Queen Elizabeth has become one of the most popular subjects of many historical and royal-centered books. While Wendy Holden's The Royal Governess "revisits" her childhood, the material does not focus on her or the royals' lives.
Instead, it is about her "teacher," Marion Crawford who schooled her behind closed doors. Despite this, the novel states that it contains rare details about the British Monarch's childhood years.
Following the release of the book, The Sun shared an extract revealing about the then-Princess Elizabeth's alleged "obsessive compulsion." As her teacher, Crawford, reportedly, stated that the Queen would always "rearrange" her pencils in "straight" and equal-spaced lines.
Aside from her pencils, Queen Elizabeth would, also, do the same "behavior" with her lunch plates. The book, then, claims that Marion Crawford "realized" that she was looking at OCD as her training entailed knowledge of child psychology.
The "governess," reportedly, asked the young princess why she does it. Without hesitation, she responded that it makes her "feel safe."
But, before Crawford could learn the princess's detailed explanation, the Queen Mother walked in causing an interruption in their conversation.
Back in the 50s, Marion Crawford wrote her own book, The Little Princesses, according to the Daily Mail. Based on reports, the material reveals her experiences as Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret's teacher, as well as her encounters with some of the members of the British Royal Family.
In it, she wrote that "Lilibet," a name she used to call the young princess, was a "very neat child." She, also, described her "immaculately tidy" as the young royal, allegedly, kept all her books and belongings clean and organized.
Crawford included in her book that she got "anxious" one time about the princess and "her fads." She said that it all became "too methodical" and tidy.
She explained that Queen Elizabeth would "hop out of bed" many times at night to get her shoes straight and arrange her clothes. But, the young Princess Margaret would, reportedly, laugh about it and even "imitate" her sister.
Writing for the Washington Post, Steve Donoghue shared his review of Wendy Holden's The Royal Governess, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. He noted that the material has seemingly "humanized" the Windsors through the "death of two kings," the infamous abdication, and the world war.
The book reviewer, however, revealed that the British Royals never spoke to Marion Crawford again after she released her book, The Little Princesses in 1950. Nevertheless, her book, reportedly, "sold briskly."
