Uncle Wales was one of her least favourite people, because he chaffed – teased in a way that was unkind. Not wanting to draw his attention, May moved away, walking across to where, at a white-clothed table, her mother, Princess Mary Adelaide – known by her royal title as the Duchess of Teck – was indulging her passion for cream cakes in the company of the Princess of Wales. Although May always went out of her way to avoid her Uncle Wales, she adored his graceful, stylish Danish wife, Alix.

‘Why are you on your own, May?’ Alix asked, with the gentle smile that had won not only the hearts of the family she had married into, but those of her new country as well. ‘My little chicks would love to be spending time with you.’

The little chicks in question – twelve-year-old Louise (always known as Looloo), eleven-year-old Victoria (known as Toria, to differentiate her from all the other Victorias in the family) and nine-year-old Maud – were a little distance away, sitting on a blanket and arguing over a game of Jacks.

May didn’t find the thought of joining them enticing. Not when, only minutes ago, Toria had pointed out to her that she lacked the pedigree that she, Louise and Maud possessed.

‘A Serene Highness is far less royal than a Royal Highness,’ she had said, annoyed that May had beaten her at Halma. ‘You’ll never be a country’s queen, but I will, and so will Looloo and Maudie.’

‘No, I won’t,’ Maudie had said, resetting the Halma board. ‘I’m going to marry May’s brother, Frank.’

‘But Frank’s also a Serene Highness, you silly girl,’ Toria had said, exasperated. ‘Don’t you know anything, Maudie?’

‘I don’t know very much,’ Maudie had admitted, ‘but I do know that Frank is the nicest and best person in the whole wide world.’

May, the only girl in a family of four, was well practised at peace-making and, aware that Toria’s annoyance with Maudie was now close to the hair-pulling stage, she’d said hurriedly, ‘I don’t care that I’m not likely to marry the heir to a throne, Toria. I just want to marry someone who loves me.’

‘And who you are in love with,’ Maudie had said. Out of the three Wales girls, she was the only one May regarded as a genuine friend. ‘That’s very important, May. And now is this next game of Halma going to be you and me against Toria and Looloo? And if it is, which pawns do you want to play with? I’m taking the blue, because blue is my lucky colour.’

Remembering the incident, May said now, ‘I’ll come back a little later and play Jacks, Aunt Alix. For the moment, I’m looking for Ella and Alicky. You don’t know where they are, do you?’