I am grateful to the following for their help in researching the book:
Neil Adams and Lydia Dean at the Borthwick Institute, the University of York, for making Lord Halifax’s papers available; Henric af Trolle and Neils af Trolle for help on Georg af Trolle; Peter Allen for research in French archives; Todd Allen for information on Frederick Evans; John Annersley and Clare Flemming at Marist College Archives and Special Collections; Stephanie Arias at the Huntington Library; Simone Baddeley at Lincolnshire Archives for copying a selection of 6th Baron Brownlow’s Papers; Norman Baker for sharing some of his research; Carrie Balfour for checking the Sir John Balfour papers in her possession;
Lord Balniel for making available the private diary of the 27th Earl of Crawford; Bruce Barnes and Ken Fox for research on Oscar Solbert; Julian Beare for talking about his father Robin Beare; Jessica Becker at Yale University Library for the Dean Acheson/John Balfour correspondence; Francis Beckett for sharing his father’s autobiography showing how Oswald Mosley thought he might come to power during the Abdication; Robin Benson for information on his father Rex Benson; Simon Berthon for providing the scripts of his programme on the Windsors; Tony Biddle, who talked about his parents’ friendship with the Windsors;
Michael Bloch for sharing his knowledge about the Windsors; Charlotte Breese for various leads, not least on one of the Duke’s illegitimate children; Frank Bowles at Cambridge University Library for the Adolf Berle diaries; Elizabeth Burnes at NARA for Charles Wurtenberg’s files; Jimmy Burns for various introductions; Teal Cannaday for help contacting Cornelia Guest; Anne Carmel for information on the Harry Oakes case; Amy Cary and Susan Stawicki-Vrobel at Marquette University for the Fulton Oursler papers; David Clark at the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum; Neil Cobbett, the Modern Overseas Records Specialist at the National Archives;
Rose Collis for sharing her research on Nancy Spain; David Columbia at New York Social Diary; Hannah Costelle at the Filson Historical Society; Tara Craig for some introductions; Lord Crathorne for access to his parents’ diaries and letters; Candida Crewe and Bel Crewe for information on their grandfather Hugh Dodds; Vincent Curcio for information on Walter Chrysler Jr; Melissa Davis at the George C. Marshall Foundation for papers by Sir John Balfour; Rose Deakin for help with her mother Mary Donaldson’s papers; Anne de Courcy for various introductions and sharing her research notes; Leshelle Delaney, the Director of Bahamas Archives;
Thomas W. Dixon, Jr at the Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society; Stephen Dorril for various tips; Nicole Duncan and Jeremy Boraine for supplying a copy of A Lion in the Bedroom; Catherine Eccles for helping to trace papers relating to her grandfather David Eccles; Heidi Egginton at the National Library of Scotland for help with the Crawford papers; Hannah Elder at the Massachusetts Historical Society; Mona Eldridge, one of the few living people to have known the Windsors for talking to me; Allan Erskine-Lindop for information on Reginald Erskine-Lindop;
Patrick Fahy at the FDR Presidential Library & Museum for tracking down obscure correspondence with the Windsors; Cindy Farkas Glanzrock for arranging the interview with her mother Francine Sears; Adam Fergusson for allowing me to see his grandmother Blanche Dugdale’s diary; Caryl Flinn for discussing Russell Nype; Catherine Flynn, the Penguin Random House archivist, for help in tracing publishing archives; John Fox the FBI historian for advice tracking FBI files; Lionel Friedberg, the ghost of Full Service, for talking to me; Glyn Gowans for his friendship and wise counsel;
Lavinia Graecen for the introduction to Patrick Skene Catling; Harlan Greene at the Addlestone Library for information on Laddie Sanford; Philip Greenacre for sharing his grandfather Douglas’s papers; Cornelia Guest for talking to me about the Windsors; Matthew Guillen at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture for copying for free extensive references to the Windsors; Bethany Hamblen and Naomi Tiley at Balliol College, Oxford, for help with the Monckton papers; Anna Hampton for copying at Georgetown University Library; James Hanning for various introductions;
Carey Harrison with stories of the Windsors’ encounters with his parents Lilli Palmer and Rex Harrison; Nicky Haslam for various introductions and insights; Mallory Herberger and Sandra Glascock at the Maryland Center for History and Culture; Louise Hilton for help with Guido Orlando’s papers; Suzanne Hodgart for various introductions; Mark Hollingsworth for sharing the Axel Wenner-Gren diary, which he had paid to have translated; Tammy T. Horton at the Air Force Historical Research Agency for Mike Scanlon’s diary; Oliver House at the Bodleian Libraries;
Carolyn Howes at the Information Commissioner’s Office for help on FOI requests; Debbie Hughes for information on her grandmother Hildegarde Hamilton; Sarah Farnsworth Hunnewell & Theo Armour for information on Polly Howe; David Irving for some leads on the Windsors’ activities in 1940; Patricia Jenkins for some tips on photographs; Rebecca Jewett for advice on the Clifton Webb papers; Peter Jordaan for helpful suggestions and contacts; Chris Jussel for information on Arthur Vernay; Rachel Kiddey for various introductions;
Jennifer Kawar for information on her grandfather Reggie Erskine-Lindop; Martin Kinna for talking about his uncle ‘Peter’ Kinna; Robert Lacey for various introductions; Celia Lee for contacts; Jenny Liddiard at Bloomsbury for access to the Churchill online archive; Neill and Emma Lochery for information on the Windsors in Lisbon; John Loftus for talking to me about the Windsor FBI files; David Lough for guidance on the Windsors’ financial affairs; Anthony Luke for a copy of the Hola programme on the Windsors; Andrea E. Lynn for copies of the Grace Coolidge diaries;
Kelly McAnnaney at the National Archives at New York City; Desmond McCabe at PRONI for the Montgomery Hyde papers; David McClure; Sharon Messenger at the British Academy for Peter Russell research; Zara Metcalfe for trying to secure access to her grandparents’ papers; María Isabel Molestinaat at the Pierpoint Morgan Library for information on Hank Walter; Marianna, Dowager Viscountess Monckton and Viscount Monckton for help with Walter Monckton’s papers; Sara Morrison for talking to me about the Windsors; Andrew Morton for sharing some of his research;
Michael Murray on the Windsor friendship with Arthur Davis; Eve Neigerat at Boston Public Library for information on Cleveland Amory; Alicia Nieva-Woodgate for talking to me about Alice Gordon; Cinda Nofziger at the Bentley Historical Library; Russell Nype for talking about his father; Christopher and Julie Oakes for talking about the Oakes family; Maria Ognjanovich at Monuments Men Foundation For the Preservation of Art for research on the Anthony Blunt mission to Germany; David Olson at Columbia University Library for the Hubert Pell memoir;
James Owen, the author of the standard book on the Oakes murder, for making his research notes available; Allen Packwood, Andrew Riley and Tom Davies at the Churchill College Archives, who are always unfailingly helpful; Jane Parr at Boston University Libraries for Stephen Birmingham’s papers; Sarah Patton at the Hoover Institute; Jonathan Petropoulos for useful discussions; John Pickering for help tracing the Wachman family; Michael Pye, the author of an excellent book on the Windsors in the Bahamas; Heather Riser at the University of Virginia for the Stettinius correspondence;
Mike Rothmiller for research in LAPD files; Patrick Salmon, Chief Historian at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, for help locating various papers; Edith A. Sandler at the Library of Congress for Robert Bingham’s papers; Charlie Scheips for help with Lady Mendl; Dorothy Schmidt-Spilos for talking about her grandfather Walter Foskett; Francine Sears for talking about her friendship with the Windsors; Anne Sebba for various leads; Lucy Smith-Ryland for an introduction; David Storrier for talking about his uncle David Storrier; Lara Szypszak at the Library of Congress for copying the papers of Courtney Letts de Espil and Clare Booth Luce;
John Tackett for guidance on Palm Beach Society; Jane Tatam, ghost writer of Anne Seagrim; Tim Tate; Bruce Taylor, Peter Russell’s biographer, for details of Russell’s activities in the summer of 1940; Taki Theodoracopulos for talking about the Windsors and their circle; Peter Thompson for lending a recorded phone call with Alfred de Marigny; Marcus Tian for copying in Columbia University Library; Charles Tilbury for lending the unpublished diaries and letters of Valentine Lawford; Phil Tomacelli for revealing that the Duke of Windsor’s MI5 file was destroyed in 1945; Sibilla Tomacelli for talking about her friendship with the Windsors;
Stephen Trott for information on Pitsford Hall; Matt Tyrnauer; Vianca Victor at Columbia University Library; John Waddilove for talking about his father; Jehane Wake for help with Rex Benson; Lord and Lady Wakehurst for tracing the Dugdale diaries; Pat Wertheim for insights into the Oakes case; Nigel West for as always perceptive insights; Professor Douglas Wheeler for help on Portugal during the Second World War; Joan Wheeler-Bennett for talking about Sir John Wheeler-Bennett; Lord Wigram; Paul Willetts for help with Princess Dimitri; Craig Wright at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library; and Irene Wright for introductions on David Storrier.
As ever, I am grateful to my agent Bill Hamilton for brilliant agenting and the very professional and friendly team at Bonnier – publisher Matt Phillips, editor Justine Taylor, publicists Jenna Petts and Lizzie Dorney-Kingdom, marketing manager Jessica Tackie, production controller Ella Holden, picture researcher Fiona Greenway and audio editors Laura Makela and Alexandra Schmidt. For the third time, by special request, Barry Johnston has expertly and conscientiously copyedited the text. My wife Angela was the first person to read the book, and the book is dedicated with love to her and our two children, Robert and Alice.
Attempts have been made to clear all permissions but do contact me with any corrections or new information at Lownie@globalnet.co.uk.