My historical novels so far (seven and counting) have featured the lives of real
historical British women, usually royal. Several featured Queen Elizabeth I; I
also wrote about an Irish princess and the Plantagenet royals. But when I came
across a footnote mentioning Charlotte Bill, a mere lower class nanny who lived
in a much later era, I knew I had to know more about her amazing life. And so
was born years of research to set the story in the Victorian and Edwardian eras
and to learn about a servant class woman with great power, because she reared
two kings of England.
Charlotte Bill was a Cockney girl who was first hired as an under nursemaid by
the royal family of the future King George V and Queen Mary, the current queen’s
grandparents, while Queen Victoria was still on the throne. Upon arriving at
their Norfolk estate of Sandringham, Charlotte discovered the current nanny was
abusing both David (later Kind Edward VIII and Duke of Windsor) and Bertie
(later King George VI.) If you recall the movie The King’s Speech, you may remember this terrible
incident which hurt both boys for the rest of their lives: David gravitated to
abusive women, and Bertie stuttered.
Charlotte, or Lala as
the six royal children called her, became their nanny and mother figure in an
age in which upper class parents were very hands off. The family was a real
challenge—besides the strict parents, the cousins were a danger too. Cousin
Willie was the Kaiser of Germany, later Kaiser Wilhelm who instigated World War
I. Cousin Nickie was Czar Nicholas of Russia, later assassinated with his family
whom Lala had spent time with. Caught between ‘upstairs and downstairs, Lala
knew them all.
If you enjoyed Downton
Abbey, you’ll recognize the era and its strict rules and ornate
trappings Lala had to deal with at rural Sandringham and “Buck House,” the
palace in London. Her great struggle was not only to protect her charges (which
included her dear Johnnie, an autistic and epileptic child the family tried to
hide) but to find some time for her own friends and a romance with a local man
she loved until the end.
I tried to stay as true to this admirable woman and the people around her as
much as research (and another trip to England) would allow. The novel is what
Alex Hailey, the author of ROOTS, dubbed ‘faction,’ a blend of fact and
fiction. I’m thrilled to say that THE ROYAL NANNY has found a
home in many reader’s hearts and is currently in its fourth printing. Lala was
an amazing woman coping with ‘the lifestyles of the rich and famous.’ Photos of
her and her ‘children’ are on my website, www.KarenHarperAuthor.com or under the name Charlotte Bill
on line.
Have a ‘cuppa tea’ and enjoy!
You can also visit Karen on www.facebook.com/KarenHarperAuthor
Based on a seldom-told true story, this novel is perfect for everyone who is
fascinated by Britain’s royal family—a behind the scenes look into the nurseries
of little princes and the foibles of big princes.
April, 1897: A young nanny arrives at Sandringham, ancestral estate of the
Duke and Duchess of York. She is excited, exhausted—and about to meet royalty. .
. .
So begins the unforgettable story of Charlotte Bill, who would care for a
generation of royals as their parents never could. Neither Charlotte—LaLa, as
her charges dub her—nor anyone else can predict that eldest sons David and
Bertie will each one day be king. LaLa knows only that these children, and the
four who swiftly follow, need her steadfast loyalty and unconditional affection.
But the greatest impact on Charlotte’s life is made by a mere bud on the
family tree: a misunderstood soul who will one day be known as the Lost Prince.
Young Prince John needs all of Lala’s love—the kind of love his parents won’t…or
can’t…show him.
From Britain’s old wealth to the glittering excesses of Tsarist Russia; from
country cottages to royal yachts, and from nursery to ballroom, Charlotte Bill
witnesses history. The Royal Nanny is a seamless blend of fact
and fiction—an intensely intimate, yet epic tale spanning decades, continents,
and divides that only love can cross.
Romance Historical |
Historical [William Morrow, On Sale: June 21, 2016, Trade Size /
e-Book, ISBN: 9780062420633 / eISBN: 9780062420640]
The
pride of princes creates conflict for a nursemaid
Royal Brood through the eyes of the Nanny
Karen Harper taught both college level (at Ohio State University) and high
school English (in Columbus, Ohio) before leaving teaching to write full-time.
She is the author of 70 novels, including historical romance, contemporary
suspense (for MIRA), and a historical mystery series, Queen Elizabeth I Mystery
Series. Karen and her husband, Don, divide their time between Columbus and
Naples, Florida, where they have wintered for 20 years. It's so beautiful there,
the author says, that it's hard to find the discipline to sit inside and write.
Though she is now a full-time writer, Karen still love to teach by giving talks
about writing and getting published.
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