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Georgetown Studies in Intelligence History
Crown, Cloak, and Dagger: The British Monarchy and Secret Intelligence from Victoria to Elizabeth II
Surprising revelations about the active role of the monarch in British intelligence
The British Royal Family and the intelligence community are two of the most mysterious and mythologized actors of the British State. Crown, Cloak, and Dagger offers a new history of how the two have been inextricably linked from the reign of Queen Victoria to the present.
Richard J. Aldrich and Rory Cormac unveil a wealth of archival detail that changes our understanding of the role of the monarch in politics, intelligence, and international relations. Successive queens and kings have all played an active role in steering British intelligence, sometimes against the wishes of prime ministers. Even today, the monarch receives "copy No. 1" of every intelligence report. Attempted assassinations and kidnappings, the abdication crisis, world wars and the Cold War, and the death of Princess Diana are just some of the topics covered in the book.
Fascinating and fast-paced, Crown, Cloak, and Dagger demonstrates that the British monarch continues to be far more than a figurehead. This book will inform as well as entertain anyone with an interest in history, espionage, and the royals.
The British Royal Family and the intelligence community are two of the most mysterious and mythologized actors of the British State. Crown, Cloak, and Dagger offers a new history of how the two have been inextricably linked from the reign of Queen Victoria to the present.
Richard J. Aldrich and Rory Cormac unveil a wealth of archival detail that changes our understanding of the role of the monarch in politics, intelligence, and international relations. Successive queens and kings have all played an active role in steering British intelligence, sometimes against the wishes of prime ministers. Even today, the monarch receives "copy No. 1" of every intelligence report. Attempted assassinations and kidnappings, the abdication crisis, world wars and the Cold War, and the death of Princess Diana are just some of the topics covered in the book.
Fascinating and fast-paced, Crown, Cloak, and Dagger demonstrates that the British monarch continues to be far more than a figurehead. This book will inform as well as entertain anyone with an interest in history, espionage, and the royals.
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First published September 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 25, 2024
The real red pill is figuring out who actually created this "Matrix" that we live in. Is it the fascists or the communists, as George Orwell would like to have us believe? Or are they the usual suspects all along, the people with the money and power?
Ockham would likely indict his homeland, choosing the latter out of its obviousness and its simplicity. Even without the illiberalism of the 20th century, the world was hardly full of freedom and liberty in the west, even for its own citizens. The very concept of true freedom is a new one, as most of Europe was still dominated by monarchal rule in the 19th century.
As I continue my research into British intelligence, this book has been helpful in framing how it started and what their motivations were. As all stories about capitalism, it started at the top, with Queen Victoria and her spies on the continent that maintained England's century of "splendid isolation", or war with another western power from 1815-1902, until Germany's ascent required a more formal espionage network, with the SIS/MI6/Mi5.
The chapter on the Bolsheviks confirms that British intelligence had correspondence with Leon Trotsky at Brest-Livotsk, though it wouldn't entertain any other speculation about Lenin/Stalin beyond that point, telling the tale rather of how MI6 attempted to rescue the Romanovs. As many have suggested Trotsky may have been involved not only with the Nazis and the Japanese, but also with Lenin's attempted assassination with MI6, I continue to search for corroborating evidence.
The latter half of the book is not as interesting, mostly about security and safety for the Royals as the British Empire is in decline, and an interesting summary of the Princess Diana saga. But a decent overall read, though of course, pro-England in character, so it gets docked a star.
Ockham would likely indict his homeland, choosing the latter out of its obviousness and its simplicity. Even without the illiberalism of the 20th century, the world was hardly full of freedom and liberty in the west, even for its own citizens. The very concept of true freedom is a new one, as most of Europe was still dominated by monarchal rule in the 19th century.
As I continue my research into British intelligence, this book has been helpful in framing how it started and what their motivations were. As all stories about capitalism, it started at the top, with Queen Victoria and her spies on the continent that maintained England's century of "splendid isolation", or war with another western power from 1815-1902, until Germany's ascent required a more formal espionage network, with the SIS/MI6/Mi5.
The chapter on the Bolsheviks confirms that British intelligence had correspondence with Leon Trotsky at Brest-Livotsk, though it wouldn't entertain any other speculation about Lenin/Stalin beyond that point, telling the tale rather of how MI6 attempted to rescue the Romanovs. As many have suggested Trotsky may have been involved not only with the Nazis and the Japanese, but also with Lenin's attempted assassination with MI6, I continue to search for corroborating evidence.
The latter half of the book is not as interesting, mostly about security and safety for the Royals as the British Empire is in decline, and an interesting summary of the Princess Diana saga. But a decent overall read, though of course, pro-England in character, so it gets docked a star.
October 24, 2024
It's too sensationalist and full of speculation.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews