The Royal Nanny

by Karen Harper

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 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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, British Literature, Royalty, Book Club, Adult

357 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2016

About the author

A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county. Her most recent books include THE SOUTH SHORES TRILOGY (CHASING SHADOWS, DROWNING TIDES and FALLING DARKNESS.) Her latest historical is THE ROYAL NANNY. Please visit her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor and her fb page at www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor

Reviews

[Debbie W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
1. a GR friend's review influenced me to add it to my WTR list as I enjoy stories about the British royal family; and,
2. August 2024 is my "Biographical Fiction" Month.

Praises:
1. interesting portrayal of Charlotte "Lala" Bill as the head nanny to the children of King George V and Queen Mary, especially in regards to her care of their youngest child, Prince John, who developed epileptic seizures and a pervasive developmental disorder. Because he was an "embarrassment" to his family, he was concealed from society in his final years. I enjoyed hearing how life with these children may have resonated, from their daily lives, as well as on special occasions and various family crises; and,
2. I loved how narrator, Melanie Crawley, brought this woman's story to life.

Niggles:
1. the Author's Note contained some inaccurate information regarding the number of children that Mary, Princess Royal, and Prince Harry had; and,
ONE OF MY BIGGEST NIGGLES IN BIOGRAPHICAL FICTION...
2. why, oh why, must some authors insist on inventing romance for a female historical figure when none existed? Do they think that these women's lives would be boring without it? I've yet to read a biographical fiction about a historical male figure involved in a fake love story, but wait! Is it because his accomplishments are too important to require a phony love interest? I beg of you, please, let these women shine based on their own merits!

Overall Thoughts:
3 stars = I liked it.
If proof exists that a historical female figure was romantically involved in some capacity, then absolutely write about it as it pertains to her life story. But please, don't treat you readers as lovesick simpletons who require some sort of love affair in order to read your books. Thankfully, there are books out there that portray fascinating women who are strong, wise, and powerful in their own right - I'm just looking for them.
If I wanted to read historical fantasy, I would. (Btw, does this genre even exist?)

[Lori Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a treat! I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the lives of the British Royal family through the eyes of such a wonderful character... Lala. I loved her and am thankful that these children were blessed with such a wonderful caretaker. Everyone, especially Royal watchers, should put this novel at the top of to-read lists... 5 stars.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 A young nanny arrives to be under nurse to the young princes, Bertie, and David. Her name is Charlotte and will soon answer to the name, LaLa a nickname given to her by the young Bertie. Witnessing an act of cruelty she is soon made head nursemaid and will give up her life to care for this young royal family. A family that will add, Mary, George, Harry and John.

This really happened, although of course the conversations, the dialogue is not known. A good hard look at these young lives, the royal residences, their parents, grandparents, the furnishings, the ceremonies, the many things and lessons it took to be royal. Anyone interested in Britain's royalty will find much to like here in this behind the scenes look. These royal personages were so lucky to be raised by so many caring nursemaids, teachers and servants. It didn't start out that way. Loved the end where Charlotte in now in her eighties, looking back, updating the reader on her charges. She gave up so much, her own romance, her own children, so much love, and so much heartache. She experienced it all.

I realized reading this how little I actually know about England's rulers after Charles the second. Never even knew of Johnny existence, the poor young royal they call the Lost prince.

