The Queen’s year of state visits in 1957 was a busy one and I sourced the finer details of her schedule from many places, not least the Pathé newsreels of the day. But a favourite resource for its (rare) reliability on exactly where the Queen went each day and what she wore, was the Royal Watcher blog. Thank you, Saad Salman. I’m also grateful for the writing and research of Michelle Morgan (
As always, I’m grateful to Emily, Sophie, Freddie and Tom. The boys have put up with my very late-night writing to deadlines for fourteen books now, so I owe you a lot. Thank goodness you can make pasta and pesto. And Alex, this is fundamentally a story about love, so you are at the heart of it.
Last but by no means least, I want to say a huge thank you to all my readers. Nothing gives me a thrill more than hearing from someone who has newly discovered the series. I’m especially grateful to the band of subscribers to my author newsletter, who have become part of my life. I’m honoured that these books have lifted so many of you up when you were down. I love hearing your own stories and memories of the Queen, knowing you enjoyed the short stories, and reading your entries to the competitions. Please keep them coming!
You can contact me via my website, at sjbennettbooks.com. It’s always lovely to hear from you.
S.J. Bennett was born in Yorkshire and travelled the world as an army child. She had a varied career before her first novel was published when she was 42. Since then, her books have won awards, been optioned for TV, and have been translated into over 20 languages.
She was once asked to interview for the role of Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen and still considers it the job that got away. A curious royal watcher for many years, she lives in London, where she can often be found haunting its palaces, museums, galleries and libraries. She currently writes the ‘Her Majesty the Queen Investigates’ series.
You can find her on Instagram @sophiabennett_writer, on Facebook at SJBennettAuthor and on Twitter @sophiabennett.
To receive Royal Correspondence about the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series – including book news and research updates – sign up at bit.ly/SJBennett
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Thank you for picking up
Four books into the series . . . I’m starting to feel that Queen Elizabeth II really
This book started with my research into the year the Queen met Marilyn Monroe. I was going to set it in 1956, but the more I looked into the period, the more the following year reminded me of the times we’re living in now. The UK was living through a period of austerity, was questioning its place in Europe, and was sending out the royals on bridge-building visits abroad. I realised it was the year the Queen visited Paris and New York – and the die was cast.
It may be book four, but
Joan is based in part on my grandmothers: Joan Price, formerly McGrath, née Cuthbert; and Jessie Pett, née Adamson. Joan grew up in Urmston, Manchester, left school at 16 and worked as a secretary before marrying and moving south. Jessie grew up on a farm in Aberdeenshire, in the days when the land was still worked with horses, became nanny to the children of a wealthy Scottish family, and eventually married my Grandad, whom she met where he worked, at the Grosvenor House Hotel. Both were strong, multi-talented, capable women, whom I miss very much. Neither got to work at Bletchley Park, but each of them, I think, would have taken it in her stride.
Another thing regular readers know, is that all the official events in the books are based on fact. The Queen really did travel to all those places, really was presented with the Mona Lisa in an impromptu display, and really did have a friendship with Daphne du Maurier. Only the murder bits are made up. Those, and the dastardly sabotage plot. To the best of my knowledge, nobody tried to put itching powder in the royal Elizabeth Arden face cream. With Bobo Macdonald looking after her, I pity any man who would try.
