In Royal Service to the Queen

May 31, 2021
Arlen (the Lady Montfort Mystery Series) delivers an engrossing story of Scottish governess Marion Crawford, who served the English royal family for 16 years. In 1931, the Duchess of York hires Marion to teach five-year-old Princess Elizabeth. Marion is taken with the young princesses, “Lilibet” and Margaret, and in 1936 she witnesses the effects of King Edward VIII’s abdication on the family. The move to Buckingham Palace proves hard on the princesses and their bond with Marion, whom they call “Crawfie.” During the Blitz, Lilibet and Margaret take refuge with Marion and staff at Windsor Castle, and Marion comes to think of them as her own children, though by 1945 she is struck by Margaret’s temperamental airs as well as Lilibet’s neutral response to news of the atomic bombings on Japan (“Here she was displaying the sort of detachment that appalled me”). After the war, as Lilibet takes an interest in Prince Philip, Marion feels trapped between her love for war veteran George Buthlay and her duty to the royals and Lilibet, who needs support due to her parents’ initial resistance to her plans to marry Philip. As Marion tries to achieve her own fulfillment, the story culminates with a heart-wrenching reversal. Fans of The Crown will devour this. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary.

June 14, 2021
Author of two historical-mystery series, Arlen (Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers, 2020) pivots to historical fiction with her story about Marion Crawford, governess to Windsor princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. While their parents unexpectedly take the throne and guide England through WWII and its aftermath, "Crawfie" devotedly cares for the girls for 16 years, trying to keep them grounded as they grow into their often-overwhelming responsibilities. However, the effort to balance her work with the needs of her own family proves to be an uphill battle, and she eventually finds that loyalty can be a one-way street with the Windsors. This is a moving depiction of Crawford as a woman keen enough to see through the facades of those around her, and practical enough to circumvent anything standing in the way of what's best for Elizabeth and Margaret, even at great personal cost. The warmth she feels for both girls, and theirs for her, is obvious, and Arlen's vivid descriptions bring the reader into the room. This engaging book will appeal to readers, whether they already know the true story or not.

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