Behind palace doors

the long version

The most senior and best respected member of any royal family in history, she did not give one media interview in her 101 years. This affectionate and often hilarious glimpse into her world by her former equerry reveals what life was really like living with the most private of all the royals. In this sharp, funny and evocative memoir, the author draws on his years as the Queen Mother's right-hand man to recount numerous previously untold stories of an extraordinarily long and eventful life. From dancing with Fred Astaire to living through the Blitz; from the time Princess Margaret caught fire at a dinner party to when Prince Charles sought solace from his grandmother as his marriage collapsed, each anecdote and observation provides an historic insight into one of our longest surviving institutions. Constantly fascinating and packed from start to finish with previously untold stories that lift the lid on the idiosyncrasies of royal protocol, this is also a celebration of a life gone and a way of life fast disappearing.