Royal Rivalry: The Governess Who Betrayed Queen Elizabeth's Secrets
ROYAL FAMILY FEUD: The Shocking Tale of Princess Elizabeth's Former Governess
In a jaw-dropping exposé, the trusted governess of Princess Elizabeth has revealed the inner workings of the Royal Family in a series of tell-all articles that sent shockwaves throughout the kingdom. Marion Crawford, affectionately known as "Crawfie," had been entrusted with the upbringing of the young princess and her sister Margaret Rose, but little did anyone know that she was secretly plotting to cash in on her inside knowledge.
It all began in 1948 when the Royal Family agreed to a series of articles about Princess Elizabeth, then just 10 years old. The condition? That the author would be hand-picked by the Times' Dermot Morrah, who had been tasked with writing the pieces. But Crawford, who was then living in a grace-and-favour residence at Nottingham Cottage in Kensington Palace's grounds, had other plans.
According to royal author Hugo Vickers, Crawford's husband George Buthlay was a bad influence on her, egging her on to write a tell-all book that would make them rich. And so, Crawford began secretly working with American magazine the Ladies' Home Journal, despite being warned by the Queen Mother herself not to write about the Royal Family without permission.
The first article arrived at the Queen Mother's desk in October 1949, and she was left "nothing short of horrified" by its contents. The articles claimed that the King, Queen, and Princess Elizabeth had stood on Brunswick Tower at Windsor Castle watching London being bombed during an air raid – a claim that would later be disputed.
Despite assurances from her husband and the magazine's editors that the book wouldn't be published without royal approval, the articles were released alongside the infamous book "The Little Princesses." The fallout was immediate. Crawford was ostracized by the Royal Family, and she soon found herself being shunned by colleagues from top to bottom.
As the articles continued to be released throughout the 1950s, 15 million readers lapped up the opportunity to lift the curtain on the royals' private lives – at a massive cost for Crawford. The couple bought a home in Aberdeenshire close to Balmoral in November 1950, but it was too little, too late.
Crawford continued to produce tell-all articles and books about the Royal Family throughout this period, including a text on the lives of Queen Mary and Princess Margaret. But her loyalty to her husband and the Royal Family came at a great cost – she became a figure of mockery during these years and withdrew from public life in her later years.
In a shocking twist, Crawford attempted suicide following her husband's death in 1977. When she passed away in 1988, aged 78, neither Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, nor Princess Margaret attended her funeral or sent a wreath – a clear indication of the family's ongoing resentment towards her betrayal.
Despite this, her Royal Household pension was paid until her death – a small consolation for the services she had provided before it all came to a sour end. The saga is a stark reminder that in the world of royalty, loyalty and discretion are paramount, and those who break these rules will be severely punished.
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