Tuesday, August 16, 2016

The Royal Nanny by Karen Harper



The Royal Nanny by Karen Harper


The Royal Nanny by Karen Harper

Synopsis from Goodreads: Based on a seldom-told true story, this novel is perfect for everyone who is fascinated by Britain’s royal family—a behind the scenes look into the nurseries of little princes and the foibles of big princes.

April, 1897: A young nanny arrives at Sandringham, ancestral estate of the Duke and Duchess of York. She is excited, exhausted—and about to meet royalty. . . .

So begins the unforgettable story of Charlotte Bill, who would care for a generation of royals as their parents never could. Neither Charlotte—LaLa, as her charges dub her—nor anyone else can predict that eldest sons David and Bertie will each one day be king. LaLa knows only that these children, and the four who swiftly follow, need her steadfast loyalty and unconditional affection.

But the greatest impact on Charlotte’s life is made by a mere bud on the family tree: a misunderstood soul who will one day be known as the Lost Prince. Young Prince John needs all of Lala’s love—the kind of love his parents won’t…or can’t…show him.

From Britain’s old wealth to the glittering excesses of Tsarist Russia; from country cottages to royal yachts, and from nursery to ballroom, Charlotte Bill witnesses history. The Royal Nanny is a seamless blend of fact and fiction—an intensely intimate, yet epic tale spanning decades, continents, and divides that only love can cross.


My Review:
I really enjoyed this book, I know I had heard of Lala before, I believe it was in The Kings Speech so it was neat to see this family from her perspective.
Of course we all know who David and Bertie are but there were a few royals I knew nothing about not only Prince John or Johnnie as he was known but I also knew very little about Queen Alexandra and King Edward so this was a very interesting glimpse into their lives and the lives of their family.

Charlotte Bill or Lala as the boys dubbed her came to the household at a very opportune time and was able to save the boys from a nanny that wasn’t good to them at all. She became indispensable to the family and helped David & Bertie immensely in recovering from the trauma. Lala stayed with the family through 3 more children and until the all the children had grown she took special care of Johnnie who had epilepsy and possibly was somewhere on the autism spectrum, and in that day and age that he wasn’t carted away after his first seizure says so much about the wonderful Lala and the care she gave these children.

This was such an interesting look at the Windsor’s home life from 2 kings before Bertie and the mess with David, I found it interesting that David even as a boy had no interest in being King and was a womanizer even during the 1st World War. When he was barely 21. Also since the majority of this book takes place before 1918 there were royal visits from their cousins the Tsar & Tsarina and their beautiful girls and even little Alexey it was sad because of knowing what happens to them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end and thought the author did a great job of combining the fiction with the real and melding them into a great story. This is my first book by this author and I would definitely read another historical fiction by her.

4 Stars


Here are a few Links I found interesting after reading this book

The Authors website with some pictures and some more back ground


The Gold Dress Alexandra wore to the Coronation in 1902

And This Video

Prince John: The Windsors Tragic Secret