The History Book Club discussion

This is the introductory thread for the British Monarchy folder. This folder contains threads related to the royal family and monarchy as well as the various Royal Houses.

Additional threads may be set up on the various rulers, kings and queens.

This is a good reference for people interested in this subject.

Thanks for the information Rose, I am sure those interested in the subject will appreciate your post. Please don't forget to mention the author with each book you post:

by Alison Weir

Here is another reference work on the royal houses of England.

by Carolly Erickson. It contains informative illustrations and photos as well.

Thank you Jill for the add.

My new pre-owned book came today. I bought it because I heard it's supposed to be one of the best on Queen Mary.
James Pope-Hennessyno photo
I am so looking forward to this!

This looks interesting, recent release:

by Anne Sebba
One of Britain's most distinguished biographers turns her focus on one of the most vilified woman of the last century. Historian Anne Sebba has written the first full biography of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, by a woman which attempts to understand this fascinating and enigmatic American divorcee who nearly became Queen of England. 'That woman', as she was referred to by the Queen Mother, became a hate figure for allegedly ensnaring a British king. Born in 1895 in Baltimore, Bessiewallis Warfield endured an impoverished and comparatively obscure childhood which inflamed a burning desire to rise above her circumstances. Neither beautiful nor brilliant, and no longer young, she nevertheless became one of the most talked about women of her generation, and inspired such deep love and adoration in Edward VIII that even giving up a throne and an empire for her was not enough to prove his total devotion. Wallis lived by her wit and her wits, while both her apparent and alleged moral transgressions added to her aura and dazzle. Accused of Fascist sympathies, having Nazi lovers and learning bizarre sexual techniques in China, she was the subject of widespread gossip and fascination that has only increased with the years. In death, the Duchess became a symbol of empowerment and a style icon, a woman whose unequivocal aim was to win in the game of life. Based on new archives and material recently made available, this scrupulously researched biography re evaluates the role of politicians in the 1930s, sheds new light on the character and motivations of this powerful, charismatic and complex woman, and questions was this really the romantic love story of the century?

Great thread. I find the Stuarts an interesting era with the period seeing great constitutional change including the act of union; fire and disease; civil war with changing military tactics and regicide; advances in science, learning and architecture; religious learning and accessibility through the King James bible but also religious persecution - leading to the founding of America. I remain puzzled as to why they are not seen as interesting as the Tudors (at least on film and television).

by John Leslie Miller and

by John MacLeod and

by Allan Massie and

by Godfrey Davies and

by George Norman Clark.

I've not read yet by Antonia Fraser

I think that people find the Tudors more interesting due to the fact that Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were larger than life. The events surrounding their reigns make "good press" as they say these days......beheading your wives, breaking with the Church, being a strong Queen in a male dominated royal society, etc, etc.
Like you I find the Stuarts a fascinating dynasty but sadly kept in the shadows by the Tudors, upstarts that they may have been.

Jill wrote: ...upstarts that they may have been...

Jill you make me LOL

I saw a copy of this book today at a local book shop in case it interest others:


by Thomas Penn
Description:
Winter King tells the unforgettable story of Henry VII's time as King, and the fraught and unstable birth of Tudor England. Rich with incident and drama, filled with wonderfully drawn characters, it is a stunning history of pageantry, surveillance, the thirst for glory - and the first Tudor king.

It was 1501. England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy, violence, murders, coups and counter-coups. Henry VII had clambered to the top of the heap - a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England's crown who through luck, guile and ruthlessness had managed to win the throne and stay on it for sixteen years. Although he built palaces, hosted jousts, gave out lavish presents and sent ambassadors across Europe, for many he remained a usurper, a false king.

But Henry had a crucial asset: his queen and their children, the living embodiment of his hoped-for dynasty. Now, in what would be the crowning glory of his reign, his elder son would marry a great Spanish princess. On a cold November day this girl, the sixteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon, arrived in London for a wedding upon which the fate of England would hinge.

In his remarkable debut, historian Thomas Penn recreates an England which is both familiar and very strange - a country that seems medieval yet modern, in which honour and chivalry mingle with espionage, realpolitik, high finance and corruption. It is the story of the transformation of a young, vulnerable boy, Prince Henry, into the aggressive teenager who would become Henry VIII, and of Catherine of Aragon, his future queen. And at its heart is the tragic, magnetic figure of Henry VII - controlling, paranoid, avaricious, with a Machiavellian charm and will to power.

