The Royal House of Windsor [antikvár]

Author's note First I must thank the Royal Librarian and his staiFfor answering certain questions on the period which I put to them, and for sending me some unpublished extracts from letters to King George v and Queen Mary on their Silver Jubilee. It is impossible to mention all the friends whose kindness and help have meant much to me. I take this opportunity to thank them most warmly. I must, however, express special gratitude to those experts who have allowed me to tap their stores of knowledge on many points. Sir John Wheeler-Bennett's generosity and expertise are incomparable, and his King George VI has been a sure guide throughout. King George V is an earlier landmark whose author Sir Harold Nicolson, alas, I can no longer thank. I am greatly indebted to Sir Martin Charteris, Viscount Gage, Lord Adeane, Sir Martin Gilliat, Miss Anne Hawkins, Mr John Marriott, Mr Jock Colville and Sir Edward Ford. On particular aspects of the Royal House's history, I have received most valuable information from Mr Erskine Childers, President of Ireland, Professor P.N.S. Mansergh, Professor J.D.B.Miller, Sir James Butler, Sir Frank Twiss, Secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain, Viscount Dilhorne, Mr Christopher Dobson, Librarian of the House of Lords, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Mr Richard Hough, Lord and Lady Rupert Neville, Mrs J.M.Cowland of the Meteorological Office Library, Mrs Mollie Gillen, Miss Anna Collins, Mr Robert de Stacpoole and Mr Quintin J.Iwi. I also wish to thank my agent Mr Graham Watson, and my publishers. Mr Christopher Falkus has given me active and energetic help at all stages. I owe much to Miss Gila Curtis, to Miss Celia Clear for her work on the manuscript and illustrations, and to Miss Susan Pinkus for picture-research. It is a pleasure to thank Mrs Agnes Fenner once more for her typing, and also for the loan of the diary kept by her father on board hms Bacchante. My family have spurred me on. Judith read the proofs, Antonia and Rachel showed unflagging interest, as did my sons. My grandchildren will be able to see the future development of the House of Windsor in ways which this book has at most been able to foreshadow. Above all, my profound gratitude to Frank for reading everything, step by step, including the sources. II