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Alathea Fitzalan Howard
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The Windsor Diaries: My Childhood with the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Hardcover – Deckle Edge, May 4, 2021

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 300 ratings
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The never-before-published diaries of Alathea Fitzalan Howard—who spent her teenaged years living out World War II in Windsor Great Park with her close friends Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth, the future queen of the United Kingdom—provide an extraordinary and intimate look at the British Royal Family.

Like so many others in Great Britain, young Alathea Fitzalan Howard’s life was turned upside down by the start of the Second World War. Sent to stay with her grandfather at the historic Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park, Alathea found the affection she so craved through her close friendship with the two princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, and their parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, her neighbors at nearby Windsor Castle.

Together, the girls enjoyed parties, cinema evenings, picnics, and more, all recorded in honest and captivating detail in Alathea’s diary, which she kept as a constant source of comfort. Day by day, from ages sixteen to twenty-two, she recorded the intimate details of her life with the Royal Family and the anxieties of wartime Britain. Now, published for the first time, these unique diaries unveil a candid and vivid portrait of the British Royal Family and of Princess Elizabeth in particular, the warm, quiet young girl who was already on her journey to her ultimate destiny: the Crown.
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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Atria Books
  4. Publication date
    May 4, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1.1 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1982169176
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1982169176
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A dedicated and meticulous diarist, unfailingly recording the goings-on of her life as the royal family’s welcome interloper.... Howard’s observations imbue the reader with an intimacy of the casual, everyday life of 20th-century British royalty." ― Vanity Fair

"As bombs fell on London during World War II, a young Alathea was whisked to relative safety. The house next door? Windsor Castle. Her new best friends? Princess Margaret and the warm, awkward Princess Elizabeth, heir to the throne. They enjoy picnics, parties, outings to the movies and more, all of it lovingly captured in the diaries Alathea kept for years. This is a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse at the young royals." ― Parade

"Reveals never-before-heard stories about Elizabeth and Margaret, bringing the young princesses’ private teenage lives into public view. Acting as both a historical document and an engaging series of vignettes, Howard’s diary entries give new insight into the British royal family." ― Town & Country

"A parade of delicious details....Alathea's daily diaries captured the royal family at ground level with endearing glimpses as well as astute observations." ― Air Mail

"A must-read for all fans of The Crown and royal devotees." ― Verandah

"Offers a fascinating glimpse of the sweet, simple, somewhat awkward young girl who would become Queen Elizabeth II." ― New York Post

"I loved reading this. So reminiscent of my own childhood." -- Anne Glenconner, author of LADY IN WAITING

"A compelling and revealing insight into the teenage life of the then Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret." ― Daily Mail

"Funny, astute, poignant and historically fascinating." ― The Times

"Fascinating insight into Elizabeth as a teenager." ― OK! Magazine

"An unforgettable picture of those innocent, harmless times." ― Times Literary Supplement

“Perfect for fans of 'The Crown,’ this is the kind of book you want to curl up with next to a roaring fire or on your next vacation. A fascinating, eyewitness account of the British Royal Family’s private life against the backdrop of the Second World War, ’The Windsor Diaries’ shows the King, the Queen, and the two princesses through the eyes of a girl who was invited into their home during Britain’s darkest hour. I could not put it down.” -- Gareth Russell, author of The Ship of Dreams

"A captivating behind-the-scenes look at the royal family...intimate and endearing." ― Publishers Weekly

"An insider account that is essential for followers of the royal family." ― Library Journal

About the Author

Alathea Fitzalan Howard was born in 1923 and spent the war years alongside the Royal Family at Windsor. She died in 2001.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria Books (May 4, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1982169176
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982169176
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.1 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 300 ratings

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Alathea Fitzalan Howard

Alathea Fitzalan Howard

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
300 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

