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My Story: Girls
Wartime Princess
It's 1939, Europe is on the verge of war and Princess Margaret begins a diary to record her wartime experiences. But more exciting than blackouts, evacuees, and doodlebugs is her sister Elizabeth's blossoming romance with Prince Philip of Greece. Margaret dreams of a royal wedding, but Philip is sent to serve in the navy and Elizabeth longs to join the army. Will there be a fairy tale ending?
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 8, 2012
This book is written as the fictional diary of Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II. Margaret begins her diary when she is eight years old, shortly before World War II breaks out. Margaret is young, so she doesn't understand much about what is going on in the world, but she knows that Adolf Hitler is a bad man and that there may be a war with Germany. Soon her worst fears come true when the Nazis invade many countries in Europe and England must go to war.
Even though Margaret is a princess, she too must make sacrifices because of the war, which goes on for many long years. Food is rationed, and there are few parties and no fancy new clothes. Worst of all, she and her sister, Elizabeth, rarely get to see their parents, as the two princesses must live in safety in the countryside because of the Germans bombing London and other cities. However, there are still some fun times, too, despite the war, and there is also the beginnings of a romance between Elizabeth and their cousin, Prince Philip of Greece.
When I ordered this book online I expected it to actually focus on Elizabeth as the main character, since she's on the cover and the summary made it sound like it was her diary and not Margaret's. And while she is certainly an important character, and her romance with Philip is an important part of the story, I'm not sure why she's on the cover when all the other books in the series show the diarist on the cover. Margaret is closer in age to the target audience for this series, anyway, so it does make sense to have her tell the story, but I think the cover should have been more accurate and shown the main character like all the other books in the My Story series do. So I guess the cover issue is a minor complaint, since I really enjoyed the story, it's just bothering me a bit! The book seems to be historically accurate and I think the author did a good job at imagining what Princess Margaret might have been like as a young girl, and what she would have thought about the war and all the changes in her life. Readers who enjoyed other books in the My Story series and the similar Royal Diaries series will probably enjoy this book as well.
Even though Margaret is a princess, she too must make sacrifices because of the war, which goes on for many long years. Food is rationed, and there are few parties and no fancy new clothes. Worst of all, she and her sister, Elizabeth, rarely get to see their parents, as the two princesses must live in safety in the countryside because of the Germans bombing London and other cities. However, there are still some fun times, too, despite the war, and there is also the beginnings of a romance between Elizabeth and their cousin, Prince Philip of Greece.
When I ordered this book online I expected it to actually focus on Elizabeth as the main character, since she's on the cover and the summary made it sound like it was her diary and not Margaret's. And while she is certainly an important character, and her romance with Philip is an important part of the story, I'm not sure why she's on the cover when all the other books in the series show the diarist on the cover. Margaret is closer in age to the target audience for this series, anyway, so it does make sense to have her tell the story, but I think the cover should have been more accurate and shown the main character like all the other books in the My Story series do. So I guess the cover issue is a minor complaint, since I really enjoyed the story, it's just bothering me a bit! The book seems to be historically accurate and I think the author did a good job at imagining what Princess Margaret might have been like as a young girl, and what she would have thought about the war and all the changes in her life. Readers who enjoyed other books in the My Story series and the similar Royal Diaries series will probably enjoy this book as well.
April 3, 2016
This month, I read Wartime Princess by Valerie Wilding. The main character is Princess Margaret that wrote a diary about her life with her big Sister princess Elizabeth II, during and after the war in England. Margaret begins her diary shortly before World War II starts. Margaret is young, so she doesn't know much about what is happening in the world. She knew that there might be war in Germany, and she also heard about Hitler. Soon after, the Nazis invaded England and other countries in Europe.Therefore, their parents went to London without the girls, so they did not see their parents very often. The two princesses are left in the countryside so they don’t get hurt by the bombing. Her big Sister Elizabeth fell in love with their cousin Prince Philip of Greece, but he needed to join the navy. After the war, Princess Margaret, Princess Elizabeth, their parents, and Prince Philip went on a vacation in South Africa. During their vacation, Prince Philip proposed to Elizabeth.
This book is a nonfiction book because everything in it actually happened. Also, because every character in this book existed and some still exist today. I would change the title of this book to Diary of a Princess during War because I think it describes Margaret’s position. I think this acrostic poem describes, what happened to the girls and the people in England around 1940, very well.
Every day bombs explode
Never a day without worrying
Gain courage
Left all alone
All the time in the dark
Nazis are in London
Dangerous
My favorite part of the story is When Elizabeth meets prince Philip and falls in love with him even though they are cousins. I really like this part because I find it romantic. My least favorite part of the story is when The Nazis came to the United kingdom because the Parents of Margaret and Elizabeth needed to go to London and Let them alone. Also, because There was bombing really near the Buckingham Palace where their parents were staying. I would not see myself reading another book by this author because I didn't really like the style of writing and I don’t usually like books about history. I would mostly recommend this book to Middle schoolers or people that like the history of the United Kingdom.
