The Historian
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