Reviews:
"A brilliant debut ... this impressive book will certainly become the definitive study of our strangest, most mysterious, king." - Desmond Seward (BBC History Magazine)

"Stunning ... effortlessly vivid prose ... a revelation. [Penn's] focus is on the last, fear-filled decade of [Henry VII's] reign, but his sinuously coiling chapters seamlessly unfold the past as well as the present of his protagonists ... [He] has pulled off a rare feat: a brilliant and haunting evocation of the Tudor world, with irresistible echoes of the age of fear in which we now live." - Helen Castor (Telegraph)

"[A] brilliant mash-up of gothic horror and political biography ... a tour de force: both scholarly and a pleasure to read, covering the breadth of the European political scene, while providing the details that allow us to feel intimately the terror at home." - Spectator

"Remarkable ... Penn brilliantly recreates the sterile atmosphere suffocating Henry's England. His eye for time, circumstance and the telling anecdote is keen. Winter King offers us the fullest, deepest, most compelling insight into the warped psychology of the Tudor dynasty's founder to have appeared since Bacon wrote." - Financial Times

"[Thomas Penn] is a superb teller of a tale, a reveller in dodgy deeds, a keen observer of the febrile, dissimulating characters of court and embassy, and a splendid limner of the great jousts and entertainments of the age ... with a sharp eye for detail and adroit use of a gifted historical imagination, ... he lets us hear the creak of oars and the scratch of pens, as well as the tubercular king fighting for every breath ... Vigorous and thoroughly enjoyable." - Economist

"I feel like I've been waiting to read this book a long time ... a fluent and compelling account ... The level of detail is fascinating and beautifully judged ... I think that, for the first time, a writer has made me feel what contemporaries felt as Henry VII's reign drew to an end; the relief, the hope, the sudden buoyancy." - Hilary Mantel, (Author Of 'Wolf Hall')

"Succeeds brilliantly ... [a] finely drawn portrait ... Penn's deft turn of phrase superbly re-creates the drama and personalities of the court." - Tracy Borman (Sunday Times)

"An exceptionally stylish literary debut. Henry VII may be the most unlikely person ever to have occupied the throne of England, and his biographers have rarely conveyed just what a weird man he was. Thomas Penn does this triumphantly, and in the process manages to place his subject in a vividly realised landscape. His book should be the first port of call for anyone trying to understand England's most flagrant usurper since William the Conqueror." - Diarmaid Macculloch

"A definitive and accessible account of the reign of Henry VII that will alter our view not just of Henry, but of the country he dominated and corrupted, and of the dynasty he founded ... [Penn's] point is to show that this is not the "merrie England" of the Tudor myth, but a country forced under the rule of a new king, spied on and policed for any sign of disloyalty, and tyrannised by the use of ancient half-forgotten fines and taxes." - Philippa Gregory (Observer)

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I saw a copy of this book today at a local book shop in case it interest others:


by Thomas Penn
Description:
Wint..."

This does look good - where will I find the time...

by Thomas B. Costain

The Plantagenets probably don't get as much attention as the Tudors and the Stuarts but this book covers the reign of the three Edwards and sheds some light on that dynasty. Very well done and a good addition for the British history lover.

Thanks for the add Jill.

This book may interest you Jill however it's not due for release for another few months:


The Plantagenets (no cover) by Dan Jones
Description:
Eight generations of the greatest and worst kings and queens that this country has ever seen – from the White Ship to the Lionheart, bad King John to the Black Prince and John of Gaunt – this is the dynasty that invented England as we still know it today – great history to appeal to readers of Ken Follet, Bernard Cornwell, Tom Holland

“Outstanding. Majestic in its sweep, compelling in its storytelling, this is narrative history at its best. A thrilling dynastic history of royal intrigues, violent skulduggery and brutal warfare across two centuries of British history.’ SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE

The Plantagenets inherited a bloodied, broken kingdom from the Normans, and set about expanding royal rule until it stretched at its largest from the Scottish lowlands to the Pyrenees, and from the Ireland to the foothills of the Holy Roman Empire. At the same time, they developed aspects of English law, government, architecture, art and folklore that survive to this day. Despite all this, and having reigned for twice as long as their eventual successors, the Tudors, the Plantagenets remain relatively unknown.

In this gripping, vivid new book, Dan Jones brings the Plantagenets and their world back to life. This is both an epic narrative history of the 'high' Middle Ages, and a spellbinding portrait of a family blessed and cursed in equal measure.

