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
