‘No.’ She was appalled to see his eyes glitter with unshed tears. ‘Did you know that my darling Julie married last year?’

She shook her head.

‘Her husband is French. Julie is now the Marquise d’Hautpoul de Seyre and all I can do is hope she’ll be happy, because I can’t bear the thought of her not being so. And although I did think I could have made a go of it with Missy, I doubt I’ll ever bother trying to do so with anyone else. As far as I’m concerned, romance is overrated. But I’m glad for you and Eddy. I didn’t think he’d ever be truly happy, after being unable to marry Hélène, but since his engagement to you he clearly is.’

That evening a dance was held in Sandringham’s ballroom. As well as members of the family staying as guests, there were lots of Bertie’s and Alix’s non-royal friends staying in the house. They were the only members of the family to have such friendships, for Bertie liked mixing with bankers and members of the government and diplomats, and it always gave invitations to Sandringham an interesting and exciting edge.

Later, in her diary, May wrote:

I don’t believe any young woman in the entire history of the world has ever been as happy as I am now – and it’s all thanks to darling Eddy and the wonderful life we are about to embark on together. As we said goodnight to each other, he gave me the white camellia he had been wearing in his buttonhole, and I am going to press it within this page so that it will be a reminder of this glorious evening for ever more.

And before she did so, she pressed the flower tenderly to her lips.

In the morning, as they sat side by side at a large desk, writing letters expressing gratitude for congratulations and gifts, Eddy suddenly said, ‘A few weeks ago I would have regarded this as tedious, but doing it together is fun. When we move into Dublin Castle I’m going to arrange that our writing desks are in the same room and next to each other. Then we can always attend to our paperwork side by side, just as Granny Queen and Grandpa Albert did.’

His mention of Dublin Castle sent a delighted shiver of anticipation down May’s spine. It was still a secret, with only the Queen, the Prime Minister, Eddy’s father and themselves in the know.

‘And that is the way it has to stay, until after the wedding and until everything is ratified,’ her future father-in-law had said to her. ‘I can’t tell you how pleased I am, May, at the change in Eddy, now that he has you by his side.’