The Roosevelts and the Royals by Will Swift
The first book on Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt's extraordinary relationship with the King and Queen of England In June of 1939, just three months before the outbreak of the Second World War, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain paid a visit to the United States - the first time a British monarch had ever set foot on American soil - at a time when American isolationists were opposed to helping Britain fight the Nazis. Their hosts were Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, who honored them with a state dinner in Washington and an intimate sojourn at the Roosevelt estate in Hyde Park, New York, where the King and Queen were served hot dogs at a famous picnic. For the first time, The Roosevelts and the Royals tells the story of the friendship that developed between the two couples - and nations. The book traces the early years and development of all four colorful and complex main characters, and it shows how the challenging Roosevelt-Windsor alliance survived even after the war. Filled with extraordinary anecdotes, some of them shared with the author by the Queen Mother, the book is illustrated with rare photographs. Will Swift (New York, NY) has written on royal history for twenty years in Majesty magazine and other publications. He curated a New York exhibition celebrating the Queen Mother's 100th birthday.