ARC from publisher.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based upon real people and events of the time, the novel centers around the Royal children of the Duke and Duchess of York. Charlotte Bill, affectionately known by the children as "Lala", is hired to be an assistant nursemaid. When it is discovered that the boy's are being abused by the current nursemaid, she is quickly elevated to the head position. Her first charges were David and Bertie, who grow up to be King Edward VIII and King George the VI, who became king after King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. The Duke and Duchess went on to have four more children, one girl and three more boys. The last of the children, Johnnie, was weak at birth. Though he found a special place in Charlotte's heart, Johnnie had epileptic seizures, and likely was somewhere on the autism spectrum, although nothing was known of this at the time. Caring for the children also meant that Charlotte must be completely devoted to the children, denying herself the opportunity for marriage and a family of her own. Told through the viewpoint of Charlotte, there is an intimate feeling of being in the grand settings, and sensing the great responsibility of caring for a future monarch.
If you enjoy historical fiction about the Royal family, and are mourning the ending of Downton Abbey, this might be a book for you.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish the author hadn't felt compelled to invent the love interest. The book dragged a bit but I did find the nanny/child relationship as well as the nanny/family (parents and grandparents) to be really interesting. I think I'd have preferred to have read a book that looked at that more closely. If there wasn't sufficient material on Charlotte Bill, then comparing the royal household against other upper class/aristocratic households might have been a way to go. As it was, the material really wasn't sufficient for a 357 page book. Better to have cut 75 pages and pick up the pace. I thought I was going to be reading something a little closer to non-fiction so I was a bit disappointed. The best part was the author's notes. I suppose you could skip to the back of the book and just read those.

[MAP · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those of you who have seen the King's Speech, you know the historical figures of Bertie (George VI), his older brother David, and their parents, King George V and Queen Mary. For those paying close attention, you may remember Lionel Logue asking about Bertie's youngest brother, Johnnie, who died at a young age. This novel ostensibly gives a closer look at Johnnie's life through the eyes of his nanny, Charlotte Bill, or "Mrs. Lala."

It was....ok. Certainly most of the people in this book, including Mrs. Lala, are real people. So Harper chose to write a historical novel through the eyes of this actual person who started out as a nanny to all the royal children and then primarily took care of Johnnie as people realized he was having difficulties with seizures. I enjoyed the pieces that tried to piece together the probable home life of the royal family and how servants such as Lala could get caught in the middle of those things. She tried to capture the personalities of the different children, although how accurate they are, I can't tell.

But there were some serious flaws I just couldn't get past. First, and probably least flawed, is that we are well over 100 pages in before Johnnie is born, so even though her care of him is the central plot of the book, it takes a LONG time to get off the ground.

Second, CHAD REAVER. Dammit Chad! Chad Reaver is NOT a real historical figure; Harper mentions his character is an amalgamation of 2 people. It shows. Harper writes this forbidden romance between Reaver and Mrs. Lala and it is the most irritating, shallow, annoying, distracting thing about this book. Every time I was getting into the plot CHAD REAVER showed back up and a piece of me died. In this book, Lala meets Reaver early on in her time there, and - telling not showing - exposits how much they love each other and very quickly has him propose, her decline, and DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA. Then he pops back up to add some "spice" to the plot at seemingly pointless intervals.

This bothers me for a lot of reasons. One - you chose to write a book around this real person. If they're actual, non-romance including life was not good enough for you and you feel the need to spice it up with some fake forbidden love, PICK SOMEONE ELSE TO WRITE ABOUT. It also bothers me in a more general sense because I never pick up historical fiction with women protagonists that doesn't have some shoehorned romance plot included, as if women can't be whole people without some sort of WUV in their life. Ugh.

Also, Chad himself was legitimately the worst. He was whiny and mean and sulky and a big fat cheater and how dare the author try to present him as someone I was supposed to like. YOU ARE THE WORST, CHAD.

The parts of this book based on reality are really quite good. But she mixes it in with her own fantasy love life for Lala that really detracts from the whole. If you are really interested in this often unwritten about era in British royal history, it might be worth pushing through. But it's not a solid enough novel on its own.

2.5 stars

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave this 4 stars however I found that the romance side of the plot annoyed me, other than that I found it entertaining and worth a read.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this historical fiction account of Queen.Elizabeth"s father's and his siblings growing up with their nanny Lala (Charlotte Bill). Most historical facts are true but Lala's life with the royal children was brought to life in this book. I plan to read more by this author! Great read.

[Jennifer N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked this better than her other novels. We learn about Charlotte (Lala) who becomes a nanny to the royal children. The part of her raising the children as well as her relationships with the King & Queen and Prince & Princess of Wales are really interesting. It was heartbreaking to read about Johnny (youngest royal who had epilepsy and likely on the autism spectrum). I give it 3 stars because a central plot is her semi-relationship with Chad who didn't even exist when you read the afterward!

