What do you think?
Rate this book
War of the Windsors: The Inside Story of Charles, Andrew and the Rivalry That Has Defined the Royal Family
Telling the story of their lives from children to modern day, this fascinating and revelatory new book will look at the fraught relationship (and fiery rivalry) between King Charles and Prince Andrew. Raised for vastly different futures, one burdened with the responsibility of becoming the future king and the other destined to live in his shadow, Charles and Andrew have spent their lives on different sides of the same coin. War of the Windsors tells, for the first time, the complete story of Charles and Andrew from their diverging childhoods to their current struggles. It looks at the distinct but overlapping stories of the two heirs, from being separated in their early years and the Queen's supposed overindulgence of Andrew to the competition for Lady Diana and finally, Charles' ascension to throne while his brother is stripped of Royal duties. And it explores whether, with the scandals around Andrew still fresh in public memory, Charles will ever let his brother back into the family. With extensive research and expert sourcing, War of the Windsors is the incredible inside story of a family in turmoil. Recounting the highs and lows of a brotherhood then turned into a rivalry, royal author and journalist Nigel Cawthorne looks at the makings of a decades long feud and questions whether, ultimately, the brothers will one day band together again.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 31, 2023
67 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Nigel Cawthorne
316 books124 followersNigel Cawthorne is an Anglo-American writer of fiction and non-fiction, and an editor. He has written more than 80 books on a wide range of subjects and has contributed to The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph Daily Mail and The New York Times. He has appeared on television and BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Many of Nigel Cawthorne's books are compilations of popular history, without footnotes, references or bibliographies. His own web site refers to a description of his home as a "book-writing factory" and says, "More than half my books were commissioned by publishers and packagers for a flat fee or for a for a reduced royalty".
One of his most notable works was Taking Back My Name, an autobiography of Ike Turner, with whom he spent a number of weeks working with him on, taking up residence in Turner's house. The book caused much controversy, resulting in court cases for three years following its release.
Cawthorne currently lives in Bloomsbury, London with his girlfriend and son, Colin (born 1982).
Many of Nigel Cawthorne's books are compilations of popular history, without footnotes, references or bibliographies. His own web site refers to a description of his home as a "book-writing factory" and says, "More than half my books were commissioned by publishers and packagers for a flat fee or for a for a reduced royalty".
One of his most notable works was Taking Back My Name, an autobiography of Ike Turner, with whom he spent a number of weeks working with him on, taking up residence in Turner's house. The book caused much controversy, resulting in court cases for three years following its release.
Cawthorne currently lives in Bloomsbury, London with his girlfriend and son, Colin (born 1982).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 19, 2023
This isn't half bad.
Mostly accurate info.
Slightly boring.
Both men are treated like embarrassing specimens of an outdated and unnecessary institution.
This isn't really royalist in tone.
Mostly accurate info.
Slightly boring.
Both men are treated like embarrassing specimens of an outdated and unnecessary institution.
This isn't really royalist in tone.
January 8, 2025
The start was awful, the end was awful, the middle was mildly entertaining.
Cawthorne’s writing is certainly engaging, and he excelled in portraying a dramatised series of events, presenting the royal family akin to a soap opera. Unlike many non-fictions, it was rare for me to glaze over, and I did occasionally titter at Cawthorne’s dry humour and sarcasm. However, that’s where the positive aspects end.
Right at the beginning, an incredibly reductive account of previous British monarchs and their purported ‘sibling rivalries’ is littered with inaccuracies. I cannot speak to the accuracy of the rest of the book, but the beginning does not fill me with hope that it is entirely truthful.
Throughout, Cawthorne gives an unnecessary amount of detail to descriptions of individuals who had, at most, a minuscule role in the story he was attempting to tell; all the while, he glazed over arguably more important (and personally, more interesting) figures and events.
Probably the most heinous crime this book commits is the misleading title - this is hardly a recount of a brutal sibling rivalry. At most, this is a parallel biography of the two princes. The ‘War of the Windsors’ is perhaps a spot of contentiousness over childhood achievements, and Charles’ subsequent reluctance for the royal family to be associated with an accused sex offender.
This book is not what it says on the tin. The blurb quotes Lady Victoria Hervey (who is mentioned no more than thrice in the book, playing a very minor role): ‘… as soon as the Queen is gone, the daggers are out.’ There are no daggers, and certainly no wars, in this book.
Cawthorne’s writing is certainly engaging, and he excelled in portraying a dramatised series of events, presenting the royal family akin to a soap opera. Unlike many non-fictions, it was rare for me to glaze over, and I did occasionally titter at Cawthorne’s dry humour and sarcasm. However, that’s where the positive aspects end.
Right at the beginning, an incredibly reductive account of previous British monarchs and their purported ‘sibling rivalries’ is littered with inaccuracies. I cannot speak to the accuracy of the rest of the book, but the beginning does not fill me with hope that it is entirely truthful.
