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The Royal Family at War
'This war', wrote Winston Churchill to King George VI at the height of the Second World War, 'has brought throne and people closer together than was ever before recorded.' Here is a full and fascinating account of that coming together. It is a study of the contribution made, not only by George VI and his redoubtable Queen, but also by the entire royal family during those turbulent years. And of how that contribution strengthened and popularized the monarchy. This is a family saga; an account of the lives, as much private as public, of all the diverse members of what George VI called 'The Firm'. Together with the tireless efforts of the King and Queen, it deals with such aspects as the Duke of Windsor's flirtation with Fascism, the ground-clearing obsessions of Queen Mary, the mysterious death of the Duke of Kent, the activities of the Athlones in Canada and the Gloucesters in Australia, and the imprisonment of the Princess Royal's eldest son, Viscount Lascelles. Occasionally tragic, often amusing, always interesting, it is a richly detailed panorama of the monarchy in one of its finest hours. Theo Aronson has been granted an unprecedented series of audiences with the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Princess Alice. Duchess of Gloucester, and the late Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, as well as interviews with many other members of the royal family and of the royal households. He has been permitted the use of previously unpublished letters, diaries and papers. The result is a colourful study by an author who has been consistently praised for his insight, scholarship and, above all, readability.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
107 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Theo Aronson
24 books33 followersTheo Aronson is an historical biographer specialising in the Royal Houses of Europe. Among his many widely read books are "The Golden Bees: The Story of the Bonapartes," "Grandmama of Europe" and "Royal Family: Years of Transition."
His books have been published in Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland and Belgium.
Theo Aronson lives in an eighteenth-century stone house in Frome, Somerset.
His books have been published in Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland and Belgium.
Theo Aronson lives in an eighteenth-century stone house in Frome, Somerset.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 4, 2021
Aronson's books about British royalty usually make for interesting reading, being informative without getting lost in too much superfluous detail. This one, focussing on the family of George VI, including close relatives like his mother and siblings, and their experiences and actions during WWII, is no exception. Well-researched and very readable.
December 15, 2022
This was a look at what each member of the royal family were up to during World War 2. Found out new things about lesser known royals.
July 29, 2015
Well-researched and easy to read, this book does a great job of showing how important the king and queen were to Great Britain during WWII. I've always admired George VI and Elizabeth the Queen Mum, and this book helped that admiration grow.
January 2, 2025
Focusing on the years of World War II, Atonson examines the duties and actions of the King and Queen, his mother, his brothers and their wives, his uncle and aunt, his sister and nephew, and his daughters. The war careers of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth are well recorded, as are those of Queen Mary and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Aronson brings his special focus to the lesser known royals, particularly the Gloucesters and Athlones.
This isn't a traditional narrative, the war from start to finish. Roughly chronological, each chapter focuses on a broad theme (housing, travel, etc) divided into two parts - at home and abroad. It's a suppliment to the bigger story, with Aronson at his best: using personal interviews with those who were there or knew them best.
This isn't a traditional narrative, the war from start to finish. Roughly chronological, each chapter focuses on a broad theme (housing, travel, etc) divided into two parts - at home and abroad. It's a suppliment to the bigger story, with Aronson at his best: using personal interviews with those who were there or knew them best.
October 4, 2022
An interesting read
While this offers data data is very enlightening and and of interest to a reader as myself his presentation was awful his lack of continuity jumping from 41 to 45 back to 42 back to 39 back to 36 up to 43 was very confusing thing you would leave you hanging for 2 chapters before continuing on something that he started to chapter earlier it made reading very very difficult very difficult but as I said the information Contained within is very interesting and fascinating.
While this offers data data is very enlightening and and of interest to a reader as myself his presentation was awful his lack of continuity jumping from 41 to 45 back to 42 back to 39 back to 36 up to 43 was very confusing thing you would leave you hanging for 2 chapters before continuing on something that he started to chapter earlier it made reading very very difficult very difficult but as I said the information Contained within is very interesting and fascinating.
July 12, 2020
Good read but.........
Disappointed, as yet again, constant and numerous references to 'the King of England' appear throughout this book leaving one with the sadness that Scotland, Wales and Ireland just 'don't count'. Some English authors seem to have a mindset that we (a) just don't exist or (b) really aren't worth mentioning in that the correct reference ' should be 'King of the UK /King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Disappointed, as yet again, constant and numerous references to 'the King of England' appear throughout this book leaving one with the sadness that Scotland, Wales and Ireland just 'don't count'. Some English authors seem to have a mindset that we (a) just don't exist or (b) really aren't worth mentioning in that the correct reference ' should be 'King of the UK /King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
January 25, 2021
3.5 stars. A good book, very readable-this book would probably serve as a good introduction to people unfamiliar with the time period and the members of the royal family involved. The only reason I didn’t rate it higher was because it was pretty surface level and could have gone into more depth. The anecdotes the author picked up from his audiences with royal family members were very interesting and fun to read.
