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The Secrets of Eaton Square: Sex, Scandal, and Infamy on the Road to Buckingham Palace
Not yet published
Expected 2 Jun 26Windsor biographer Alexander Larman takes you behind the doors of Eaton Square, London’s most sought-after address.
In the classic PBS series Upstairs, Downstairs, the aristocratic Bellamy family lived at the fictitious 165 Eaton Place, a grand home in one of London’s most beautiful garden squares just minutes from Buckingham Palace. But, what really goes on behind the beautiful, polished doors of one of London’s most sought-after addresses?
In The Secrets of Eaton Sex, Scandal and Infamy on the Road to Buckingham Palace, Alexander Larman opens those doors wide to the scandalous social and political history of Eaton Square that begins in the eighteenth century and runs right up until today. With a cast of characters that includes everyone from Neville Chamberlain, Joachim von Ribbentrop (the lover of Wallis Simpson), Diana Mitford, Vivien Leigh, Margaret Thatcher, and even James Bond, Larman’s book brings Eaton Square alive.
The list of luminaries and the powerful who lived on the square goes on and on today, from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Saatchi to today’s parade of Russian oligarchs whose money has given the area a new “Red Square.” No matter what it is called, Eaton Square remains an iconic byword for moneyed luxury and glamorous discretion that, at times, is the playground of off-duty royals. Let Alexander Larman unlock the doors of Eaton Square for you. He has all the keys…
In the classic PBS series Upstairs, Downstairs, the aristocratic Bellamy family lived at the fictitious 165 Eaton Place, a grand home in one of London’s most beautiful garden squares just minutes from Buckingham Palace. But, what really goes on behind the beautiful, polished doors of one of London’s most sought-after addresses?
In The Secrets of Eaton Sex, Scandal and Infamy on the Road to Buckingham Palace, Alexander Larman opens those doors wide to the scandalous social and political history of Eaton Square that begins in the eighteenth century and runs right up until today. With a cast of characters that includes everyone from Neville Chamberlain, Joachim von Ribbentrop (the lover of Wallis Simpson), Diana Mitford, Vivien Leigh, Margaret Thatcher, and even James Bond, Larman’s book brings Eaton Square alive.
The list of luminaries and the powerful who lived on the square goes on and on today, from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Saatchi to today’s parade of Russian oligarchs whose money has given the area a new “Red Square.” No matter what it is called, Eaton Square remains an iconic byword for moneyed luxury and glamorous discretion that, at times, is the playground of off-duty royals. Let Alexander Larman unlock the doors of Eaton Square for you. He has all the keys…
320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 2, 2026
About the author
Alexander Larman
13 books113 followersAlexander Larman is an author, historian and journalist. After reading English at Oxford, from where he graduated with a First, he ghost-wrote and edited various memoirs and biographies, including the late artist and flâneur Sebastian Horsley’s Dandy In The Underworld. His involvement with the book led Horsley to say ‘there is no man in London more capable of genius – or a flop – than Alexander Larman’.
He began his own writing career with Blazing Star (Head of Zeus, 2014), a biography of the 17th century poet and libertine Lord Rochester, and followed this with Restoration (Head of Zeus, 2016) a social history of the year 1666, and Byron’s Women (Head of Zeus, 2016), an ‘anti-biography’ of the poet Lord Byron and the significant women in his life. His next book, The Crown in Crisis (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2020) was a revisionist history of the abdication saga. It was selected by the Times, Daily Mail and Daily Express as one of their best books of the year and led to significant international media coverage of the new revelations about the event.
As a journalist, Larman regularly contributes to titles including The Observer, The Critic, the Daily Telegraph, The Spectator and The Chap, for which he serves as literary editor. He lives in Oxford with his wife and daughter.
He began his own writing career with Blazing Star (Head of Zeus, 2014), a biography of the 17th century poet and libertine Lord Rochester, and followed this with Restoration (Head of Zeus, 2016) a social history of the year 1666, and Byron’s Women (Head of Zeus, 2016), an ‘anti-biography’ of the poet Lord Byron and the significant women in his life. His next book, The Crown in Crisis (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2020) was a revisionist history of the abdication saga. It was selected by the Times, Daily Mail and Daily Express as one of their best books of the year and led to significant international media coverage of the new revelations about the event.