Throughout, Cawthorne gives an unnecessary amount of detail to descriptions of individuals who had, at most, a minuscule role in the story he was attempting to tell; all the while, he glazed over arguably more important (and personally, more interesting) figures and events.
Probably the most heinous crime this book commits is the misleading title - this is hardly a recount of a brutal sibling rivalry. At most, this is a parallel biography of the two princes. The ‘War of the Windsors’ is perhaps a spot of contentiousness over childhood achievements, and Charles’ subsequent reluctance for the royal family to be associated with an accused sex offender.
This book is not what it says on the tin. The blurb quotes Lady Victoria Hervey (who is mentioned no more than thrice in the book, playing a very minor role): ‘… as soon as the Queen is gone, the daggers are out.’ There are no daggers, and certainly no wars, in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
lackluster and inflammatory title that didn’t deliver
This book was incredibly boring and really was two biographies that overlapped and much was nonsense that has been rehashed to death. There wasn’t anything new or refreshing .
This book was incredibly boring and really was two biographies that overlapped and much was nonsense that has been rehashed to death. There wasn’t anything new or refreshing .
July 12, 2025
It's more like two biographies in parallel. Neither of them are shown in a good light, and it's not the most entertaining biography I've ever read.
January 20, 2025
I had high hopes for this book, but was somewhat disappointed. It's more of a dual biography of the protagonists, than an examination of any "war" between them. Secondly, there are a lot of factual errors e.g. stating that Charles and Camilla married on 8th April (the wedding was put back a day, owing to the funeral of Pope John Paul II) and that Camilla was a Catholic. Camilla was never Catholic, although her first husband was.
September 21, 2023
Well, this was a refreshing book, the first book about the Royal Family that I have read in recent times that a) tells as they are – no whitewashing b) doesn’t sink the boot into Harry and Meghan and c) doesn’t try and erase Diana from the Royal Family. Nigel Cawthorne is brave enough to give us a very honest view of both Prince Charles (I will refer to him as that as this was written before he became king) and Prince Andrew, no gushing or whitewashing, just detailed descriptions of how they have lived their lives.
While I do have some slight sympathy for Prince Charles, after his early upbringing and school years, however he hasn’t grown as a person or learnt from that. Rather by surrounding himself with yes men and sycophants, he has only exacerbated his isolation and sense of entitlement. This was something that Diana tried to change, with little effect. Camilla doesn’t come out too well either, content to ignore the worst of Prince Charles’s behaviour.
As to Prince Andrew, what can you really say, but once a sleaze, always a sleaze. While he did perform his duties in the Falklands War with heroism and bravery, that was the highlight of his life, over 40 years ago. It has been a downhill slide since then.
Nigel Cawthorne uses public records, no secret interviews with “unnamed royal sources” unless they are already on the public records. The book flows smoothly between the 2 brothers, although there are a couple of instances where it isn’t real clear which prince Nigel Cawthorne is talking about., but overall a good attempt to present a clear picture of not only Prince Charles and Prince Andrew but the whole Royal Family.
I think that the Queen was a victim of the regimental, strict household of Buckingham Palace and that both men are also victims of that, however, there is no real indication that wither of them have made any real attempts to break away from that. This is sad, because Prince Charles, as the only parent at an early age of 2 young vulnerable boys, had a big influence on both William and Harry, with the dramatic results we have seen.
Two things that struck me about this book and the actions and behaviours of both princes. Firstly, if Harry and Meghan had done even 1/3 of what either Prince Charles or Prince Andrew had done, they would have been absolutely crucified by the Press, even more than they were. Secondly, Harry and Meghan DID NOT get paid for their Oprah interview as Nigel Cawthorne claims. Oprah would not have allowed either of them to get away with saying that it if wasn’t true, she has her reputation to uphold.
It wasn’t a great book, but it was an interesting read nonetheless, chatty, and informative, without trying to show how much “insider info” Nigel Cawthorne had.
While I do have some slight sympathy for Prince Charles, after his early upbringing and school years, however he hasn’t grown as a person or learnt from that. Rather by surrounding himself with yes men and sycophants, he has only exacerbated his isolation and sense of entitlement. This was something that Diana tried to change, with little effect. Camilla doesn’t come out too well either, content to ignore the worst of Prince Charles’s behaviour.
As to Prince Andrew, what can you really say, but once a sleaze, always a sleaze. While he did perform his duties in the Falklands War with heroism and bravery, that was the highlight of his life, over 40 years ago. It has been a downhill slide since then.
Nigel Cawthorne uses public records, no secret interviews with “unnamed royal sources” unless they are already on the public records. The book flows smoothly between the 2 brothers, although there are a couple of instances where it isn’t real clear which prince Nigel Cawthorne is talking about., but overall a good attempt to present a clear picture of not only Prince Charles and Prince Andrew but the whole Royal Family.