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Royal Nanny after I started to watch Netflix tv-series The Crown. I also, years ago, watch The Lost Prince about Prince John and now I want to rewatch it after reading this book. This book was really fantastic and I'm glad that I took the time to read it.

One thing that really struck me about this book was what a fantastic life Charlotte Bill had. Sure, not an easy life, with sacrifices and lot of sadness. But, she lived through a time of changes, world wars, kings, and queens, and she saw it all.

Reading this book made me wonder how much was true and how much was added to the story. Charlotte's "love story" with Chad, a very platonic relationship I might add (since working for the royal family as nanny prohibited marriage) felt like the thing that was added to make the story a bit more tragic & romantic. At first, I did not really find myself enjoying that angle, but as the story progressed did I find myself more and more enjoying their story. Who knows, Charlotte was young once, and giving up the idea of a marriage life to take care of other people's children can't have been an easy decision.

I think Karen Harper has written a superb book about a woman who gave up her life to take care of six children, two that would later one become Kings. One thing towards the end that really made me think was Charlotte's thought about David, when he was old and not King anymore, how he never managed to get over how his previous nanny had treated him, and after that, how he spent his whole life being attracted to the same dominated kind of women until he married one. Interesting...

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction can be amazing, plodding, or middle of the road. This one falls into the middle of the road section. It told the story of the Royal Nanny to the children of George V, one of whom would go on to abdicate the throne, and another of whom would become the reluctant George VI.

While the story starts out with these two eldest children, the main focus was on the younger children, especially the youngest son who had some serious health problems from birth. The story is told as if the Nanny is the most selfless individual ever - I would have preferred someone more flawed. The author did create a romance for her, but it actually hindered any attempts at humanizing her.
I found the personalities of the Royals much more interesting than the personality of the Nanny and would probably have preferred a well written non fiction book a bit more. But for me I learned a lot about Edward VII and George V as post-Victorian, pre-WW II British history was an era I did not know much about.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love historical fiction absolutely, but it has to be based on facts. I skim for a bibliography and then examine the list and judge accordingly. I allow for author's license and will accept a lot of meandering from the author, but not love. Not every hero/heroine needs to be in love, a love story does not create the focus, and if it's not part of the actual story, then I don't care and don't want to read it.
In this story, the woman's, Charlotte Bill, determination gives her enough character that a 'love interest' just cheapens the story and her devotion to the cast off prince.
Charlotte Bill didn't need a secondary character, she can stand by herself.

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Nanny” is Charlotte Bill, a young woman who goes to work for Prince George and Princess Mary, caring for their growing family in the twilight years of Queen Victoria’s reign. The current head nanny was a brutal woman, emotionally and physically abusing the two young princes; David — the eldest and destined to someday be king— is especially traumatized. The boys grow to love “Lala” - their name for Charlotte, and Lala is devoted to them. Lala is intrigued by the young estate worker who picked her up at the train station, and he likes her too.

Time goes on. Queen Victoria dies and the boys’ kindly grandfather becomes King Edward VII and George and Mary become the Duke and Duchess of York. Mary has a difficult birth of her sixth child, who becomes Prince John.

Lala helped at John’s difficult birth and feels especially protective of him thereafter. It turns out that John is rather slow, perhaps as the result of a difficult birth? He gets left behind at Sandringham when the rest of the family follows the court back-and-forth to London or wherever. He is taken along when the whole family meets their cousin, the Russian Czar, and his family, who have a terrible secret themselves about their only son and heir, Alexei. John has his first seizure on this trip and Lala is terrified that he will be sent away someplace and she’ll never see him again.

Time also matches on. WWI occurs, pitting royal cousins against one another. We all tend to forget that Kaiser Wilhelm was Queen Victoria’s eldest grandchild, and that he and Prince George were first cousins, and that he was the uncle of Empress Alexandra of Russia.