March 16, 2025
This was a wonderful book detailing the British royal family's activities during the Second World War. Theo Aronson does a good job profiling each member of the royal family. The text moved along without getting the reader bogged down into the specifics of the war. You really get a sense of how the royal family became even more special to the British people during this time. Highly recommended!
March 9, 2020
As I am in a fit of Windsor reading, this book filled in some spaces and expanded my understanding of both the Monarchy and the individual people in the family.
Would probably be difficult going if one didn't have a pretty good knowledge of both.
Would probably be difficult going if one didn't have a pretty good knowledge of both.
September 18, 2022
Educational
I learned so much more by reading this book about the members of the royal family and how they function than I'd ever known before. Thank you for giving me a much clearer understanding of what it is to be working royals.
I learned so much more by reading this book about the members of the royal family and how they function than I'd ever known before. Thank you for giving me a much clearer understanding of what it is to be working royals.
November 14, 2017
Interesting enough, but Aronson fawns so much over the royals that the whole book because to seem like a puff piece.
November 12, 2021
I really enjoyed this history of the British royals during WW2. It was both informative and entertaining.
September 17, 2022
Interesting, well-written.
June 13, 2024
The Monarchy rocked by scandals and family feuds! (Eight decades ago.)
Today when the Royal Family seems most notable for its dysfunctionality, it's well to remember that the wily Windsors have faced unpopularity and division before and emerged victorious. Or, at least, still in possession of their crowns, palaces, castles, jewelry, and those immensely profitable royal duchies.
Last year I read (and loved) this author's "Royal Subjects" which was his last book and his literary autobiography. His books stand out among the multitude written about various royals every year because of his solid research, his breezy, irreverent writing, and his unusual access to the royals themselves.
He couldn't explain it, except that he had as much trouble finding his place in society as modern royals do. A South African born to a Jewish father, he was an openly gay man when gay sex had only recently been decriminalized. He trained as a commercial artist but drifted into a career in writing because of his fascination with the European monarchies and their complicated inter-marriages.
He wasn't a staunch royalist himself. People like to read about them and he wanted to write publishable books. It was really as simple as that. He wrote about royals as human beings, with strong and weak points like everyone else.
In the late 1930's, the former glorious Empire was in sad shape. Many of the previous generation of males had been killed or left disabled by WWI. The Great Depression brought economic hardships and delayed the modernization of the military. Meanwhile, Adolf Hitler amassed a powerful army and air force and planned to annex as much of Europe as he could.
The royal family was at low ebb. King George V and Queen Mary were dedicated to the monarchy, but both stiff as boards. They were seen (if at all) at a distance at formal ceremonies. The family had a rock star in Edward, the Prince of Wales, who was handsome, charming, and genuinely concerned about the lack of economic and educational opportunities that kept most of his subjects in poverty.
The worm in the apple was his failure to marry and produce an heir. When he became King Edward VIII after the death of his father, he was a middle-aged bachelor who hated royal duties and was determined to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson. When his family and the Church of England refused him permission, he stunned the nation (and the world) by abdicating.
There are many theories, but Winston Churchhill probably nailed it when he said that Edward was weak and delusional. He believed that his younger brother (Prince George) would accept the boring regal duties, while he and Wallis occupied center stage as the glamorous, popular royals. He was astonished when his quiet younger brother (backed by the family and the government) banished him to France and refused to acknowledge his wife as a royal. The family never changed their stance and the new Duke and Duchess of Windsor never stopped whining about it.
George VI's country went into WWII with a virtually unknown king who had lived in the shadow of his popular older brother. He was married to the shy daughter of an earl and they had only two children - both female. They were an unlikely pair to revolutionize the monarchy, but they did, making themselves available to their subjects in a way never before known. They were constantly in the public eye with informal walk-abouts, many to bombed areas. Previous royals addressed their subjects. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth had meaningful conversations with the people they met.
Meanwhile, Hitler launched a campaign to publicize the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's German sympathies and there is evidence that he planned to install them as monarchs after he successfully launched an invasion from France. This author believes that the Duke was "too great a patriot" to agree, but not many people give him that much credit. He was exiled to the Bahamas and kept under wraps as his brother and sister-in-law gained popularity and clout. His advisors fed him "secret" military information about Allied plans, but told him nothing that would be of value to the Germans if the former king babbled to his friends in Berlin.
It's a wonderful story and Aronson tells it very well. He had a number of interviews with the Queen Mother after her husband died and her daughter became Queen Elizabeth II. He appreciated her charm and her willingness to talk candidly about the war years and how the royal family met the challenge and emerged stronger than ever. Whether you like the royal family or hate them, it's an entertaining book.
Today when the Royal Family seems most notable for its dysfunctionality, it's well to remember that the wily Windsors have faced unpopularity and division before and emerged victorious. Or, at least, still in possession of their crowns, palaces, castles, jewelry, and those immensely profitable royal duchies.