I think that the Queen was a victim of the regimental, strict household of Buckingham Palace and that both men are also victims of that, however, there is no real indication that wither of them have made any real attempts to break away from that. This is sad, because Prince Charles, as the only parent at an early age of 2 young vulnerable boys, had a big influence on both William and Harry, with the dramatic results we have seen.
Two things that struck me about this book and the actions and behaviours of both princes. Firstly, if Harry and Meghan had done even 1/3 of what either Prince Charles or Prince Andrew had done, they would have been absolutely crucified by the Press, even more than they were. Secondly, Harry and Meghan DID NOT get paid for their Oprah interview as Nigel Cawthorne claims. Oprah would not have allowed either of them to get away with saying that it if wasn’t true, she has her reputation to uphold.
It wasn’t a great book, but it was an interesting read nonetheless, chatty, and informative, without trying to show how much “insider info” Nigel Cawthorne had.
February 1, 2025
I regularly receive books about the British Royal Family from family in the UK. One of these is the book “War of the Windsors”.
The book takes a look at the lives and rivalry between the two brothers of the British Royal Family: Charles and Andrew. Charles did not receive the love and attention that Andrew did when he was growing up. Which will undoubtedly have to do with the fact that there is a considerable age difference between Charles and Andrew. Add to that the fact that at the time that Charles was in diapers, Elizabeth soon became queen. With Andrew she had mastered that well and was able to make more time for the younger children…
This book covers their upbringing, marriages and divorces and their current lives and everything that happened in between. Of course, things that shook the monarchy in the UK are also discussed. Think of: Transcripts of Squishy Gate and Camilla Gate (the tapped telephone conversations of both Diana and Charles with their flings). These are painful accounts of the telephone conversations that caused scandals. The Maxwell debacle in which Andrew got caught up is also not missing.
A book that reads quite smoothly, but sometimes also gives a bit of annoyance. As a reader, you get the feeling that author Nigel Cawthorne dislikes both Charles and Andrew. The negative aspects of the lives of Charles and Andrew therefore predominate. Both Charles and Andrew come across as arrogant, rude, clumsy, with a lack of judgement when it comes to people and things. Too bad because there is undoubtedly enough positive to say about both gentlemen. My advice is therefore: Read and form your own opinion.
The title of the book is also debatable. Not really the war of the Windsors… more an overview of the lives of two brothers, who are completely different from each other. Just like in every family, there will be a brotherly fight or quarrel now and then.
There are certainly more points of criticism: It is noticeable that there are many basic errors in the book. A layman will certainly not notice this, but the seasoned royalty expert will certainly notice it. I can’t name them all, but there are enough. The book is therefore on the level of a gossip magazine in my eyes. Too bad the author or editor of the publisher didn’t check the facts on Wikipedia, to name a few.
In summary: I am always happy when I receive a book as a gift from the family, especially because it expands the collection of royal books. The content can be disputed later. In my eyes, the content was disappointing and mainly negative. Yes, I expected a bit more.
The book takes a look at the lives and rivalry between the two brothers of the British Royal Family: Charles and Andrew. Charles did not receive the love and attention that Andrew did when he was growing up. Which will undoubtedly have to do with the fact that there is a considerable age difference between Charles and Andrew. Add to that the fact that at the time that Charles was in diapers, Elizabeth soon became queen. With Andrew she had mastered that well and was able to make more time for the younger children…
This book covers their upbringing, marriages and divorces and their current lives and everything that happened in between. Of course, things that shook the monarchy in the UK are also discussed. Think of: Transcripts of Squishy Gate and Camilla Gate (the tapped telephone conversations of both Diana and Charles with their flings). These are painful accounts of the telephone conversations that caused scandals. The Maxwell debacle in which Andrew got caught up is also not missing.
A book that reads quite smoothly, but sometimes also gives a bit of annoyance. As a reader, you get the feeling that author Nigel Cawthorne dislikes both Charles and Andrew. The negative aspects of the lives of Charles and Andrew therefore predominate. Both Charles and Andrew come across as arrogant, rude, clumsy, with a lack of judgement when it comes to people and things. Too bad because there is undoubtedly enough positive to say about both gentlemen. My advice is therefore: Read and form your own opinion.
The title of the book is also debatable. Not really the war of the Windsors… more an overview of the lives of two brothers, who are completely different from each other. Just like in every family, there will be a brotherly fight or quarrel now and then.
There are certainly more points of criticism: It is noticeable that there are many basic errors in the book. A layman will certainly not notice this, but the seasoned royalty expert will certainly notice it. I can’t name them all, but there are enough. The book is therefore on the level of a gossip magazine in my eyes. Too bad the author or editor of the publisher didn’t check the facts on Wikipedia, to name a few.
