In 1936, the British monarchy faced the greatest threats to its survival in the modern era — the crisis of abdication and the menace of Nazism. The fate of the country rested in the hands of George V's sorely unequipped sons:
a stammering King George VI, terrified that the world might discover he was unfit to rule
a dull-witted Prince Henry, who wanted only a quiet life in the army
the too-glamorous Prince George, the Duke of...