Last week, the royal community lost one of its most talented members. Christopher Warwick, an author of multiple royal biographies and a dedicated commentator, passed away. I count myself lucky to have chatted with him myself; it is a loss that I and the community as a whole will feel immensely.
I had grown up seeing Chris provide royal commentary for CTV and CBC (two major Canadian networks), as well as for countless documentaries and pieces. He was incredibly knowledgeable, well-spoken, and always willing to help.
I have to say one of the most notable moments in my career as an historian was when he reached out to me to say that he had found my blog, and that he thought I had a talent for it. To know that someone you admire thinks you show promise- there are few things that mean that much. The royal community can often be competitive and cut-throat. I can understand that people don’t want to give up their airtime and contracts, but it makes it difficult to break into. I more than appreciate that he took the time to make recommendations for me, and to give me advice.
Christopher Warwick’s Books
If you haven’t, I would absolutely recommend reading some (or all!) of his books. His Princess Margaret and Kent biographies are two of my favourite biographies that I’ve read (and I’ve read a good 200+ at this point). He was a strong writer, and his research was impeccable. He met with several members of the royal family, as well as countless people who worked for them and were in the same social circles- his books are invaluable sources.
Princess Margaret: A Life in Contrasts
George and Marina: Duke and Duchess of Kent
For eight brief years, before he was tragically killed in a mysterious air crash during the Second World War, Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of King George V and Queen Mary, and his beautiful wife, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, were the British monarchy’s, indeed, high society’s, most glamorous royal couple; and as golden royal icons they are still remembered.
As a young man, voraciously addicted to drugs and sex, with men as much as women, marriage and parenthood for the impetuously wayward playboy prince, with his night-clubbing lifestyle and intimate liaisons, was seen as the only stabilizing influence. Enter the stylish and sophisticated Princess Marina, the cultured, artistic and multilingual youngest daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and his Russian-born wife, Grand Duchess Yelena Vladimirovna. As Duke and Duchess of Kent, George and Marina were the Crown’s most glittering representatives, not least in the aftermath of the Abdication of George’s adored elder brother, the briefly-reigned King Edward VIII; the man with whom he had not only shared both home and high-flying lifestyles, but who had helped cure him of his addiction to morphine and cocaine.
On and off duty, the Duke and Duchess lived life to the full, and after George’s untimely death, Marina continued to do so during the twenty-six years of her widowhood. Revisiting his 1988 best-selling biography, George and Marina: Duke and Duchess of Kent, Christopher Warwick, in this revised and partly re-written study, tells their story anew.
The Life and Death of Ella: Grand Duchess of Russia
Considered to have been the most beautiful princess in Europe, capable of arousing ‘profane passions’, Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine, or ‘Ella’ as she was known, was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and the daughter of Princess Alice of Great Britain and Grand Duke Louis of Hesse. A privileged, happy Victorian childhood was touched by tragedy not only with the early deaths of her youngest brother and sister but also that of her young mother. Close to Queen Victoria, Ella spent some of her happiest times in Britain. At 20, however, much against the wishes of her grandmother, who despised everything Russian, Ella became engaged to Grand Duke Serge Alexandrovich, the authoritarian younger brother of Tsar Alexander III. It was at their wedding that her younger sister, Alix, formed a love match with the future Tsar Nicholas II; an event which not only sealed the fate of both sisters, but that of the Imperial House of Romanov. But for these two marriages, the history of Russia might have been very different. With the assassination of her husband, Ella renounced society and, against considerable opposition, founded the first religious Order of its kind in Russia, working for the poor and destitute of Moscow. Though loved for her charitable works and pionerering achievements, Ella, like Nicholas, Alexandra, and fourteen members of their family, met a brutal death at the hands of the Bolsheviks. At the height of the Russian Revolution, she was taken captive to Siberia where, having been clubbed with rifle butts, she was hurled alive into a disused mineshaft and left to die of her injuries. Later retrieved, her incorrupt body was eventually laid to rest on the Mount of Olives. She was subsequently canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church as the Holy Imperial Martyr Saint Elisabeth Romanova.
Her Majesty
The extraordinary public and private life of the world’s most famous monarchIn honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee—60 years on the throne—TASCHEN celebrates the extraordinary private and public life of Her Majesty. Born in 1926, married in 1947, crowned as Queen in 1953, for over six decades she has steadfastly and loyally carried out her duty on behalf of her country, never speaking out of turn or putting a foot wrong. The book tells her remarkable royal story through hundreds of stunning photographs, many previously unseen and sourced from multiple archives in the United Kingdom (including the Royal Collection), Continental Europe, and the United States. These images have it all: history, politics, glamour, fashion, culture, travel, and, of course, hats.
As the Queen, she has endlessly traveled the globe, been introduced to every leading icon of the 20th century, including the Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, and JFK, attended thousands of receptions and state functions; while concurrently being a mother to four children under the constant glare of public scrutiny. These photographs cover every aspect of her reign: the early years, coming of age during World War II, becoming a wife, Queen and mother, the Royal Tours, the palaces, the crowds, the weddings, the Royal Family, the Silver Jubilee in 1977, and the later years. God save her indeed!
Christopher Warwick’s Broadcast Media Work
If you would like to see some of his broadcast work, I would visit his site here for a comprehensive listing: https://www.christopherwarwickbiographer.com/broadcast-media.shtml. Several of the documentaries that he has contributed to are available on Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube here in Canada- I suspect they will be in other countries, as well. (In particular, I would recommend watching his work on Margaret- he brings her to life like no one else.)
♠
This loss will be felt across the royal community, and I am sending my thoughts to Chris’ partner and family.