'The Plantagenets' sweeps from Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine's creation of a European empire to Richard the Lionheart's heroic Third Crusade and King John's humbling under Magna Carta. It explores the beginning of parliament under Henry III. It charts the fierce rule of Edward Longshanks, who conquered Wales and subdued Scotland but could never come to terms with his own son, the ill-fated Edward II. The book comes to an exciting climax in the age of chivalry, as Edward III saw England triumph in the Hundred Years War while plague stalked Europe, before the Black Prince and his beautiful princess Joan of Kent raised a son, Richard II, who would come to destroy the Plantagenet legacy. It is a compelling, fascinating journey through Britain's most spectacular age.

Reviews:
“Dan Jones’ The Plantagenets is outstanding. Majestic in its sweep, compelling in its storytelling, this is narrative history at its best. A thrilling dynastic history of royal intrigues, violent skulduggery and brutal warfare across two centuries of British history." - SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE, (author of Jerusalem: The Biography)

“The Plantagenets played a defining part in shaping the nation of England, and Dan Jones tells their fascinating story with wit, verve and vivid insight. This is exhilarating history – a fresh and gloriously compelling portrait of a brilliant, brutal and bloody-minded dynasty." - HELEN CASTOR, (author of She-Wolves)

Thanks, AR....looks interesting

For all you who are interested, the Spotlight Read of
by Sally Bedell Smith starts tomorrow. If you received an Advance Reader Edition, please join us but of course, all are welcome to participate.

Alisa wrote: "This looks interesting, recent release:

by Anne Sebba
One of Britain's most distinguished biograph..."

I really want to read this book, and have now added it to my shelf. For some reason, I am facinated with Wallis Simpson. Perhaps because she spent a lot of time here in South Florida?

Tami.....another book which gives some insight into the lives of Wallis Simpson and Duke of Windsor is:

by John Parker

It is not very flattering but I didn't feel it was particularly biased

Just saw this book on sale and snapped it up. The "Queen Mum", beloved by the British was an amazing woman and I am anxious to read more about her.

by William Shawcross

Well now that would be interesting, Jill - especially after Elizabeth the Queen.

Sally Bedell Smith

That's what I thought Becky. It should shed additional light on the royal family.

Jill wrote: "Just saw this book on sale and snapped it up. The "Queen Mum", beloved by the British was an amazing woman and I am anxious to read more about her..."

by William Shawcross

Jill this is a great book - I am sure you will enjoy it.

I should have figured that you had read it, Geevee!!! I had been looking at it for a long time and it was on sale for a good price, so I grabbed it. It goes on the TBR list with all the others.....it might be a good book to take to the beach this summer.

Jill wrote: "It goes on the TBR list with all the others.....it might be a good book to take to the beach this summer..."

If it's the hard cover copy then don't drop it as it may break soneone's foot :)

How true.....it is a trade paperback but still weighs a ton....but I do love long books.

The "Merry Monarch", Charles II, recaptured the throne after his father, Charles I was put to death, and the Restoration era began. This book shows that he may have been a little more complex than what history tells us and the author gives us an in-depth look at his life, his loves, and his foibles.

Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration (no cover available) by Antonia Fraser

You cannot go wrong reading a book by the great Christopher Hibbert and this is no exception. A biography of George IV, Hibbert covers all the aspects of the King's life...his exorbitant spending on his homes, clothes and his women; his patronage of the arts; and his "illegal" marriage to the Catholic Mrs. Fitzherbert. The author also reveals such lesser-known facts as his charitable donations and his command of the bon mot. Very well done and worth the read.

by Christopher Hibbert

A fascinating book about a woman whose life is shrouded in mystery and is seldom mentioned in British history.


Arbella: England's Lost Queen


by Sarah Gristwood

Synopsis
An extraordinary life lost in history: the compelling biography of Arbella Stuart spans both Tudor and Stuart courts and encompasses espionage, a clandestine marriage, imprisonment and eventual death in the Tower of London.

Arbella Stuart was the niece of Mary Queen of Scots and first cousin to James VI of Scotland. Acknowledged as her heir by Elizabeth 1, Arbella's right to the English throne was equaled only by James. Raised under close supervision by her grandmother, but still surrounded by plots -- most of them Roman Catholic in origin -- she became an important pawn in the struggle for succession, particularly during the long, tense period when Elizabeth lay dying. The accession of her cousin James thrust her into the colourful world of his extravagant and licentious court, and briefly gave her the independence she craved at the heart of Jacobean society. At thirty-five, however, Arbella's fate was sealed when she risked everything to make a forbidden marriage, for which she was forced to flee England. She was intercepted off the coast of Calais and escorted to the Tower where she died some years later, alone and, most probably, from starvation.