In summary: I am always happy when I receive a book as a gift from the family, especially because it expands the collection of royal books. The content can be disputed later. In my eyes, the content was disappointing and mainly negative. Yes, I expected a bit more.
November 17, 2024
3.75 ★ audiobook⎮ I'm finishing this book quite a bit more disgruntled than I was while reading the majority of it. I try to avoid clearly biased, "mud-slinging" type books about the Royals and I thought I had found something thoroughly researched and objective in this one. But unfortunately, the author was unable to maintain his composure while writing and it feels as though his narrative unravel as the book moves along.
Towards the end, Cawthorne dispenses with any pretense of objectivity and the whole thing devolves into a long-winded "Princes bad, Queen good" narrative. If that's the entirety of the stance you're looking for, take a stab at this. But if you're seeking something deeper, go ahead and pass.
If I had known this beforehand, I never would have bothered picking this up. :/
Towards the end, Cawthorne dispenses with any pretense of objectivity and the whole thing devolves into a long-winded "Princes bad, Queen good" narrative. If that's the entirety of the stance you're looking for, take a stab at this. But if you're seeking something deeper, go ahead and pass.
If I had known this beforehand, I never would have bothered picking this up. :/
December 8, 2023
This is a look at the lives and rivalry between the two brothers of the British royal family. Charles didn't receive the love and attention Andrew did when growing up. Andrew had always been the Queen's favorite and it was undoubtedly difficult for her to deal with the mess he got himself into the last few years. This book covers their upbringing, marriages and divorces and their current lives. Lots of behind the scenes dish is included. Transcripts of Squishy gate and Camilla gate are included. Those are painful renderings of the call tapes that caused scandals. A number of stories about Charles' charities is covered as well as the Maxwell debacle that ensnared Andrew. Learned a few things I didn't know. Narration is excellent and listening to this made time fly by.
January 21, 2024
Don't bother. You'll learn more and find more accurate information by spending an hour or two going down a rabbit hole on Wikipedia and/or the archives of People Magazine. In many places I wish the author or his editor had bothered fact checking against Wikipedia since there were so many errors of basic facts it became clear early on that the book wasn't credible. Fortunately, anyone looking for a scandalous expose of the British royal family that's at least at the Us Weekly level of credibly rather than National Enquirer level is spoiled for choice. (If you're looking for something sympathetic to the royals, you're looking on the wrong shelf entirely!) Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time and/or money on this one.
April 20, 2025
Mostly all what we knew regarding Charles and showing prince Andrew as the playboy, obnoxious short tempered villain that we know him as spending ludicrous money on travel and mixing with shady characters not the best I have read but not bad . The royals will always be a controversial subject but at the same time they give royal gossip for those really interested to read biographies such as this one I would say it's ...,. interesting 🤔
November 4, 2023
Good and entertaining read that perhaps suffers a bit from the obvious dislike the author has for both princes (Andrew in particular, unsurprisingly) but nonetheless I enjoyed the book and found it informative and thought-provoking in many ways, especially as pertains to the respective upbringings of the royal siblings. Some eye-opening moments there.
July 13, 2025
Desde luego que mal resultado han dado los dos hijos mayores de la maravillosa Reina Isabel II
A pesar del ejemplo tan maravilloso que ella ha dejado durante su reinado los hijos no han sabido seguir su ejemplo.
Pero la monarquía inglesa sigue en pié y goza de buena salud.
El pueblo no ha dicho nada y no les ha penalizado.
A pesar del ejemplo tan maravilloso que ella ha dejado durante su reinado los hijos no han sabido seguir su ejemplo.
Pero la monarquía inglesa sigue en pié y goza de buena salud.
El pueblo no ha dicho nada y no les ha penalizado.
April 18, 2024
Fantastic title but sadly without any worthiness. There were no new stories in this book; all has been previously reported. There were sadly no war of words as I had been expecting. Left wondering what it was all about.
August 11, 2024
This book confirms what a majority of the world already knows...how spoiled and rotten these two men are. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II left such a great legacy for their country and the commonwealth but unfortunately the Queen's two eldest sons will not follow in her footsteps. This book really digs down deep as to why these two are under so much well deserved scrutiny!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
April 22, 2025I’m not sure how much is fact and how much is fiction, but I treated it as a fictional novel of a fictional monarchy, and it was decently entertaining.
November 7, 2025
The more I read about the Royals, the more I wonder why the British people put up with them.
December 2, 2025
I thought the book was rather badly written but entertaining enough. Paints a very bad picture of both brothers. I think William is going to be the only saviour of the monarchy.
October 26, 2023
Well written but sometimes it appears Mr Cawthorne allows his personal dislike of the people he's writing about to colour his writing.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews