Sharon Lorenzo reviews Sally Bedell Smith’s newest book.
Sally Bedell Smith has had a fascinating career in journalism following her undergraduate studies at Wheaton College and Master’s degree from the Columbia School of Journalism in New York City. She worked for a number of years for TV Guide, Time Magazine, The New York Times and Vanity Fair. Then thanks to her gifted literary agent, Amanda Burden, she moved on to a full-time job writing books for Random House on personalities like Bill Paley, Pamela Harriman, JFK and Jackie Kennedy, and the Clintons before she started in on the British royal family. Following detailed biographies of Diana, Charles, and Queen Elizabeth, she spent five years assembling data from the Royal Archives in Windsor Castle for her latest release, George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage that the Monarchy. She expects to attend at least 50 book talks over the next few years promoting the sale of her book with a subscription also available for updates on Substack, an online platform that supports subscription newsletters. Click here for Sally Bedell Smith’s newsletter.
George VI, Queen Elizabeth I and her mother and daughters.
Besides the incredible details that she reveals in the 720 pages on the history of the parents of the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth, Sally’s perspective on how a monarchy survives today amidst massive shifts in governmental leadership worldwide offers a fascinating revelation. When she appeared on CNN during the televised inauguration of King Charles, it was evident that Sally knows the ins and outs of the royal family like nobody else in the world. Climbing 100 steps each day for three months to read the diaries of George VI and his wife Elizabeth I, Sally said she did not need to work out in a gym! Being granted access to the original data, her observations show how Bertie, as George VI was called, finally won the hand of his bride and then how they raised their children amidst World War II. They were able to assume the royal responsibilities when his brother abdicated his throne in 1936 due to his marriage to a divorced American, Wallis Simpson. One of the takeaways that I will always remember is that Wallis did the world a huge favor, as her husband was cozy with Hitler and might never have joined with the Allies to defeat him.
Sally has a daughter who lives in London, so she is familiar with all of the details on the palaces and members of the royal family. She mentioned in the few book talks I have attended that the 2010 film “The King’s Speech” gave the world a clear look at how George VI, Bertie, was able to lead with his serious stuttering and speech impediment. The love and loyalty of his wife and children carried him through World War II with Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt. The love story of how George and Elizabeth managed to educate their children and expose them to the duties of the family are fascinating details that each lucky reader will adore.
The photos in the book also add so much to the story as we see young Elizabeth II, or Lilibet as she was nicknamed, attending meetings with international heads of state at age 12. She was being groomed for her own 70 years on the throne beginning at the age of 26. Having to leave the children with nannies for months at a time is the one detail that made me understand how the affairs of government leadership can take a toll on children who are often so distanced from their parents.
Elizabeth II and her parents boarding the family royal yacht Britannia, 1938
Please enjoy this summer reading opportunity with a cup of tea or glass of wine, as you too will revel in the many stories that Sally has shared with the world. I anxiously await the announcement of her next project as each one is a journey that only the most gifted authors can endure.
George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy by Sally Bedell Smith. $25.86 Random House, 2023