R. Boothe
5.0 out of 5 stars A diary of the friendship between the diarist and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret during WWII
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2021
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This book is the diary of Althalea Fitzalan Howard that she kept from 1939 - 1945, during WWII. During this time she lived at Cumberland Lodge which was very close to Windsor Castle. It details her friendship with Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, and Princess Margaret as well as her family life, which was not the best. Althalea would have eventually been the Duke of Norfolk, if she had been a boy. In this book, Althalea confirms the close, loving family life that Queen Elizabeth grew up in, which was in contrast to her own. The book in no way demeans the British Royal Family, but in fact, presents them in a very positive light through Althalea's adoring eyes. It is not the happiest diary, but I did enjoy reading it. It was something that Althalea wanted to be published and I am happy that it was.
13 people found this helpful
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🐕 HOTDOG
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2022
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Glad I decided to order
One person found this helpful
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Christine Paris
4.0 out of 5 stars Very revealing of the royal family during the war years.
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2022
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This book was interesting as a historical glimpse into the lives of the royal family by the friends and family who revolved around the king and queen, though I found it almost nauseatingly fawning at times. It really shows how insular the princesses were. Everyone around them, even relatives, were always on the outside of the magic circle of the "foursome". The king and queen were determined that their girls were raised with as much care and happiness as possible, and many suitable children of the hundreds of staff members were chosen to be in hunting parties, picnics and girl scout troops to give the princesses a feeling of company and normality, although there was always a glass between them and everyone else. I found the author to be a nice person, but mostly a king of besotted "fan" of princess Elizabeth, thrilled and happy for days when given a smile, and miserable if the princesses didn't include them in some activity. She seems to have spent every waking moment thinking about and planning for every possible chance to ingratiate herself with the royal family. It was sad and seemed pathetic to me. Still, a very interesting view into that time and how the royal family coped during the war years. ..
3 people found this helpful
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Researcher
5.0 out of 5 stars Observations and Longings of a WWII Teenage Companion of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2021
I enjoyed this glimpse into the thoughts and observations of a teenager and young woman who, when her parents separated, had been shuffled off to live at Cumberland Lodge with her aging grandfather during World War II.

Because of her proximity to Windsor Castle, young Alathea was privileged to become a frequent companion of even younger princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Even so, raised in the aristocracy,
Alathea knew “her place” and her interaction with the princesses was controlled to the point where I believe there was only one occasion, a brief walk, on which she was truly alone with Princess Elizabeth. Alathea longed for a genuine friendship of shared intimacies but protocol prevented it. Alathea was, in a sense, an insider doomed to always be an outsider.

Psychologically abused by her own mother and starved of any familial affection, Alathea was treated kindly by the King and Queen, was frequently in their company and thought of them as her substitute family.

Some posters have found fault with Alathea’s obsessions with clothes and the royals and her complaints about her life but have these posters never been teenagers? The teenage years are a misery for many people and the fact that Alathea was born into the aristocracy, had beautiful clothes and attended parties does not mean she was happy. Despite the trappings of wealth, she was desperately lonely and powerless. Her happiness was transitory and dependent on whether she was invited to drawing classes, tea, movie nights and parties with the princesses. Except for the exhalted status of the royals, is that really so different from the average teenager waiting by the phone to be invited to a party, in a state of ecstasy when they are and crushed with despair when they aren't?

Had she been a boy, Alathea would have become the Duke of Norfolk but, as a girl, she was raised to believe that how she looked and how well she married were all that mattered. Is it then any wonder that her private thoughts were focused on those things and on her “substitute family,” the royal family? By all accounts, the King, the Queen and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were a very close, loving foursome. Of course, Alathea obsessed about them. They represented that which she didn’t have, a happy home life. Rather than regarding her as spoiled, I felt sorry for her.


