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25 reviews for:
The Little Princesses: The Story of the Queen's Childhood by Her Governess
Marion Crawford
3.92 AVERAGE
25 reviews for:
The Little Princesses: The Story of the Queen's Childhood by Her Governess
Marion Crawford
3.92 AVERAGE
lisa_bee88's review against another edition
4.0
Please don't think I didn't love this because it took me so long to read. Quite the opposite, I wanted to savour it!
I admit I am a tad daggy and into the royal family now. Yes it's because, like everyone else, I loved The Crown, but I defend myself by saying I was pretty into them before that. Now it's just... crazier.
Reading about young Elizabeth and Margaret was enchanting. Such normal, funny little girls.
I cried my way through the chapter about Elizabeth and Philip (just let them be together!!)
My one complaint is what happened to our governess, Crawfie, who wrote this charming and beautiful memoir. Because of cause, the royal family banished her after being part of their family (and giving up her own life) for years. I know this is their policy, such as the Queens recent scandal with her lingerie provider, but with crawfie it felt so cruel. She died a very lonely old lady, and they never reached out to her again. Very sad.
4.5 stars.
I admit I am a tad daggy and into the royal family now. Yes it's because, like everyone else, I loved The Crown, but I defend myself by saying I was pretty into them before that. Now it's just... crazier.
Reading about young Elizabeth and Margaret was enchanting. Such normal, funny little girls.
I cried my way through the chapter about Elizabeth and Philip (just let them be together!!)
My one complaint is what happened to our governess, Crawfie, who wrote this charming and beautiful memoir. Because of cause, the royal family banished her after being part of their family (and giving up her own life) for years. I know this is their policy, such as the Queens recent scandal with her lingerie provider, but with crawfie it felt so cruel. She died a very lonely old lady, and they never reached out to her again. Very sad.
4.5 stars.
ksschrag's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was a sweet story by someone who clearly adored her charges.
sage5357's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the intro of this book and thought it set it up nicely — as a long time British Royals fan, I thought this book was delightful. And I’m puzzled why the Royal Family saw fit to cut Crawfie off after its publication, especially later on in the 20th century when things like this book were so innocent by comparison. Kind of sad and heartbreaking. And it’s so sweet that Crawfie willed her memorabilia to Elizabeth when she died in the 1980s, she could have sold all that and made a fortune!
Overall this book was a delightful glimpse into the lives of the princesses and I enjoyed it.
Overall this book was a delightful glimpse into the lives of the princesses and I enjoyed it.
linnylionheart's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, and War
holly2kidsandtired's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this gem. First published in 1950, it is the story of Marion Crawford, who was the nanny to Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret. It begins in 1932 when Marion, called Crawfie by Princess Elizabeth, joined the royal household of the, then, Duke and Duchess of York. Crawfie was 24, and came to be the princesses' teacher. She stayed with the royal family until the time of Prince Charles' birth in 1948.
The story is tender and revealing. The Duke and Duchess relished their quiet family life. Being the second son, the sensitive Duke never imagined the path his life would take when his brother abdicated the throne. Plunged into the roles of King and Queen, the royals relied on Crawfie to help raise their daughters while maintaining their family life as best they could.
Crawfie's affection for the family, but especially for Princess Elizabeth, or Lilibet as she is referred to, is strong. And, it is apparent that the affection they have for her is equally as strong. She shares details of their daily lives and provides an insight into the life of royalty that is fascinating. A significant portion of the story is told from the WW2 viewpoint and how the struggles and rationing affected the royal family. We also see the changes in Princess Elizabeth as she comes to accept her role as future queen. Her courtship and marriage to Prince Phillip are chronicled as well.
The class system has never left England. Even today. I have no understanding nor respect of "royalty". That of being important simply because of a person's birth, nor the devotion and loyalty that people show them, especially since they're mainly figureheads. Crawfie nearly gave up her chance for marriage, simply to serve the King and Queen. I don't get it. I never will. I don't share the public's fascination with royalty nor celebrity for that matter.
The story, however, is an entertaining one. It's a tender, touching account of the childhood of Britain's current queen by the woman who, perhaps, understood her best.
The story is tender and revealing. The Duke and Duchess relished their quiet family life. Being the second son, the sensitive Duke never imagined the path his life would take when his brother abdicated the throne. Plunged into the roles of King and Queen, the royals relied on Crawfie to help raise their daughters while maintaining their family life as best they could.
Crawfie's affection for the family, but especially for Princess Elizabeth, or Lilibet as she is referred to, is strong. And, it is apparent that the affection they have for her is equally as strong. She shares details of their daily lives and provides an insight into the life of royalty that is fascinating. A significant portion of the story is told from the WW2 viewpoint and how the struggles and rationing affected the royal family. We also see the changes in Princess Elizabeth as she comes to accept her role as future queen. Her courtship and marriage to Prince Phillip are chronicled as well.
The class system has never left England. Even today. I have no understanding nor respect of "royalty". That of being important simply because of a person's birth, nor the devotion and loyalty that people show them, especially since they're mainly figureheads. Crawfie nearly gave up her chance for marriage, simply to serve the King and Queen. I don't get it. I never will. I don't share the public's fascination with royalty nor celebrity for that matter.
The story, however, is an entertaining one. It's a tender, touching account of the childhood of Britain's current queen by the woman who, perhaps, understood her best.
ananasparachute's review against another edition
3.0
Generally a good book.
It is wise to bear in mind that it was written in a different time, when biographers (even unauthorized ones such as this) didn't tend to "spill the tea" on their subjects like they do now. The Royal Family was treated with much more reverence.
This is, then, a simple little tale about the governess that looked after the then-Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. There are no life-shattering or surprising revelations, just sweet stories about their childhood and Elizabeth's courtship with Philip.
"Crawfie", as the children called her, obviously loved and was deeply devoted to the family, even postponing her marriage til after the war and continuing to live with the family to look after Princess Margaret after her own and Princess Elizabeth's marriage. That kind of devotion is rare and I'm not sure if that would happen in today's world.
This will really not tell you anything deep about the royal family, but it's a nice little tale about them.
It is wise to bear in mind that it was written in a different time, when biographers (even unauthorized ones such as this) didn't tend to "spill the tea" on their subjects like they do now. The Royal Family was treated with much more reverence.
This is, then, a simple little tale about the governess that looked after the then-Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. There are no life-shattering or surprising revelations, just sweet stories about their childhood and Elizabeth's courtship with Philip.
"Crawfie", as the children called her, obviously loved and was deeply devoted to the family, even postponing her marriage til after the war and continuing to live with the family to look after Princess Margaret after her own and Princess Elizabeth's marriage. That kind of devotion is rare and I'm not sure if that would happen in today's world.
This will really not tell you anything deep about the royal family, but it's a nice little tale about them.