Reading diaries can be very hit and miss. There are two main factors- the diarist and the editor. Neither the diarist or the editor let us down for The Windsor Diaries– this is a must-read for anyone interested in the House of Windsor. Alathea Fitzalan Howard was a friend and playmate of the young princesses during the war, and her honest insights are a fascinating glimpse into that life. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Windsor Diaries: A Childhood With the Princesses, Alathea Fitzalan Howard
The Windsor Diaries are the never-before-seen diaries of Alathea Fitzalan Howard, who lived alongside the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret at Windsor Castle during the Second World War.
Alathea’s home life was an unhappy one. Her parents had separated and so during the war she was sent to live with her grandfather, Viscount Fitzalan of Derwent, at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park. There Alathea found the affection and harmony she craved as she became a close friend of the two princesses, visiting them often at Windsor Castle, enjoying parties, balls, cinema evenings, picnics and celebrations with the Royal Family and other members of the Court.
Alathea’s diary became her constant companion during these years as day by day she recorded every intimate detail of life with the young Princesses, often with their governess Crawfie, or with the King and Queen.
Written from the ages of sixteen to twenty-two, she captures the tight-knit, happy bonds between the Royal Family, as well as the aspirations and anxieties, sometimes extreme, of her own teenage mind.
These unique diaries give us a bird’s eye view of Royal wartime life with all of Alathea’s honest, yet affectionate judgments and observations – as well as a candid and vivid portrait of the young Princess Elizabeth, known to Alathea as ‘Lilibet’, a warm, self-contained girl, already falling for her handsome prince Philip, and facing her ultimate destiny: the Crown.
Why You Should Read This…
The Windsor Diaries was exactly what I was expecting, and it was fascinating. Alathea Fitzalan Howard was a good friend of the princesses during the war years, but didn’t spend all of her time with them- I feel like I learned a quite a bit about both the royals’ lives during the war, but also life in general. I was also a little shocked (but shouldn’t have been) at how many people who would go on to play crucial roles in the government or society were casually mentioned. The Windsor Diaries is a good reminder of just how connected the aristocracy and upper classes were (and still are) in Britain.
Because it is a transcribed diary, it can be choppy reading but I had expected that. It may not be the smoothest reading experience, but it does give you a much better idea of how Alathea was feeling when writing. She was rather blunt when writing, which can be a bit funny- if she didn’t like what the princesses were wearing, she did not hide it in her diary haha. I found it touching just how important the princesses and their life events were to her. Even if there was nothing else in the diary entry, she noted their birthday. It was heartbreaking to see how badly she wanted to be a lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth, and although her diary entries are brief, it was still difficult to read.
All in all, fascinating and a perfect read for royal history buffs!
Are you going to read The Windsor Diaries?
Cheers,
The Historian
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