This book is a nonfiction book because everything in it actually happened. Also, because every character in this book existed and some still exist today. I would change the title of this book to Diary of a Princess during War because I think it describes Margaret’s position. I think this acrostic poem describes, what happened to the girls and the people in England around 1940, very well.
Every day bombs explode
Never a day without worrying
Gain courage
Left all alone
All the time in the dark
Nazis are in London
Dangerous
My favorite part of the story is When Elizabeth meets prince Philip and falls in love with him even though they are cousins. I really like this part because I find it romantic. My least favorite part of the story is when The Nazis came to the United kingdom because the Parents of Margaret and Elizabeth needed to go to London and Let them alone. Also, because There was bombing really near the Buckingham Palace where their parents were staying. I would not see myself reading another book by this author because I didn't really like the style of writing and I don’t usually like books about history. I would mostly recommend this book to Middle schoolers or people that like the history of the United Kingdom.
February 23, 2015
Wonderful retelling of historic events in a fictional way. Learned some things I didn't know because my curiosity was piqued. I liked that although this book was told from Princess Margaret's perspective, it still focused quite a bit on Princess Elizabeth (Later Queen Elizabeth).
October 28, 2015
There are not a lot of books in the public library here in our country that are worth reading. I have found, however, that the My Story books are more worthwhile than most others. They tell the story of an era of history, or a specific event, in a very interesting way. Each one is the fictitious diary of a young boy or girl involved in the event. You really get a feel for how it was to be there at the time.
Read my full review here.
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June 24, 2013Love these series!!!!!!!!!!:):):):
October 5, 2013
I was really loving this book, but suddenly, war broke out... Not really! I lost the book during an air raid. I am really annoyed that I lost it!
April 21, 2014
I loved the book and felt really close to princess Margaret. Thank you Valerie for writing this book I sure do appreciate it.
January 2, 2021
I found this book in my little sister's bookshelf and just knew I had to read it (despite knowing it was way too young for me!). Despite being inevitably simple and childlike, I loved reading this. I adore learning about the war and also learning about the Royal Family, so this was an ideal easy read for me.
Written from the perspective of a young Princess Margaret, focusing on the life of her and her family, specifically her sister, then known as Princess Elizabeth. It is written in the form of diary entries from Princess Margaret, starting from the beginning of WW2 and ending at the end of WW2 with Princess Elizabeth's engagement to Phillip Mountbatten. Such a lovely historical read which highlights the impact WW2 had on everyone, even the Royal Family.
I think my little sister will love reading this, and will educate her whilst being an enjoyable read.
Written from the perspective of a young Princess Margaret, focusing on the life of her and her family, specifically her sister, then known as Princess Elizabeth. It is written in the form of diary entries from Princess Margaret, starting from the beginning of WW2 and ending at the end of WW2 with Princess Elizabeth's engagement to Phillip Mountbatten. Such a lovely historical read which highlights the impact WW2 had on everyone, even the Royal Family.
I think my little sister will love reading this, and will educate her whilst being an enjoyable read.
March 23, 2019
It was a good book and I enjoyed the content. Learning about what happened to the Royal Family during the war.
I did not think there should be so many quotes in the diary. I know I wouldn't quote while conversations if I were writing about it. It didn't seem natural.
Finally, it is in the My Story series and it isn't about HRM Elizabeth. It was about Margaret and what the saw the family going through during the war.
I did not think there should be so many quotes in the diary. I know I wouldn't quote while conversations if I were writing about it. It didn't seem natural.
Finally, it is in the My Story series and it isn't about HRM Elizabeth. It was about Margaret and what the saw the family going through during the war.
May 2, 2021
This is a YA fiction read and I liked it very much. A fan of any tale that includes our sovereign (NZ, Commonwealth) Elizabeth is certainly an impressive young lady who does her part for the WWII War effort, steps up to the responsibility of being a civil servant and meets a charming young Philip, may he rest in peace . An easy read but will only interest readers who care for the Royals and perhaps any young females out there looking for a genuine role model .
November 1, 2023
Told from perspective of Margaret, the younger sister of Elizabeth, this is the story of the princesses and their experiences during WWII in London.
A great book for kids to learn about the young Queen Elizabeth II and her parents and sister.
A great book for kids to learn about the young Queen Elizabeth II and her parents and sister.
November 29, 2019
Not the best
March 9, 2015
Wartime Princess by Valerie Wilding was quite engaging, and I rate it 3 stars! - only - (because it was not as interesting as I would have liked it to be.) Please pardon my slightly biased opinion, because I prefer action books and adventure books, but chose this book for a new try, trying something a bit more down-to-earth. A historical fiction.