Last year I read (and loved) this author's "Royal Subjects" which was his last book and his literary autobiography. His books stand out among the multitude written about various royals every year because of his solid research, his breezy, irreverent writing, and his unusual access to the royals themselves.
He couldn't explain it, except that he had as much trouble finding his place in society as modern royals do. A South African born to a Jewish father, he was an openly gay man when gay sex had only recently been decriminalized. He trained as a commercial artist but drifted into a career in writing because of his fascination with the European monarchies and their complicated inter-marriages.
He wasn't a staunch royalist himself. People like to read about them and he wanted to write publishable books. It was really as simple as that. He wrote about royals as human beings, with strong and weak points like everyone else.
In the late 1930's, the former glorious Empire was in sad shape. Many of the previous generation of males had been killed or left disabled by WWI. The Great Depression brought economic hardships and delayed the modernization of the military. Meanwhile, Adolf Hitler amassed a powerful army and air force and planned to annex as much of Europe as he could.
The royal family was at low ebb. King George V and Queen Mary were dedicated to the monarchy, but both stiff as boards. They were seen (if at all) at a distance at formal ceremonies. The family had a rock star in Edward, the Prince of Wales, who was handsome, charming, and genuinely concerned about the lack of economic and educational opportunities that kept most of his subjects in poverty.
The worm in the apple was his failure to marry and produce an heir. When he became King Edward VIII after the death of his father, he was a middle-aged bachelor who hated royal duties and was determined to marry twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson. When his family and the Church of England refused him permission, he stunned the nation (and the world) by abdicating.
There are many theories, but Winston Churchhill probably nailed it when he said that Edward was weak and delusional. He believed that his younger brother (Prince George) would accept the boring regal duties, while he and Wallis occupied center stage as the glamorous, popular royals. He was astonished when his quiet younger brother (backed by the family and the government) banished him to France and refused to acknowledge his wife as a royal. The family never changed their stance and the new Duke and Duchess of Windsor never stopped whining about it.
George VI's country went into WWII with a virtually unknown king who had lived in the shadow of his popular older brother. He was married to the shy daughter of an earl and they had only two children - both female. They were an unlikely pair to revolutionize the monarchy, but they did, making themselves available to their subjects in a way never before known. They were constantly in the public eye with informal walk-abouts, many to bombed areas. Previous royals addressed their subjects. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth had meaningful conversations with the people they met.
Meanwhile, Hitler launched a campaign to publicize the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's German sympathies and there is evidence that he planned to install them as monarchs after he successfully launched an invasion from France. This author believes that the Duke was "too great a patriot" to agree, but not many people give him that much credit. He was exiled to the Bahamas and kept under wraps as his brother and sister-in-law gained popularity and clout. His advisors fed him "secret" military information about Allied plans, but told him nothing that would be of value to the Germans if the former king babbled to his friends in Berlin.
It's a wonderful story and Aronson tells it very well. He had a number of interviews with the Queen Mother after her husband died and her daughter became Queen Elizabeth II. He appreciated her charm and her willingness to talk candidly about the war years and how the royal family met the challenge and emerged stronger than ever. Whether you like the royal family or hate them, it's an entertaining book.
September 17, 2022
Good read. I learned a great about members of the royal court who are not as well known as the King and Queen. It was especially interesting after seeing "The King 's Speech".
The part about Queen Mary's 'wooding' was amusing. She must have been an interesting person. This was a poignant read with the sad event coming up Monday.
The part about Queen Mary's 'wooding' was amusing. She must have been an interesting person. This was a poignant read with the sad event coming up Monday.
June 6, 2015
Greeat book! It not only discusses the role of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, but also
his mother, Queen Mary, his brothers, the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Glouscester, and his cousins,
the Atholones in Canada. I enjoyed this book, and the great pictures in it as well.
his mother, Queen Mary, his brothers, the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Glouscester, and his cousins,
the Atholones in Canada. I enjoyed this book, and the great pictures in it as well.
September 4, 2016
Interesting read
A interesting read with much information about that which is probably already known, but if the history of the Monarchy during the WWII is unknown to you then this is well worth a read
A interesting read with much information about that which is probably already known, but if the history of the Monarchy during the WWII is unknown to you then this is well worth a read
December 12, 2014
Grand!
A superb look at a wonderful family during Britain's "finest hour" - you will love this book and pass it on to friends to enjoy.
A superb look at a wonderful family during Britain's "finest hour" - you will love this book and pass it on to friends to enjoy.
September 20, 2015
Hagiographic.
December 15, 2015
Superb
Very intimate portrait of the Royal Family at war. Mr Aronson uses those sources that were close to the Royal family and there is a close ,tight portrait.
Very intimate portrait of the Royal Family at war. Mr Aronson uses those sources that were close to the Royal family and there is a close ,tight portrait.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews