The Royal Windsor Secret by Christine Wells

Book Blurb
Cleo Davenport has heard the whispers: the murmured conversations that end abruptly the second she walks into a room. Told she was an orphan, she knows the rumor—that her father is none other than the Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne. And at her childhood home at Cairo’s Shepheard’s Hotel, where royals, rulers, and the wealthy live, they even called her “The Princess.”

But her life is turned upside down when she turns seventeen. Sent to London under the chaperonage of her very proper aunt, she’s told it’s time to learn manners and make her debut. But Cleo’s life can’t be confined to a ballroom. She longs for independence and a career as a jewelry designer for Cartier, but she cannot move forward until she finds out about her past.

Determined to unlock the truth, Cleo travels from London, back to Cairo, and then Paris, where her investigations take a shocking turn into the world of the Parisian demi-monde, and a high-class courtesan whose scandalous affair with the young Prince of Wales threatened to bring down the British monarchy long before anyone had heard of Wallis Simpson.

My Review
What drew me to the blog tour of The Royal Windsor Secret was my love of historical fiction, my interest in the Royal Family and the fact that I knew some of the story this was based on, The Woman Before Wallis by Andrew Rose. In early twentieth century Paris, Edward Prince of Wales, had a relationship with a courtesan called Marguerite and this is the inspiration for this book. Cleo was left on the steps of the infamous Shepherds Hotel in Cairo, and taken in by the wealthy English archaeologist Serafina and brought up along another orphan Brodie whose parents died in an accident. Cleo has always wonder about her true parentage and when she is taken to Paris and then London to make her social debut she begins to follow the only lead she has, that she was left by a French ladies maid. Cleo takes a journey of discovery of just not who she is but also what she wants from life, that makes for such a compelling read.

Christine Wells has written an absorbing and intriguing novel that seamlessly blends fact and fiction. With the realtionsip between Prince Edward and Marguerite at the centre, this book also goes into the relationship between Edward and Wallis, their time in Paris and the period before their trip to Bermuda where Edward was made Governor. Nearly a hundred years later there is still fascination about them, and I have to say they don’t come off brilliantly appearing shallow and selfish .I did wonder if Edward maybe had a type because courtesan Marguerite also came out of this story badly, but she definitley made for an intriguing character.

The fictional characters were certainly may favourite, in particular Cleo. At just sixteen when this book begins in 1935, she is a confident and intelligent young woman living in Cairo, with her best friend Brodie. As with most teens she begins to take an interest in where she comes from, especially when the rumours are that her father maybe the future King Edward VIII. She is lucky in her guardianship with Seraphina at first and then Lord and Lady Grayson who support her in all her dreams, including that of being a Jewellry designer. Of course there has to be touch of romance, and in case what seems unrequited between Cleo and Brodie. Brodie has taken a step back from Cleo, living his own life, and wanting to make his own way in the world, seperate to Cleo.

Christine Wells takes the reader on a wonderful journey through this book, not just in Cleo’s life but also geographically. We start with the beautiful city of Cairo, with it’s backdrop of the pyramids and the glamour of the famous Shepherds Hotel, then on to Paris with it couture houses, art and jewellery, London for the debutant parties, Potugal and finally back to Cairo. I loved the that Christine Wells captured the atmosphere and essence of all these beautiful places but what makes them so special and how each made an imprint on Cleo’s life. The historical details were wonderful and well researched, and they seamlessly blended with the fictional story, anchoring it to a particular time and place.

I loved reading The Royal Windsor Secret, it has the perfect mix of love, war, friendship and betrayal. Cleo was a an amazing character with her zest for life, her confidence, especially in following her dreams and it was wonderful following her on her journey, from teenager to young woman. Christine Wells’s writing flows beautifully throughout the book, and I liked how she used the story of Prince Edward and Marguerite as a starting point and wove such an intriguing and enthralling story around it. Compelling and Captivating, I highly recommend giving this book a go.

I would like to thank Anne Cater and Harper 360 for the invite to be part of this blog tour in return for my honest review.