The two eldest boys are in the Navy, and David has never gotten over his possessiveness of Lala, and exudes contempt for poor John. After Lala begs John’s parents NOT to send him away when they become king and Queen, they give Lala and John a cottage on the Sandringham estate grounds.

Chad and Layla’s romance ends tragically, and John never wakes up after a nap
After one of his seizures. He probably died of SUDEP — sudden unexplained death of epilepsy. This was highly triggering for me, as my younger daughter also died of SUDEP five years ago, at age 27.

The epilogue is set in 1959. David visits Lala at her apartment to reminisce. He is angered by seeing her large picture of John, still displayed all these years later. He’s writing a book and wants her recollections, but leaves unsatisfied yet again b/c she disapproves of his abdicating the throne for a woman who reminds Lala of David’s first, abusive, nanny. Hmmm.

Lala was a real person, and really devoted her life to this branch of the royal family. IDK if Chad, the love interest, was real and felt that the romance detracted from the rest of the story, made it less dramatic, so I give the novel only four stars.

[Penmouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Royal Nanny by Karen Harper is a deeply moving book that tells the fictional tale, based on historic fact about Miss Charlotte Bill, called Lala by her charges. Lala was hired as an undernurse to work for the Duke and Duchess of York. Lala was charged with caring for the little princes David and Bertie. Later she would care for Prince John whose story is the heart of this book. John or Johnnie was the lost prince (and I did see a movie about Johnnie by that name) who time almost forgot.

The Royal Nanny also features a love story as Lala falls in love with a Chad Reaver. Reaver works at the royal estate. Their romance is beset with difficulties as Lala loves caring for her royal charges and would probably have to leave the royal children she loves, if she marries. Lala wants to remain in her position making the possibility of marriage almost impossible.

Throughout the novel Lala and Chad's romance is interspersed with Lala's travels with the royal family, her day-to-day caring for the royal children, and finally the marriage proposal that did not quite go as planned.

Lala later almost marries Chad but fate intervenes once again.

In the end, Johnnie dies after having a strong epileptic seizure.

Throughout the book you will read about the luxurious royal life and learn to love (and sometimes dislike) the royal characters found in her book. You will also get a birds eye view of what royal life may have been like during the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from Edelweiss.

[Gaile · Rating 5 out of 5]

LaLa is not her real name but when she comes to be nanny to the royal children in 1897, that is what they call her. Princess May doesn't like being pregnant and is not a good mother. The royal custom of seeing her children for half an hour each day is usually about fifteen minutes as the Prince Of Wales has a short fuse. It is Lala who discover that the heir (David) is being abused by the head nanny, a woman who when sent away soon descends into madness. David and his brothers are all sent away to Naval academies except the youngest, Prince John. This baby becomes dear to Lala's heart but nothing can be done to cure his epilepsy and general poor health. Meanwhile Lala falls in love but refuses to marry as she can't leave Prince John. Seeped in history with Lala regretting her choice but feeling she has no other choice, I found this novel absorbing.

[Breanna Meyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a royal family fiend, I really wanted to love this book. But honestly all it did was annoy me. The timeline was set by years at the beginning of each section but it got confusing with all the time jumps within that timeframe. One paragraph is one year and all of a sudden the next paragraph is a year in the future with no warning?! I also hope I never have to hear the name Chad again. It must appear 200 time in this story. At minimum. It started to get a bit interesting towards the end but that was all ruined by HOW the book ended. It had some okay parts but overall the book was a disappointment.

[Maryann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book. I love learning about history this way. Learned much about the royal family.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are one of the many people who love seeing photos of the young Prince George and Princess Charlotte on your Facebook page or when you see William and Kate and their beautiful children on the cover of People magazine must buy it, then Karen Harper's new novel, The Royal Nanny, is for you.

Harper based her historical novel on the true story of Charlotte Bill, the royal nanny to the children of the Duke and Duchess of York, who eventually became King George V and Queen Mary, grandparents to today's reining British monarch, Queen Elizabeth.

The children called Charlotte Lala, and she came to the family as an assistant to the main nanny, until Lala discovered that she had been mistreating David and Bertie, who would one day go one to become King Edward VIII, best known as the man who abdicated the throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, and King George VI, whom we know best from Colin Firth's portrayal of him in the Oscar-winning movie, The King's Speech.

Lala was devoted to her charges, including four more born after the boys. When the Duchess was giving birth to a baby named John, she had a very difficult birth and feared that she wouldn't live through the birth. She begged Lala to promise to always care for the baby and Lala agreed.

Lala became very attached to baby Johnnie, and as he grew, John appeared to be different from the other children. He had trouble sitting still, and he was slow to learn. Today, we would probably place him somewhere on the autism spectrum.

As Johnnie got older, he began to have seizures. These seizures frightened everyone, and doctors recommended that John be sent away to be cared for. But Lala would not allow that to happen. She appealed to the Duke and Duchess, and promised that she would care for John herself. Eventually, John and Lala were moved from the family home to a smaller home nearby, where Lala cared for him.

Lala gave up her entire life to care for the children, never marrying. She had feelings for Chad, a young man who worked on the family estate, but her sense of duty got in the way of her happiness.

Fans of Downton Abbey will love The Royal Nanny. You get such a sense of what life was like as a servant and as child in a royal household. History fans will enjoy it too, as we see David and Bertie's childhood lives, and how they grew up into the men they became.

Harper has some interesting insight into why David would marry Wallis Simpson and abdicate, she believes that he was attracted to women who dominated him.

In what could have been stock portrayals of real people, Harper brings out their humanity. The Duke loved his son Johnnie, and was torn about sending him away to avoid a scandal. The King and Queen are shown to be particularly fond of their grandchildren, just like every other grandparent. The King plays games with melting pats of butter and the Queen shares her love of small glass animal figurines with her grandchildren.

I found the relationships among the royals and their extended family members who ruled in Germany and especially Russia intriguing. We tend to forget that the Windsor family had such close ties to the rest of Europe and how that affected them during times of war.

The Royal Nanny is an utterly fascinating fictional look at a real historical character, and Anglophiles will want to put this one on their TBR list. I highly recommend it, and I'll be looking for more information on the real Charlotte Bill.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! It’s a historical fiction about Charlotte Bill, the nanny to King George (QEII’s dad) and his siblings. Covers so much history and I learned a lot!

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Up front, I am an administrator and content writer for a royalty website www.unofficialroyalty.com. I got this book for free with my Amazon Prime membership. After reading two heart-rending, but excellent, recent novels (The Vanishing Half and American Dirt), I needed to read something light. This book was so-so for me and I don't have major issues with the content of this novel based upon Charlotte "Lala" Bill, the nanny to the children of the Duke and Duchess of York, later King George V and Queen Mary. It was somewhat interesting to see people I've read about in nonfiction and written articles about be personified as "characters" in a novel. However, there are a number of factual errors (which I will not get into) and style/title errors that could have been easily checked by something as simple as Wikipedia (or Unofficial Royalty!). Because of the lack of proper research, my three-star rating has been reduced to two-stars.

In particular, the errors with the styles/titles irked me. Yes, George and Mary were the Duke and Duchess of York when they first married. However, the styles/titles that were used were the ones for a Duke who was a peer (Your Grace, etc.). They were also erroneously referred to as Duke George and Duchess May. No, they were His Royal Highness The Duke of York and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York. No servant would ever had referred to them as Duke George and Duchess May. Perhaps the staff may have referred to them as The Duke and The Duchess.

The author also infers that George and his sons will eventually be princes. George was His Royal Highness Prince George of Wales at birth. When he was created The Duke of York upon his marriage, he was still a British Prince - just like Prince William and Prince Harry who were created The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of York upon their marriages are still British Princes. George's two eldest sons were His Highness Prince Edward of York and His Highness Prince Albert of York at birth. In 1898, Queen Victoria issued Letters Patent which granted all children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales the style and title of Royal Highness Prince/Princess. George was the eldest son of the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and so all his children were styled His/Her Royal Highness thereafter.

