Albert (now George VI) became king, with his oldest daughter, 10-year-old Elizabeth (known fondly as Lilibet), next in line for the throne.Ĭrawford moved with the family to Buckingham Palace and helped train her charges for their royal roles. But Edward refused to relent and in 1936, against his family’s wishes, he abdicated in order to marry Simpson. At the time, it was unheard of for a king to marry a commoner, much less a divorced American. Edward, now king, fell in love with Wallis Simpson, an American who had been married twice.
Princess Elizabeth (center) and her younger sister Princess Margaret of Great Britain play in a miniature automobile while their governess, Marion Crawford, keeps an eye on them. Crawford’s charges were privately educated, and had little contact with the outside world. Their uncle, Edward, was expected to become king and they were raised accordingly (their father Albert, Duke of York, was second in line to the throne). She was hired by the Duchess of York-the future Queen Mother-as a governess for her two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. Crawford was the first servant in the royal household ever to cash in on royal secrets-and she paid the price for her candor.Ī trained teacher, Crawford was just 22 years old when she entered the Royal Household. Her crime? Spilling the beans about her former charges. Her loyalty and loving care were rewarded with royal favor and even a rent-free home for life.īut in 1950, Marion “Crawfie” Crawford, beloved Scottish governess of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret and servant of the Royal Family, was expelled from court, kicked out of her house and shunned by the very people she’d loved for decades. She was one of the Royal Family’s most trusted confidantes.
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