This is a powerful and vivid portrait of a woman forced to carve a precarious path through turbulent years. But more remarkably, the turmoil of Arbella's life never prevented her from claiming the right to love freely, to speak her wrongs loudly, and to control her own destiny. For fans of historical biography, Arbella is possibly the most romantic heroine of them all. Hers was a story just waiting to be told.

Edward III, the Plantagenet king is considered as the "founder" of England and his reforms are still in place in modern times.

The Perfect King.

by Ian Mortimer

Synopsis

King for fifty years (1327—77), Edward III changed the face of England. He ordered his uncle to be beheaded; he usurped his father’s throne; he started a war which lasted for more than a hundred years, and taxed his people more than any other previous king. Yet for centuries, Edward III was celebrated as the most brilliant king England had ever had.

In this first full study of the man, Ian Mortimer shows how Edward personally provided the impetus for much of the drama of his reign. Edward overcame the tyranny of his guardians at the age of seventeen and then set about developing a new form of awe-inspiring chivalric kingship. Under him the feudal kingdom of England became a highly organized, sophisticated nation, capable of raising large revenues and, without question, the most important military nation in Europe. Yet under his rule England also experienced its longest period of domestic peace in the Middle Ages, giving rise to a massive increase in the nation’s wealth through the wool trade, with huge consequences for society, art and architecture. It is to Edward that England owes its system of parliamentary representation, local justice system and the English language as “the tongue of the nation.”

As the King who re-made England and forged a nation out of war, Edward III emerges as the father of the English nation.

Last year my wife was involved with the semi-annual American Furniture Market and for a few days she assisted Lady Henrietta Spencer Churchill the daughter of the 11th Duke of Marlborough. Her 2nd cousin is Mary, Lady Soames the daughter of Sir Winston Churchill. Henrietta was an invited special guest at the show to promote elegant interior decorating and also sign copies of her books that are great for reading as well as coffee table use.

On one afternoon my wife drove Henrietta around in our utility vehicle to pick up some basic hardware for displays. Henrietta rode in the passenger seat, which is also our Gordon Setter’s favorite seat. She inquired as to what caused the smudges on the windshield in front of her. My wife explained they were nose prints left from our Scottish dog and Henrietta fully enjoyed that piece of information!

by Henrietta Spencer-Churchill

What fun, Mark and a great opportunity to make a Churchill connections, albeit three generations removed. I would have probably asked her a million questions and made a fool of myself since I am a fan of the great man. I'm sure your wife was much more restrained!

My wife loves conversation and when you add shopping to the mission, even for hardware and picture hanging material, she was having a wonderful time.

A quick reference of the British rulers from the time of the Normans.

Timeline of the Kings and Queens who have ruled England, Wales and (from the time of James I) Scotland.

Ruling Houses of England
from 1066 to 1603

The Normans
(1066 - 1154)

Plantagenets
1154-1216

The House of Lancaster
(1399 - 1461)

The House of York
(1461 - 1485)

The Tudors
(1485 -1603)

Ruling Houses of the United Kingdom
from 1603 to the present day

The Stuarts
(1603 - 1649) (1660 - 1714)

The House of Hanoverians
(1714 -1901)

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and The Windsors
(1901 -1910) (1910 - Today)


The only time when there was no King or Queen in Britain was when the country was a republic between 1649 and 1660. (In 1649 King Charles I was executed and Britain became a Republic for eleven years. The monarchy was restored in 1660.)

Rulers of Each Dynasty

The Normans
(1066 - 1154)

King William I, the Conqueror 1066 - 1087
King Henry I 1100 - 1135
King Stephen 1135 - 1154
Empress Matilda 1141

Plantagenets
(1154 - 1399)

King Henry II 1154 - 1189
King Richard I the Lionheart 1189 - 1199
King John 1 1199 - 1216

King Henry III 1216 - 1272
King Edward I 1272 - 1307
King Edward II 1307 - 1327
King Edward III 1327 - 1377
Richard II 1377 - 1399

The House of Lancaster
(1399 - 1461)

Henry IV 1399 - 1413
Henry V 1413 - 1422
Henry VI 1422 - 1461, 1470 - 1471

The House of York
(1461 - 1485)

King Edward IV 1461 -1470, 1471 - 1483
King Edward V 1483 - 1483
King Richard III 1483 - 1485