Please, authors who write fiction about royalty, if you are uncertain about titles, styles, or anything else related to royalty, reach out to people who know these things or do some proper research.

[Annika Hipple · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick and easy read, pleasant but not particularly outstanding. I liked the premise of the book and the behind-the-scenes look at the royal family during the first decades of the 20th century. It was interesting to learn more about the difficult childhood of Kings Edward VIII (the king who abdicated) and George VI, along with their siblings, especially the "Lost Prince" Johnnie, who died young of epilepsy. The royal nanny of the title, Charlotte "Lala" Bill, was a fairly well-drawn character, but overall the writing was a bit weak and the dialogue didn't always ring quite true. There were also typos sprinkled throughout the book that got on my nerves. A factual error in the epilogue also bothered me: Lala says that Harry and Mary (two of Johnnie's siblings) each grew up to have one child, when acually they had two children each.

One major departure from reality was the love story between Lala and Chad Reaver, who according to the extra material at the end of the book is an amalgamation of two people, neither of whom is known to have had a romance with Lala. This love story would have been fine if the novel were pure fiction, but it received too much focus - especially in the last third or so of the book - given that it was entirely made-up. I understand that the author wanted to show how much Lala gave up on a personal level due to her devotion to the royal children, and that not much is known about her private life, but as the book went along, the invented love story became increasingly dramatic and tragic and detracted a bit from the historical-novel elements.

Overall, this book is worth reading as a fictionalized inside look at a rather famously dysfunctional royal family and the importance of royal nannies. It's enjoyable enough for a few days' reading, as long as you don't mind some creative license with the historical facts. I give it 2.5 stars.

[Miriel68 · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of everything connected to the British Royal Family, this book will make for an interesting read. Based on the life of a real royal nanny, Charlotte Bill, it gives an insight into the private life of royals at the beginning of the XXth century. As a historical novel, however, it has nothing to recommend itself.

[Melanie Lopata · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was bored to death with the book - I felt it dragged on and on. Also there were several mistakes that were quite noticeable (i.e. The baby was 9 months old and then twenty pages later he was 6 months old). Wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.5. Loved the historical aspects of the book related to the British monarchy but got a little annoyed with the main character and her love interest.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte "Lala" Bill arrives at Sandringham eager to begin as an assistant to the royals' head nurse. But when she witnesses the young boys' abuse at the hands of this nurse, she takes matters into her own hands, and forever shapes the landscape of royal nurses and nannies. As she raises each of the children, wondering what she'll do when the youngest will age out of the nursery and enter the schoolroom, one last royal is born: Prince Johnny, a misunderstood soul and young boy with epilepsy. He's hidden from view of the public, and the family rarely witnesses his epileptic attacks, but it's Lala's steadfast love and determined devotion that unites the family during a tumultuous time in history.

This novel really pulled at my heartstrings. Watching David and Bertie grow up and experience the reign of three different monarchs (great-grandmother Queen Victoria, grandfather Edward VII, father George V) as well as the other children's interactions with their royal cousins (specifically the Romanovs), witnessing all the changes in history at the turn of the century (electricity, cars, planes, WWI), was fascinating in and of itself. 

Some of the dialogue felt a little forced, but it was to give the reader a sense of the passage of time with regard to meaningful events. And, admittedly, I was more curious about David and Bertie, the two kings pre-WWII and all the drama surrounding abdicating the throne. However, Harper wrote a very engaging narrative that made me care more than I ever thought I would about little John, the lost prince. His story is the epitome of the sad, bleak reality of royal children prior to his birth. Royals were presented to their parents for a few minutes each day! Lala changed that. Lala gave these children the love and attention they deserved, especially since their parents could not or would not. And she made a taboo illness a discussable topic, embracing and facing adversity head on instead of brushing it under the rug.  

The writing is intimate, revealing the hidden history behind the events of WWI and the deep family connections within.Toss in the upstairs-downstairs point of view of the royal nanny who shaped the kind of nannies royalty seek today, and you're in for a treat. Fans of King's Speech and Downton Abbey, royal history buffs, and anyone who loves reading books with family dynamic focus would thoroughly enjoy this novel.