As a journalist, Larman regularly contributes to titles including The Observer, The Critic, the Daily Telegraph, The Spectator and The Chap, for which he serves as literary editor. He lives in Oxford with his wife and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 14, 2026
Thank you Goodreads and St.Martin’s Press for the ARC.
I was so intrigued by this book, but I can see now that I was not the target audience.
While it is well written and full of facts, the non-Europeen (non-British potentially) reader will - IMHO - have a hard time connecting with the characters. Plus the references are clearly for Baby boomers and olders.
If you are passionate about British history and pop culture from the 1940’s to the 1970’s this book may be for you.
I was so intrigued by this book, but I can see now that I was not the target audience.
While it is well written and full of facts, the non-Europeen (non-British potentially) reader will - IMHO - have a hard time connecting with the characters. Plus the references are clearly for Baby boomers and olders.
If you are passionate about British history and pop culture from the 1940’s to the 1970’s this book may be for you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed this book because it provided a new (to me) way of looking at history. It centered on the location of Eaton Square and examined addresses along the square that have housed people of particular interest due to the impact they had on history.
By examining the people based on the location where they live, Larman was able to ground each of the people that he examined throughout the book, because it made them inherently more relatable. After all, you can visualize them at home, one of the most intimate spaces for a person.
My favorite mention was Vivien Leigh and Diana Mitford. Although it covers a range of people who had influences on the British political landscape, the stories of the women, including Leigh and Mitford, were the most captivating. I will say that it seemed less focused on the more "downstairs" individuals living in these locations than the "upstairs" persons, but the glimpses of these individals was also interesting to learn about.
One thing I struggled with in this book was Larman's writing style. When he was focused on the life of the person he was writing about in the chapter, he tended to stay focused, but there would come times when it felt like he was name-dropping someone who the focus of the chapter knew or had stayed at Eaton Square once, and would stray from the original storyline. Additionally, Larman's work was highly referential. I'm all for bringing attention to your work, but there were whole chapters that Laraman would start where he was talking about his other work. It seemed unnecessary and often unrelated.
Overall, this is a fun peek behind the curtain on the lives of some of the people who have lived in Eaton Square. However, the book tends to draw outward, focusing less on Eaton Square itself and providing more biographical glimpses of the people who lived there. If you are looking for a book specifically looking at life in the square, this might not be the book for you, but if you are interested in an enclave of lives that were separated by time rather than space, this is a fun read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Antisemitism, Classism
Moderate: War
By examining the people based on the location where they live, Larman was able to ground each of the people that he examined throughout the book, because it made them inherently more relatable. After all, you can visualize them at home, one of the most intimate spaces for a person.
My favorite mention was Vivien Leigh and Diana Mitford. Although it covers a range of people who had influences on the British political landscape, the stories of the women, including Leigh and Mitford, were the most captivating. I will say that it seemed less focused on the more "downstairs" individuals living in these locations than the "upstairs" persons, but the glimpses of these individals was also interesting to learn about.
One thing I struggled with in this book was Larman's writing style. When he was focused on the life of the person he was writing about in the chapter, he tended to stay focused, but there would come times when it felt like he was name-dropping someone who the focus of the chapter knew or had stayed at Eaton Square once, and would stray from the original storyline. Additionally, Larman's work was highly referential. I'm all for bringing attention to your work, but there were whole chapters that Laraman would start where he was talking about his other work. It seemed unnecessary and often unrelated.
Overall, this is a fun peek behind the curtain on the lives of some of the people who have lived in Eaton Square. However, the book tends to draw outward, focusing less on Eaton Square itself and providing more biographical glimpses of the people who lived there. If you are looking for a book specifically looking at life in the square, this might not be the book for you, but if you are interested in an enclave of lives that were separated by time rather than space, this is a fun read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Antisemitism, Classism
Moderate: War
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A delightful and delicious romp through British history combining historical accounts with scandalous tidbits surrounding one of the most expensive places to live in London (as of 2016): Eaton Square. It's the largest residential garden square in London located in London's Belgravia district.
