King's Counsellor Abdication and War: The Diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles

King's Counsellor Abdication and War: The Diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles by Hart-Davis, Duff. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780753822258.

Tommy Lascelless diaries begin with Edward VIIIs abdication and end with George VIs death and his daughter Elizabeths Coronation. In between we see George VI at work and play, a portrait more intimate than any other previously published. The early part about Edward VIII is a damning profile; the bulk of the book is World War II as seen from a key courtier?Lascelles is first assistant and soon private secretary to the King and Queen. In the post-war discussions, topics include Queen Marys concern over the marriage of her grandson George Harewood (Lascelles 2nd cousin) and Princess Margarets relationship with the equerry, Peter Townsend. There is one additional element: Winston Churchill. Lascelles shows the Prime Minister and the King and how they worked together and how Churchill didnt always get his way. Lascelles was a fine writer and his diaries are a delight to read as well as being invaluable history.