The Tudors
(1485 -1603)

King Henry VII 1485 - 1509
King Henry VIII 1509 - 1547
King Edward VI 1547 - 1553
Jane Grey 1554
Queen Mary I (Bloody Mary) 1553 - 1558
Queen Elizabeth I 1558 - 1603

The Stuarts
(1603 - 1649) (1660 - 1714)

James I 1603 - 1625
Charles I 1625 - 1649
Charles II 1660 - 1685
James II 1685 - 1688
William III 1688 - 1702 and Queen Mary II 1688 - 1694
Queen Anne 1702 - 1714

The House of Hanoverians
(1714 -1901)

King George I 1714 - 1727
King George II 1727 - 1760
King George III 1760 - 1820
King George IV 1820 - 1830
King William IV 1830 - 1837
Queen Victoria 1837 - 1901

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and The Windsors
(1901 -1910) (1910 - Today)

King Edward VII 1901 - 1910
King George V 1910 - 1936
King Edward VIII June 1936
King George VI 1936 - 1952
Queen Elizabeth II 1952 - present

Jill wrote: "A quick reference of the British rulers from the time of the Normans.

Timeline of the Kings and Queens who have ruled England, Wales and (from the time of James I) Scotland.

Ruling Houses of Engl..."

Thank you! You have no idea how confused I get with this.

It certainly is, G. but I hope this helps keep it all straight.

Sorry for the typo (which I've corrected). I've copied and pasted for my records, and I hope you don't mind. The list is invaluable.

I made a typo in the list which I corrected so don't feel bad!!!! Glad it is helpful to you.

The Houses of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

by John R. Clarke

Synopsis

Beginning with the reign of George I, this volume goes on to discuss the life and rule of Queen Victoria, whose seventy years on the throne saw the zenith of Britain's power abroad and a changing world at home.
With contributions by specialist authors and contemporary illustrations of royal heraldry and coats of arms, the author has edited a definitive and entertaining history of one of the most powerful monarchies in the world.

My pleasure,Anna. I find the monarchy fascinating.

One of the great mysteries in the history of the British monarchy.


The Princes in the Tower

by Elizabeth Jenkins

Synopsis
A landmark look at one the most heartrending, tragic acts in British history: the murder of two defenseless young princes in the Tower of London by their uncle, King Richard III. Written by the bestselling author of Elizabeth the Great, it uses contemporary scientific research to examine what really happened. Was Richard a cold-blooded, villainous killer? How did political events of the time affect the king's behavior? Truly compelling.

HRH Queen Elizabeth II has entered the hospital for observation and treatment of a "stomach virus". Best wishes and a speedy recovery.

Sounds like what I had a couple of weeks ago - not fun. It is going around like crazy and I am surprised that the Queen was not susceptible to this bug earlier. Quite the epidemic in England at the beginning of January.

I do hope she keeps hydrated and gets the best of care which I am sure she is getting.

This is certainly a different take on the life of the rather bland King George V. Some of the information has some credence but the author goes off the rails a bit in parts. An interesting read.

Darling Georgie: The Enigma of King George V

by Dennis Friedman (no photo)

Synopsis:

History depicts King George V as a model husband, a near-perfect father, and a self-confident monarch. Dr. Freidman's insightful study of his personal life reveals a very different picture. Freidman persuasively argues that the psychologically damaging upbringing to which Georgie was subjected profoundly affected his later life and that the effects of this are still evident in today's Royal Family. A suffocating relationship with his mother, Princess Alexandra, compounded by the absence and neglect of his father, caused him to suffer extreme separation anxiety as a child, which was reinforced by his being sent away to boarding school at the age of eleven and then into the Navy.Friedman examines the effects of this rigid and traditional royal upbringing on his sexual development, on his marriage to Princess Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary), and on his subsequent years on the throne: "Is the real George the tormented man who concealed his true self -- or the right-minded monarch whose misguided attempts to make 'men' of his sons David (Edward VIII) and Bertie (George VI) sowed the seeds not only of their unhappiness but of the catastrophic misalliance of Prince Charles and Princess Diana?

I really enjoyed the book on the Queen Mum by Shawcross. He clearly had access to a lot of information not commonly available to others.

Yes, it was good, Pam. It was long but so was her life.

A very complete and interesting biography of Queen Mary, daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Known as "Bloody Mary", she has gotten a bad reputation over the centuries but was she as evil as she has been portrayed. This book answers many of those questions.

Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen

by Anna Whitelock (no photo)

Synopsis:
She was the first woman to inherit the throne of England, a key player in one of Britain’s stormiest eras, and a leader whose unwavering faith and swift retribution earned her the nickname “Bloody Mary.” Now, in this impassioned and absorbing debut, historian Anna Whitelock offers a modern perspective on Mary Tudor and sets the record straight once and for all on one of history’s most compelling and maligned rulers.

Though often overshadowed by her long-reigning sister, Elizabeth I, Mary lived a life full of defiance, despair, and triumph. Born the daughter of the notorious King Henry VIII and the Spanish Katherine of Aragon, young Mary was a princess in every sense of the word—schooled in regal customs, educated by the best scholars, coveted by European royalty, and betrothed before she had reached the age of three. Yet in a decade’s time, in the wake of King Henry’s break with the pope, she was declared a bastard, disinherited, and demoted from “princess” to “lady.” Ever her deeply devout mother’s daughter, Mary refused to accept her new status or to recognize Henry’s new wife, Anne Boleyn, as queen. The fallout with her father and his counselors nearly destroyed the teenage Mary, who faced imprisonment and even death.
It would be an outright battle for Mary to work herself back into the king’s favor, claim her rightful place in the Tudor line, and ultimately become queen of England, but her coronation would not end her struggles. She flouted the opposition and married Philip of Spain, sought to restore Catholicism to the nation, and fiercely punished the resistance. But beneath her brave and regal exterior was a dependent woman prone to anxiety, whose private traumas of phantom pregnancies, debilitating illnesses, and unrequited love played out in the public glare of the fickle court.

Anna Whitelock, an acclaimed young British historian, chronicles this unique woman’s life from her beginnings as a heralded princess to her rivalry with her sister to her ascent as ruler. In brilliant detail, Whitelock reveals that Mary Tudor was not the weak-willed failure as so often rendered by traditional narratives but a complex figure of immense courage, determination, and humanity

Due out later this year:

Daughter of Empire: My Life as a Mountbatten

by Pamela Hicks (no photo)

Synopsis:

A magical memoir about a singular childhood in England and India by the daughter of Lord Louis and Edwina Mountbatten

Few families can boast of not one but two saints among their ancestors, a great-aunt who was the last tsarina of Russia, a father who was Grace Kelly’s pinup, and a grandmother who was not only a princess but could also argue the finer points of naval law. Pamela Mountbatten entered a remarkable family when she was born at the very end of the Roaring Twenties.

As the younger daughter of the glamorous heiress Edwina Ashley and Lord Louis Mountbatten, Pamela spent much of her early life with her sister, nannies, and servants—and a menagerie that included, at different times, a bear, two wallabies, a mongoose, and a lion. Her parents each had lovers who lived openly with the family. The house was always full of guests like Sir Winston Churchill, Noël Coward, Douglas Fairbanks, and the Duchess of Windsor (who brought a cold cooked chicken as a hostess gift).

When World War II broke out, Lord Mountbatten was in command of HMS Kelly before being appointed chief of Combined Operations, and Pamela and her sister were sent to live on Fifth Avenue in New York City with Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt. In 1947, her parents were appointed to be the last viceroy and vicereine of India and oversee the transfer of power to an independent Indian government. Amid the turmoil of political change, Pamela worked with student leaders, developed warm friendships with Gandhi and Nehru, and witnessed both the joy of Independence Day and its terrible aftermath. Soon afterwards, she was a bridesmaid in Princess Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip, and was a ladyin- waiting at the young princess’s side when she learned her father had died and she was queen.

Vivid and engaging, well-paced and superbly detailed, this witty, intimate memoir is an enchanting lens through which to view the early part of the twentieth century.

That sounds like a good book, Alisa. The Mountbatten family was interesting to say the least.
Here is another book that would be a precursor to the one you mentioned.

The Mountbattens: The Last Royal Success Story

by Alden Hatch(no photo)

Synopsis:

This book covers the life of three of the Battenburgs or as they were known after 1917, the Mountbattens.; Prince Louis, Lord Louis (popularly known as Dickie) and Prince Phillip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. They were controversial, dashing, handsome, and generally considered "dangerous" by the government and peers of the Realm. But they were successful, making good marriages and were a power to be reckoned with by all with whom they were involved. An interesting look at a family that were instrumental in the Empire and beyond.

I'll have to put these one on my to-read list. Both books look really fascinating! Also entered the Goodreads giveaway for the book you mentioned, Alisa.