The Windsor Diaries

The Windsor Diaries presents the wartime journals of Alathea Fitzalan Howard, who spent World War II at Windsor Castle alongside Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. The diaries span from 1940-1945, chronicling daily life, conversations, and activities with the future Queen Elizabeth II during their teenage years. Howard recorded intimate details about the royal family's private routines, including their lessons, leisure activities, and responses to wartime developments. Her position as friend and confidante to the princesses provides documentation of a unique period in British royal history through a contemporary observer's lens. The diaries contain Howard's observations of Princess Elizabeth's personality, her dedication to duty, and her early romance with Prince Philip. The entries also reveal Howard's personal struggles with family relationships and her deep attachment to the royal household. This primary source text offers insights into both the formation of Queen Elizabeth II's character and the impact of World War II on Britain's aristocratic youth. The diaries explore themes of friendship, duty, privilege, and coming of age during a period of national crisis.

Readers appreciate the intimate glimpses of teenage Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret through Howard's diary entries, offering a perspective from someone who spent substantial time with the royal family during WWII. Multiple reviewers note the historical value of day-to-day details about life at Windsor Castle during wartime. Many readers found Howard's obsession with social status and complaints about her family tiresome. Several reviews mention the repetitive nature of entries and Howard's perceived jealousy of Elizabeth. One reader noted "the author comes across as self-absorbed and privileged." Some readers struggled with the diary format, finding it dry and lacking narrative flow. Others wanted more insight into the princesses rather than Howard's personal concerns. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (1,100+ ratings) NetGalley: 3.8/5 (100+ ratings) Notable review quote: "A unique perspective on the young Queen Elizabeth, though filtered through the lens of a sometimes petulant observer." - Goodreads reviewer

The Lost Prince by Michael Mott The diaries of James Lees-Milne detail his time as curator of England's stately homes during WWII and provide insight into royal circles and British aristocratic life of the era.

Princes at War by Deborah Cadbury The account reveals the relationships and conflicts between Britain's royal brothers during World War II through private letters and documents.

The Mitford Girls by Mary S. Lovell The biography follows six aristocratic sisters who moved through the same privileged British circles as the young Princess Elizabeth during the 1930s and 40s.

Before the Crown by Flora Harding The narrative draws from historical records to depict the early relationship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip during wartime Britain.

The Last Princess by Matthew Dennison The biography of Princess Mary, daughter of George V, presents life within the British royal family during the same period covered in The Windsor Diaries.

📚 Alathea Fitzalan Howard spent her teenage years as a close friend and neighbor of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret during WWII, when the royal sisters were evacuated to Windsor Castle. 👑 The diaries reveal that Princess Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth II) was already deeply smitten with Prince Philip as a teenager, collecting his photographs and speaking about him frequently. ✍️ The author kept detailed diaries from age 16 to 24, documenting daily life, conversations, and activities with the royal family from 1940-1945, providing rare insight into their private world during wartime. 🏰 Despite her aristocratic background, Alathea often felt like an outsider and envied the close relationship between the two princesses, particularly their bond with their parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. 🗝️ The diaries remained private for over 70 years before being published in 2020, released with permission from Alathea's family after her death in 2001.