And for the most part it is, until she meets George, older than her, but with the ambitions of becoming Marion’s husband much to the delight of Marion’s mother. Marion is loyal and faithful to the household she serves as well as falling in love with George. She has to choose duty and the path she thinks is best. It is not until much later that she chooses a married life. All that time George waited. But is there something bitter from Marion’s dedication to something other than the man she is supposed to love. I really enjoyed the correspondence throughout the book. It was an interesting way to glean information. Locations and dates headed each chapter, which I found very helpful. Dunfermline, Scotland. Marion Crawford, a bright, ambitious young teacher, is ready to make her mark on the world. Until a twist of fate changes the course of her life forever. Windsor Castle. At first this ordinary woman is in a new world, working as governess to two young princesses Elizabeth & Margaret, in a household she calls home but where everyone is at a distance. As the course of history changes, she finds herself companion to the future Queen, and indispensable to the crown. And slowly their needs become her needs. Their lives become hers. It’s then she meets George, and falls in love for the first time. Now Marion faces an impossible choice: her sense of duty or the love of her life. The Good Servant is in fact Marion Crawford, the governess to the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret in the 1930s onwards. Names familiar to us a Princess Elizabeth is now the longest serving monarch in British History having just celebrated her platinum jubilee.

Please make sure you read the afterwords though as ferns notes on writing the book and the questions she raises to the reader add a whole new dimension to this wonderfully constructed book. Fern Britton anchored the Pride of Britain Awards in 2002 and was one among the panellists on the satirical panel show, Have I Got News for You. In 2011 Fern Britton would write her first novel, which would be titled ‘New Beginnings,’ and it would be a stand-alone romance novel. The following year in 2012 she would start her ‘Hidden Treasures’ series of romance novels, starting with the book also named ‘Hidden Treasures.’ These titles would fast see her becoming successful, as many would come to appreciate her as a fully fledged author in her own right. Marion “Crawfie” Crawford, a governess to the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, for the most part sacrifices her own happiness, nuptials and education, to become a dedicated and loyal servant to the monarchy. This story has its host of characters, including Crawfie’s husband who is a drunkard and liar, the other Royals, staff and other characters. Marion’s time with the family lasted until 1949 and she retained favour for some time afterwards until she was taken advantage of by some unscrupulous people who wanted to buy her “inside stories”. Of course today, the Royal Family’s private lives are far more well documented but in the 1950’s it was quite different and as the first servant to cash in on the private lives of the royals, Crawfie was ostracised by the royal family and they never spoke to her again. Whilst it is widely accepted that she had been under the influence of George Buthlay, who she married in 1947, Marion was absolutely devastated when she realised the implications and she never really recovered, living the rest of her life under a cloud away from everyone she had once been so close to.

Hungry for more new 2022 books?

Loyal up until circumstances take Marion down a different path, her words her twisted, her actions questioned and her loyalty broken. She told of what happened behind palace walls. She broken the trust. But did she? Was she a victim of something else, influence by those around her who were fed up of being in her shadow? Marion’s funeral in 1988 was a lonely one. There were no wreaths from the Royal Family. Her royal pension was paid until the day she died”. I’d heard of Miss Crawford (Crawfie) before but don’t know her full or story or the scandal that happened later on in her life.I knew George was going to be no good for Crawfie when a certain incident happened , it was only a minor detail but it set me thinking about him. I really loved the forward that Fern has written with regards to the Queen and her passing. It really shows Fern's great respect and sadness in and around the event and is a great prelude to the story she goes on to tell.

Overall, I think this book will appeal to people who enjoy TV shows like The Crown or perhaps Downton Abbey, but it is not a book for anyone who already knows the story well. I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. A British television presenter and author, Fern Briton is a household name for many throughout the United Kingdom. Communicating with a wider audience on a regular basis, she’s become a highly recognizable personality for many on a regular basis. This is largely due to her accessible style and approach, something which she has brought with her into her writing. Producing numerous novels over the years, she really sets herself apart, with her engaging, compelling, and extremely evocative style. This was an easy, if far from scintillating read. If the definition of a good servant is loyal, hardworking, trustworthy and discreet then Marion Crawford for the majority of her career fulfilled the brief, only to fall at the last hurdle. I’ll leave it to you to decide whether or not it was her dogged pursuit of her own happy ever after that hastened her demise but I know which side of the fence I’m sitting on! This fictionalised account of a real story follows Marion Crawford, a young Scottish woman who finds herself becoming the governess for the tiny Princesses, Lilibet and Margaret, and follows her years with them, until an awful misunderstanding occurs, causing her to be cast out of the Royal fold, after many, many years of devoted service.

Publication Order of Hidden Treasures Books

I adored this book, I like anything historical and this of course gives you a glimpse into something we well never really know about unless we are amongst it. Royalty is steeped in mystery no matter how old you are and I think it should be, to know the real truth would somehow ruin that. The book starts in 1932, when Marion Crawford, a bright, ambitious young teacher, accepts a summer job looking after the children of Lord & Lady Elgin. Lady Elgin was the sister of the Duchess of York and this summer job led to Marion being introduced to the Yorks, and offered the job of governess to Princesses Elizabeth & Margaret.

Ma non si parla di due giovani ragazze che vede crescere e educare, ma una di loro è persino la futura Regina d'Inghilterra. I devoured all the rich details in Crawfies story including her home in Scotland and all the details about the different palaces she worked in while taking care of the Princesses, all the royal history that I love and her friendship with Bobo & Alah was very endearing as they are all in it together taking care of Elizabeth and Margaret. I was not expecting this ! I’ll be honest I expected a good read but I did not expect to fall in love with this book!! Initially released through HarperCollins once again, this was published in 2021 on the 29th of April to a great deal of acclaim. Providing another stand-alone romance, it’s similar to Fern Britton’s other books, but it also has some twists and turns of its own. Taking place in Cornwall in England, it’s a story with a lot to offer, and is a must for both fans of the author and the genre as a whole.

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and HarperCollins UK. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a fictionalised story based on true events featuring Marion Crawford, Governess to Lilibet and Margaret for many years, who then ended up shunned by the Royal Family upon releasing her memoirs of life in the Royal household post her retirement. I have enjoyed Fern Britton's books in the past and this was a little different from her other reads but no less brilliant. A family saga beginning at the end of the first and continuing through second world war, as it begins in 1918 with Clara Bolitho fighting for her family. Later in 1947 Hannah, Clara’s daughter, is falling in love for her very first time, but with the wake of World War Two underway, she must now protect her baby Caroline. Moving ahead to 2020, Caroline is living quietly on the Cornish coastline, but there’s devastating family secret that threatens to rear its head. Will she be able to get past it, can they all overcome this hurdle, and what will become of the daughters of Cornwall?

I do love some of the English expressions: “Toot sweet” for immediately. “Tinkety tonk, Old Fruit” for “goodbye, my friend”, although I’m not sure if any friend of mine would be too pleased with being called “old fruit” lol The story paints a vivid and insightful look into royal life throughout her tenure as Governess. And I loved the really fond memories, the close relationships that were formed as a result of the unique situations that the Royal Family live through as is dictated by their status and constitutional rules that history has lain down before them.