Wendy Holden (1) (1965–)

Royal based fiction is always going to be a winner for me and having read Wendy Holden's previous two books about royal outsiders I knew The Princess was going to be right up my street and a rollicking good read.

The Princess of the title is Diana, and this is the story of how she went from shy Lady Di to the Princess of Wales. We begin with a look into her childhood through the eyes of one of her childhood friends, Sandy, and then later we see Diana's rise to become the wife of the heir to show more the throne through her own eyes and others, such as Prince Charles, his valet and the Queen Mother. We follow Diana's sadness at her parents' divorce, through to her living with her three best friends at Coleherne Court, and the very circuitous route that eventually led to the aisle at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981. It was fascinating to read of the machinations behind the scenes to get Charles and Diana together. Of course, we now know that they would have been better off apart but at the time it was Diana's most fervent desire, especially after reading so many of her beloved Barbara Cartland romances, to meet her fairy prince and live happily ever after.

Holden writes Diana's story sympathetically, one of a young and naïve girl being steered into marriage. It seems almost unbelievable that this was the 1980s and not the 17- or 1880s but it shows how far women have come in the last forty years. I absolutely loved the detail in this book, the behind the scenes glimpses of royal life and tradition, and the girlish fun that Diana found in being with her friends or with the children she worked with. Although clearly a work of fiction, so much of the story is weaved around known facts and the research the author has carried out, and she's managed to create something that is both riveting and truthful. The Princess had me gripped from beginning to end and is my favourite kind of book. In fact, it will easily be one of my favourite reads of this year and one I won't forget. I'm feeling rather sad that this trilogy has come to an end - I'm thinking there's plenty of story potential in other members of the royal family…..! The Princess is absolute perfection for me. show less

The minute I heard about this book I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. As a lifelong royalist I enjoy anything relating to the Royal Family and this fictionalised account of the life of Marion Crawford, who for 17 years was governess to Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, fascinated me from the start.

It's rather a sad story. I suppose it's inevitable that nannies and governesses will be outgrown by their charges and that is what happened to Marion. After being indispensible for many show more years, suddenly she found that she was cast aside. She then made a terrible error of judgement by agreeing to write about her time with her royal charges.

Wendy Holden's retelling is sympathetic towards Marion, rightly so in my opinion. She sacrificed her best years for the princesses. It wasn't just a job, it was her life. The author also beautifully turns fact into an appealing story, plumping out characters and events to make this an utterly engrossing novel. It's absolutely clear, however, that she has done a huge amount of research. As a royalist I know a reasonable amount of facts but this book is chock full of detail, expertly and intricately woven into the fabric of the story. Did you, for instance, know that Buckingham Palace had its own postman amongst its 400 employees in the 1930s. I was agog at times.

This book took me longer than I expected to read, not because I didn't like it or because it was dull, far from it. I wanted to savour every word and fully immerse myself in the royal world, which is as far removed from normal life as you could imagine. Holden has written something so incredibly special with The Governess and I was thrilled to learn in the acknowledgements that she's now writing a novel about the much-maligned, Wallis Simpson. I can't wait for that!

What a treat reading this book has been. I have loved every second of it. It's right up my street but will appeal to any fans of 20th century historical fiction. show less

We all know about Wallis Simpson. She was the woman, hated by everyone, who manipulated King Edward VIII into giving up the throne. But what if what we were always led to believe wasn't true? Wendy Holden's fictionalised account of real life events gives us an alternative historical narrative.

The Duchess takes us from 1928, when Wallis and her new husband, Ernest Simpson, arrive in England, right up to 1936, the year of the abdication. Interspersed throughout are chapters following Wallis as show more she returns to England in 1972 for the Duke of Windsor's funeral when she comes up against the might of the Royal establishment once again. It's a fascinating read and one I enjoyed very much.

Wallis ascends the social ladder quite slowly. She longs for excitement but this is a tale of caution and being careful what you wish for. She falls in with the Prince of Wales' crowd and I loved her interactions with Cecil Beaton, Coco Chanel and various members of the Royal Family. Her refreshing honesty catches the Prince's eye and Wallis loves that, but she's a married woman and she knows that eventually the Prince will find himself a suitable wife, one who isn't once or even twice divorced. Knowing the way this story was going to pan out made the reading of it feel quite bittersweet.

It's now thought that Wallis wasn't the big bad wolf after all and that David, as Edward VIII was known, wanted a way out of taking the crown, having always known he wasn't King material. It's nice to read an alternative account, one which offers a view of a woman perhaps in a little too deep and of a man desperate for escape. Neither expected to be ostracised for the rest of their lives.

Wendy Holden must have done a lot of research for this book and it shows. It all felt so authentic, whether based on known fact or imagined conversations and events. I was transported to 20s and 30s London, to Fort Belvedere on the Windsor estate, to energetic Charlestons around the room, cocktails, extravagant lunches at the Ritz and so much more.

I'm really enjoying Holden's series of books about royal outsiders and am very excited about the next one, which will be about Diana, Princess of Wales. In the meantime, I recommend The Duchess for those who enjoy historical fiction based around real events. show less

I could not put it down - it was a fascinating account of Elizabeth and Margaret....I just didn’t like the main character! I get it, she started out wanting to work with kids from the slums, she sacrificed her whole life to her royal charges - but she made some stupid choices, she internalized all the pomposity she had once decried, and then she fails to understand how writing the book is a betrayal (especially since was tempted into it by the prospect of talking about how she was more show more important in their lives than their mother). show less