| The author who probably wished he never met Queen Mary |
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| Written by Joanne Leyland | |
| Sunday, 30 October 2005 | |
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The
majority of British Royals are hardly the most literary bunch of people
you could hope to meet. Serious historian Princess Michael of Kent
aside, the Windsor clan prefer to spend their days 'hunting, shooting
and fishing' rather than spending quality time with their noses in a book. In 1935 King George V attempted to impress a top author with his admittedly limited knowledge of books. But then the Queen stepped in and, not for the first or last time, a wife managed to embarrass her husband... Scotsman and politician John Buchan was a politician who enjoyed a reputation for discretion, so much so that he worked for the British Intelligence Service early in his life.  Buchan earned his fame, though, thanks to the publication in 1915 of his action novel ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’. His notoriety reached new heights in the 1930s when probably the greatest film director of all time, Alfred Hitchcock, adapted the book into a thriller which many today regard as a true cinema classic. It was relatively rare for King George V to be so thoughtful as to flatter a person. Therefore Buchan was delighted when, during a private meeting, the monarch told him: “I don’t get much time for reading, but when I do I enjoy your books, The Thirty-Nine Steps and so on. Now before you go, the Queen would like to have a word with you.†Within moments Buchan was standing in front of Queen Mary. His head still firmly in the clouds following the rare joy of receiving a compliment from the King, Buchan listened intently as the Queen began to speak: “The King does not get much time for reading but when he does I’m afraid he reads the most awful rubbish!â€. Comment on this article
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