The book covers the development of area including the first block laid out by Thomas Cubitt in the early 19th C. It also includes a broad swathe of British history, social insight and political history. There's lot of name-dropping: the Mitford sisters, the fascist Mosley, married to Diana Mitford and the intriguing mystery of Lord Lucan to mention the ones that most interested me. The author gives us history ranging from the 1600s to present time written in clear language and historically accurate. The political and social history of this part of London is incredibly interesting.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It has the right amount of honesty blended with delightful side stories filled with humor and can I say snark. I plan to buy and reread. It’s that good.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for granting me access to this ARC.
The book covers the development of area including the first block laid out by Thomas Cubitt in the early 19th C. It also includes a broad swathe of British history, social insight and political history. There's lot of name-dropping: the Mitford sisters, the fascist Mosley, married to Diana Mitford and the intriguing mystery of Lord Lucan to mention the ones that most interested me. The author gives us history ranging from the 1600s to present time written in clear language and historically accurate. The political and social history of this part of London is incredibly interesting.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It has the right amount of honesty blended with delightful side stories filled with humor and can I say snark. I plan to buy and reread. It’s that good.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for granting me access to this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What marks Easton Square out as distinctive and interesting, rather than just another expensive playground for the super wealthy, is the richness and variety of its historical associations. from The Secrets of Eaton Square by Alexander Larman
The exclusive row of houses on Eaton Square in London, England was built on marsh land. Over the centuries it was the site of a murder, the launch ,pad of an early hot air balloon, and saw the construction of exclusive homes housing occupied by the wealthy, politicians, writers, and composers, movie stars, fascist sympathizers, and even Russian oligarchs. In fiction, James Bond lived at Easton Square, and Upstairs Downstairs’ locale was based on it.
In The Secrets of Eaton Square, Alexander Larman investigates the most interesting residents. As both mini-biographies and a wide ranging history, the book is always captivating, informative, and lusciously gossipy.
Some of the residents that most captivated me included William Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan, Vivian Leigh and Rex Harrison, Diana Mitford, and Raymond Chandler and Ian Fleming.
A delightful read.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a free book through NetGalley.
The exclusive row of houses on Eaton Square in London, England was built on marsh land. Over the centuries it was the site of a murder, the launch ,pad of an early hot air balloon, and saw the construction of exclusive homes housing occupied by the wealthy, politicians, writers, and composers, movie stars, fascist sympathizers, and even Russian oligarchs. In fiction, James Bond lived at Easton Square, and Upstairs Downstairs’ locale was based on it.
In The Secrets of Eaton Square, Alexander Larman investigates the most interesting residents. As both mini-biographies and a wide ranging history, the book is always captivating, informative, and lusciously gossipy.
Some of the residents that most captivated me included William Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan, Vivian Leigh and Rex Harrison, Diana Mitford, and Raymond Chandler and Ian Fleming.
A delightful read.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a free book through NetGalley.
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January 30, 2026This was a fairly enjoyable and interesting read. In spite of it being a nonfiction work, I found the book amusing because of the author's irreverent storytelling. Despite knowing almost noting about the subject matter and being unfamiliar with this author, the book struck me as being witty and informative. It had me laughing at various points, especially about scandalous goings on at various points in London's history.
I particularly appreciated the many sources cited in the back of my evaluation copy.
I am grateful to Goodreads and to the author for receiving this book for review purposes. Peace be with you. :-)
I particularly appreciated the many sources cited in the back of my evaluation copy.
I am grateful to Goodreads and to the author for receiving this book for review purposes. Peace be with you. :-)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Alexander Larman's non-fiction history book Secrets of Eaton Square captures sensational stories about one of London's most famous neighborhoods. While the idea seems promising, the execution falls short of earlier, more engaging publications by the author. The book is inflated by a lot of quotes that often distract the reader. The tales are sometimes antiquated and inaccessible for an audience not well-versed in British history and lore. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An absolutely fascinating look at the famous inhabitants of a London square very near Buckingham Palace. Could not put this one down!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews