It’s very much all go here. Everything required by the family for their Christmas stay at Sandringham is being packed up and sent to Norfolk for their arrival. Alah and Bobo have been very busy as you can imagine. I, on the other hand, have been setting a little homework for the girls to take with them. I don’t want them to lose the habit of reading and learning just because it’s Christmas!

Queen Mary came to tea last week and asked me how their lessons were going. She is very encouraging and understands how the Duchess perhaps doesn’t take the girls’ education as seriously as she might, or that I would like. Her Majesty is keen for them to know their history and has offered to write to the royal librarian, Mr Morshead, to put on one of his historical tours of the Royal Palaces for them. I did say that I got a little discouraged at times because the Duchess does disrupt the teaching timetable with appointments for the dentist or hairdresser. The Queen passed over my indiscretion and told me that Mr Morshead has been concerned that the last eighteen books ordered by the Duchess had all been P.G. Wodehouse. ‘It’s all very well to enjoy some light reading and lots of fresh air, but at some point they must read some Dickens, Austen and Shakespeare,’ she said.

I thanked her with relief and couldn’t agree more. She’s a wonderful woman, warm and intelligent.

I had heard that the King has been unwell and wanted to ask her how he was, but it’s not my place. Sandringham is his favourite home and I hope he will feel a lot better for resting there.

It won’t be long now until I see you. Don’t put the tree up until I get home, will you?

Fondest love to you and Dad.

Marion

Chapter Thirteen

Buckingham Palace, December 1935

Sir Alan Lascelles, MC, known to all as Tommy, arrived at Buckingham Palace with no small amount of trepidation. The last time he had left the building was more than six years before, when he had resigned as assistant private secretary to Edward, known as David, Prince of Wales.

Now, here he was again, fresh from a four-year stint abroad as private secretary to the Governor-General of Canada, flattered into taking up the post of Assistant Private Secretary to King George V.

Tommy had left the services of the King’s son in 1929, openly admitting that he didn’t like the man and thought him unworthy of his position as Prince of Wales – so he was uncertain as to why the King had thought to give him the job.

However, here he was, with a salary of £1,500 per annum, a grace-and-favour home and the encouragement of his wife, Joan.

The Lord Chamberlain had written the confirmation letter with an instruction to pack a full-dress coat and knee breeches.

A costumed footman welcomed him. ‘Good morning, Sir Alan. I am ordered to take you to your new office and get you settled in.’