This book is in diary form, and the "owner" of this "diary" is (the one-and only!) Princess Margaret of England, and she is writing during WWII. This is really neat, since Princess Margaret was never the “star of the show”, being always overshadowed by her sister Elizabeth, the heir to the throne. And yet Margaret has feelings of her own, and here they are in this book! You can tell Margaret is the livelier one of the 2 sisters, and that she isn’t quite as obedient, responsible or serious as her sister. (No offence intended, Princess Margaret.)
Margaret is an enthusiastic young girl who loves her family and is brimming with empathy, and so when her sister falls in love with Prince Phillip of Greece and Denmark, Margaret is truly happy for her sister, no matter how much she teases Elizabeth(or Lilibet as Margaret calls her in the book)about it. And when World War Two comes around, she is not at all ready for speeches of encouragement, formal, scary letters and moving around to hide for fear of a doodlebug landing on her royal family. Once Prince Phillip leaves to join the navy, her beloved sister Lillibet going to serve in the army among the danger and the fighting is absolutely the last straw! Princess Margaret has to learn the hard way how to keep her chin up, spread her optimism, and hope for the best like the Princess she is destined to be.
This book is in diary form, and the "owner" of this "diary" is (the one-and only!) Princess Margaret of England, and she is writing during WWII. This is really neat, since Princess Margaret was never the “star of the show”, being always overshadowed by her sister Elizabeth, the heir to the throne. And yet Margaret has feelings of her own, and here they are in this book! You can tell Margaret is the livelier one of the 2 sisters, and that she isn’t quite as obedient, responsible or serious as her sister. (No offence intended, Princess Margaret.)
Margaret is an enthusiastic young girl who loves her family and is brimming with empathy, and so when her sister falls in love with Prince Phillip of Greece and Denmark, Margaret is truly happy for her sister, no matter how much she teases Elizabeth(or Lilibet as Margaret calls her in the book)about it. And when World War Two comes around, she is not at all ready for speeches of encouragement, formal, scary letters and moving around to hide for fear of a doodlebug landing on her royal family. Once Prince Phillip leaves to join the navy, her beloved sister Lillibet going to serve in the army among the danger and the fighting is absolutely the last straw! Princess Margaret has to learn the hard way how to keep her chin up, spread her optimism, and hope for the best like the Princess she is destined to be.
February 17, 2015
The royal family is adored by everyone and being british i take pride in them. However there probably one of the most secretive family in the world and this book explored and used real events and gave a great point of view into what they were perhaps feeling. I adored margaret but i must say the story makes the queen sounds like a very 'calm and collected' of, person all the time, even as a teenager, which was probably not the case.Maybe they should have took in mind that yes she must have great postured moments but she must have moments where she's wound down and just free to be a teenager. Great book, bit of a bore..
December 8, 2016
A children's book in the form of a diary of Wilding's vividly imagined accounts of what it might have been like for our queen and her sister Margaret growing up, especially through the war years. Although a fictional account it does cover all the major events in the young princesses lives and is very engaging and easy to read.
The only thing I would say against it is that, from the title, I would have assumed it was going to be Elizabeth's diary when in actual fact events are told from the point of view of Princess Margaret.
Having said this it does constantly talk about what Elizabeth was up to so it was still a very entertaining and informative read.
The only thing I would say against it is that, from the title, I would have assumed it was going to be Elizabeth's diary when in actual fact events are told from the point of view of Princess Margaret.
Having said this it does constantly talk about what Elizabeth was up to so it was still a very entertaining and informative read.
September 25, 2012
As per another reviewer. The cover picture is misleading, as the story is in the form of a diary kept by Princess Margaret.
Again, another good read in this series.
The story is lighter in format than the New Zeland series, though as enjoyable.
Again, another good read in this series.
The story is lighter in format than the New Zeland series, though as enjoyable.
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November 14, 2015My 10-year-old daughter recommended that I should read this book, and I was prepared to be bored by fiction for kids. I actually enjoyed it! And I also learned things about the royal family and about World War II that I did not know before. I would definitely recommend this for young readers!
May 13, 2016
It was ok. It said wartime princess and it had Elizabeth's name on the front so I asumed it was about her time as a mechanic, however it was about her sister Margaret, and only slightly interesting.
I don't particually like My Story books in general though
I don't particually like My Story books in general though
March 21, 2023
Though the story is about Elizabeth, it’s written from Margaret’s POV. WWII takes a backseat to Elizabeth’s developing relationship with Philip.
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October 11, 2013great book about the royal family during world war 2
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December 13, 2013so interesting, really enjoyed this :)
November 15, 2023
I thought that it was a good book
Based on princess Margret and the late Queen Elizabeth the second during war.
Based on princess Margret and the late Queen Elizabeth the second during war.
February 13, 2014
The book itself was good, but it was also really easy.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews