A Message for the Royals Extra Community

Tomorrow I am publishing something new and different on Royals Extra:  the first installment in a six-part series on the secret life of someone who had exceptional influence within the British Royal family for more than three decades. This person is probably well known to many of my readers, and his double life has never previously been revealed. I discovered the details of his private activities five years ago when I was doing research for George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy.

I knew that this story deserved to be told on its own, and I realized that Substack would enable me to tell it in the best way and share it exclusively with my Royals Extra community. Instead of appearing on six weekends according to my usual Royals Extra schedule, I am running the story on consecutive days so readers can more easily follow the narrative. 

I have relied mainly on one archive but have drawn from other archival sources as well as a dozen books. Although the revelations are sensitive and at times shocking, they illuminate a prominent 20^th century British figure in a new way, adding dimension to what we already know and challenging many preconceived notions about him.

With gratitude for your support,

Sally Bedell Smith