A rags to riches story about a girl from Merthyr Tydfil who became a royal maid during WWII is told in an Ely author's new book.
Writing with the pen name Annie Seymour, Ellee Seymour's Secrets of the Royal Maid, which is the first in a two-book series, will be published on April 9by Penguin Michael Joseph.
It is inspired by the true story of a poor pit miner’s daughter, Rosa Edwards, who at the age of 17 spotted a notice in a shop window in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, advertising for maids to work a big London house – and it turned out to be Buckingham Palace.
Rosa was offered the position and waited on King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, travelling around the country to their royal residences.
While working at the palace, she was swept off her feet by a dashing Coldstream guard, Gerald Snaith.
While the book is inspired by Rosa’s true story, it has been fictionalised around the dramatic wartime events of the day.
Rosa and Gerald married after the war and settled in High Wycombe where Gerald’s family lived and they had their daughter, Jan.
More than 60 years later, in 2016, Rosa returned to Buckingham Palace and joined Queen Elizabeth at her ninetieth garden party that she celebrated with nonagenarians from around the country, only this time Rosa was waited on as a guest instead of serving them. Rosa died in 2019 aged 92.
Jan recounted many of Rosa’s royal anecdotes of her mother’s life as a royal maid for the book to Annie Seymour.
She said: “It is joyous and so special for me see my beautiful mother’s young life experiences written on these pages.
“Annie so thoughtfully researched my mother’s time working for the royal family in the 1940’s and then so eloquently collated some of her wonderful memorable moments together.
“Mum’s early life was not easy, but she really found herself, and met the love of her life, my wonderful father, at Buckingham Palace.
“To read some of my mother’s life story in the book brought tears to my eyes, and my heart filled with pride.”
Madeleine Woodfield, senior editor at Penguin, said: “I have absolutely loved working with Annie on Secrets of the Royal Maid.
“Her wonderful novel brings Rosa Edwards’ story to life so beautifully and her research absolutely shines. Historical fiction readers are in for such a treat.”
The second book in the series, The Royal Maid Finds Love, is released by Penguin Michael Joseph on October 22 and available now to pre-order.
Ellee said: “It was a privilege to write Rosa’s story. I admire her courage in leaving Merthyr where she was unhappy and moving to London during the war to start a new life.
“I have stayed true to Rosa’s bubbly personality and warm character, weaving fictional stories around her life that I hope you will enjoy.”
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