I enjoyed her observations about their behavior (almost entirely positive), their clothing (she didn’t approve of princess Elizabeth’s dowdy attire and the custom of dressing Elizabeth and Margaret identically), and their personalities (Elizabeth as kind, serious, content and not at all inquisitive and Margaret as sweet and spirited). It would seem that Elizabeth was, by nature, well-suited for a life of duty.
5 people found this helpful
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Libby e berman
3.0 out of 5 stars An exceptional woman; a teenage diary.
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2024
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Whenever you read any biography of a royal- many aristocrats agree to talk, provided they are nameless. Alathea Alys Gwendolen Mary Fitzalan Howard had a terrible childhood- except for her friendship with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. She hung with visiting aristos, and the servantry, and her friendship with the royals replaced the mother- love she wasn't receiving from her parent. She writes what we all did- dresses , and picnics, art classes, and skating. Alathea was slightly older than Elizabeth, and her views of Elizabeth are spot on. Despite never being alone with either princess, she tagged them perfectly. And remained a friend until her death in 2001. She includes a hand- drawn map of the landscape between Windsor Castle, and her home, Cumberland Lodge. The others mentioned are name- checked in notes on the pages where they are present.Isn't seventeen too old to be a Girl Scout? This diary, covering the war years- isn't every day. One diary covered one year; entries are a paragraph at most. She describes how unfashionable Elizabeth was; how she glowed when speaking of Prince Phillip. The dogs, the war- there were deaths between Cumberland Lodge and Windsor Castle. Although not the most exciting book I ever read- this is the real teenage days of Elizabeth the Second, and as an historical document, important.
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Top reviews from other countries

Sandy M
5.0 out of 5 stars Discretely tragic
Reviewed in Canada on May 24, 2021
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What a great book! Very discretely leaves you thinking at the end.
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Ninaminacat
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique piece of social history
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2022
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Alathea Fitzalan Howard's wartime diaries have been edited by her niece by marriage to concentrate on her relationship with the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret; the drawing and dancing lessons which she was invited to take with them, the occasions she took tea with the royal family, the dances which the two older girls attended etc. The result is a unique piece of social history which simultaneously provides a fly-on-the-wall view of some aspects of the lives of the princesses and a personal account of Alathea's war work as a VAD nurse. It's fascinating to see how Alathea adapted to the rigours of her new life with its strict order and structure and how deeply she lamented having to exchange some of her regular contact with the princesses for scrubbing hospital floors. I liked the way that details of Alathea's interests and ambitions brought her to life; her interest in fashion came through clearly as did her hope to become a lady-in-waiting.

The epilogue, written by her niece, answers succinctly many of the questions which you might have about the rest of Alathea's life.
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Sally
5.0 out of 5 stars A poignant book
Reviewed in Australia on September 14, 2021
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This story holds great interest in any case, coming from the diaries of someone who knew and frequently played and met with Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret as girls and young women. It is interesting that the writer saw them as they saw themselves in being a self-sufficient family, happiest together, though this could make others--and her--feel left out.

But it is also a poignant coming-of-age story seen through the eyes of a young girl and young woman from a broken home, raised by a grandfather and seeing only too well that she is not wanted by her mother.

I wanted more, and I very much hope that the relations who published this part of the diaries continue on to publishing Alethea's adulthood diaries. I'd give a lot to read those too.
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Frances Harvey
5.0 out of 5 stars The Princess through the eyes of a young friend
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2021
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I thought this book was extremely interesting not only about the two princess but about the lives of the upper class during the Second World War. It is very inciteful but made me feel very sorry for Alathea. what a miserable life for a young girl with her mother disliking her so much. As Alathea said in her diary, if it was a different time she would have been taken into care. The Royal Family were very kind to her and included her in so many activities and parties. Would have liked a second book of her diaries showing how her life turned out.
Great book.
2 people found this helpful
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Ruth Lacy
4.0 out of 5 stars This gives an interesting picture of the Royal Family in Wartime
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2021
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This was an interesting book that improved as it went along and the girl matured. If you know the places involved you will find it a fascinating read.
One person found this helpful
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