monarchy history

and show the way they were as people, as human beings,” she said.

Her longtime friend and literary agent Amanda Urban ’68 said that quest has led to the success of Smith’s books.

“Over many years, Sally has gained access to this British institution and has portrayed it in mesmerizing detail in several books. She never whitewashes their sometimes foolish or scandalous behavior, but she also spotlights how rigorous and demanding this ‘glamorous’ life is,” said Urban, who majored in English at Wheaton and works at Creative Artists Agency in New York City.

The author has dedicated the new book to Urban, who has represented her since the mid-1980s. “She has just been a fantastic agent, an advocate and believer,” Smith said.

The two met Smith’s freshman year via Urban’s roommate and had an instant bond. In the book acknowledgments, Smith noted that they have been friends for more than five decades: “She is as confident as she is supportive, and I always count on her to give me an honest reaction to my writing.”

that is coherent and meaningful.”

The inner world of the royals has long held the attention of the American public. Smith shared her thoughts on why that is during the interview.

“I think obviously it has a lot to do with the origins of our country. We were a British colony and George III was our last king, 250 years ago. Over the years, once we broke away and became independent, we have had a special relationship with Britain,” Smith said. “And I think people love the tradition and the ceremony and everything that was embodied in the queen’s funeral—that sense of stability and continuity that stretches back 1,000 years.”

Smith’s fascination with the monarchy is strong because of her own insatiable curiosity as a historian and writer.

“The real events and the characters and the challenges that they faced are, to me, incredibly compelling. And my mission with each of the books has been to get behind the superficial impressions of these monarchs and heirs and just illuminate aspects of their jobs, their personalities,

Well before its official April 4 release, George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy was generating praise from early reviews, including from The Wall Street Journal, whose columnist Peggy Noonan wrote: “Sally Bedell Smith’s reputation rests on her commitment to scholarship and access to previously undiscovered information. But it’s not enough to find it—you have to bring wisdom to it. This book is a deeply moving marvel.”

A Publisher’s Weekly review said that the biography “adds up to a stirring portrait of grace under pressure.” And Kirkus noted that Smith “leaves no jewel unturned as she recounts the lives of an improbable couple who would do so much to steer their country through the turbulent period of the abdication crisis and World War II. … [She] gracefully brings us into her subjects’ inner world.”

—Sandy Coleman