Working for the Windsors

by Dina Wells Hood

"At the time of the Prince of Wales' visit to Brazil, Dina Wells Hood was running a typewriting and translating office in Rio de Janeiro. By this simple coincidence, she was asked to act as his private secretary for the duration of his stay. Naturally she retained many memories of this period-and so apparently did the Prince, for when, after the Abdication, he needed a private secretary to take with him into exile, she was summoned to Paris and immediately given the job. She stayed with the Windsors, as they now became, at the Hotel Meurice, moved with them to the Villa of La Croe near Antibes and remained with them up to the time of the Duke's appointment as Governor of the Bahamas. While quietly and efficiently performing her duties, Miss Wells Hood found that inadvertently she had, as it were, slipped between the pages of history and become a party to events which still arouse passionate argument. At the same time, she not unnaturally obtained the most intimate and vivid glimpses of this famous couple. She has many stories to tell of their efforts to build a normal home life together under the constant and baleful glare of publicity, and describes in detail her work for the Duke-how he liked to scatter his letters and papers all over the floor, how he adored his three Cairns, how he played the bagpipes, and how he came running at the Duchess' call, even while shaving. She tells, too, of the Duchess' flair for decoration, of her interest in the household routine and accounts, of her insatiable energy and of the Duke's insistence that she should be addressed as 'Royal Highness' and be accorded the Royal curtsey. As the publishers of this book, we wish to make it plain that this is a straightforward account of a young woman doing a straightforward job, and that it must by no means be confused with the below-stairs gossip which has been an occasional feature of the Sunday press ever since the historic events of 1936 took place. It is illustrated by a number of unique and interesting photographs, including the author's own snapshots".

(Description from http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Working-Duk...)

159 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1957

Reviews

[Keri Murcray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I noticed it was frequently requested from the library where I work and I wondered why. It is not emotionally written, but it is very factual and matter-of-fact in tone. Very interesting details about the Windsors and the time before they met up through World War II. It has definitely sparked my interest about this couple and I've been finding several other books to read as well.

[Nancy Loe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dina Wells Hood was mostly likely a saint. Her memoir about working for the Windsors is delivered with a restrained, reportorial style. It's packed with revealing details about this vapid, shallow, relentlessly extravagant couple, so it needs no editorializing.

I would have worked for either of them for about 20 mins and then there would have been a hachet murder. With a dull blade.