[Gail Amendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have long been fascinated with the British royal family, so this book written from the point of view of Charlotte Bill, nanny to the children of the Duke of York, later King George V, was just down my alley. I'm sure artistic license was taken, but the bones of the story are accurate. It illustrates the lonely life of royal nannies of that time, who were not part of the family, but not part of the community of servants either, and who gave up the dream of having a family of their own to act as surrogate parents for their largely absent royal employers. It also highlights the struggles of royal heirs, who are born into a role they do not want but feel obligated to perform. Charlotte's charges included the future kings Edward VIII and George VI, but the one who stole her heart was the youngest son, Prince John, who suffered from epilepsy and died in his early teens. We also get an interesting view a turbulent time in history, as WWI tears Europe apart, and revolution results in the death of the Russian royals, close relatives of the British royal family. There is romantic aspect to the story, which is likely completely fictional, but serves to illustrate the very restrictive life royal nannies lead. The story was engaging, and for the most part well written. My only complaint is with occasional confusion over royal titles, with a princess being referred to as the queen, or a duchess as princess. Given that the characters did have several changes of title as the story went on, it is understandable that getting it correct is challenging, but that is what editors are for.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded from 3 1/2
A "palate cleanser" book - not too heavy on the history, doesn't force you to think about social issues. A pleasant enough story about Charlotte "Lala" Bill, nanny to the Duke of Windsor and his younger siblings, particularly youngest son Johnny.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Royal Nanny" - written by Karen Harper and published in 2016 by William Morrow, HarperCollins. Yes, I'll admit to having a fascination (not obsession!) with the British Royals. This historical fiction novel recalls the raising of the children of King George V and his wife Victoria Mary of Teck. (Their son George was the father of the recently late Queen Elizabeth). The story teller is the children's nanny, Charlotte Bill, known as Lala. Her concerns and efforts toward their education, safety, and above all providing an anchor of love and support made this an engrossing story. A major plot point was fabricated and of course conversations are imagined, but it seems the rest provides a creditable, fascinating glimpse into the internal life of this royal family.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize when I started this book that it is based in truth (fiction based on facts = faction). The author is also a great storyteller. I am not a "fan of the royals" but I do enjoy historical fiction. This is definitely a book I recommend if you are a fan of either.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

London - 1897

Miss Charlotte Bill, age 22, has just been hired to be under nurse to the royal family at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate. She is to care for David and Bertie, the two sons of the Duke and Duchess of York. The head nurse is Mrs. Mary Peters. The boys are taken by their nurse to visit with their parents each day at 4:00 PM, when their parents are in residence. David cries a lot when he sees his parents which ends up with them sending him away with his nurse. Bertie is very thin and always hungry. When Charlotte catches Mrs. Peters spanking David, she is shocked. The nurse wants David’s love only for her which is why she pinches him before he is to visit with his parents making him cry. The woman is deemed deranged and sent away. Charlotte then becomes head nurse and the children nickname her LaLa.

Soon, Baby Mary is born, followed a few years later by Baby Harry. The children all love Lala and she adores them dedicating her life to them.

Charlotte becomes friends with Chad who works on the estate. He proposes to her, but she refuses him because she feels her charges need her.

Soon, the Duke and Duchess decide that David and Bertie have a man named Finch to come in and take over some of their care and studies. Bertie’s father always berated him which made the child stutter. This is a problem that followed him all of his life.

Later, Baby George is born followed by the last child, Baby Johnnie. Johnnie’s birth was a very difficult one and for quite awhile he had breathing problems. Charlotte is very drawn to this child and considers him hers. When he starts having seizures, the family feels he needs to be hidden away. So, Charlotte and Johnnie live quietly in a cottage on the estate.

This is a wonderful novel that follows the royal family for 60 years. It’s a depiction of the family life of the royals as seen from the inside. I have always been fascinated with the history of the English royal family but have not read much about this particular time period in the family. I learned a lot and will remember this terrific story for a long time to come.

Copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss