Princes at War: The Bitter Battle Inside Britain's Royal Family in the Darkest Days of WWII

This account begins with the domino-toppling moment in 1936 when Edward VIII abdicated the throne of England in order to marry divorcée Wallis Simpson—an action that left him as the controversial Duke of Windsor, elevated the stammering Prince Albert to take up the reins of kingship as George VI, and forced the stiff Prince Henry and thrill-seeking Prince George into positions of new responsibility. On the heels of this upheaval came increasing aggression from Nazi Germany, leading to the war that would test the mettle and loyalties of all four brothers. As in her previous work The Chocolate Wars, Cadbury proves adept at juggling multiple threads and subjects within the historical narrative. Her one weakness is a clear bias toward George VI and against the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, leading to the latter (deserving or not) frequently being excoriated by the text.