When James Pope-Hennessy began his work on Queen Mary's official biography in 1955, it opened the door to meetings with royalty, court members, and retainers around Europe. The resulting series of candid observations, secrets, and indiscretions contained in his notes were to be kept private for 50 years, and here at last, Hugo Vickers presents the funniest and most revealing portions of this portrait of the eccentric aristocracy of a bygone age. Illustrated with 16 pages of photos, this engrossing "director's cut" offers much greater insight into Queen Mary than the official 1959 version, and includes sharply observed encounters with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia, and a young Queen Elizabeth II.