Chips: The Diaries of Sir Henry Channon

“He gives one of the most wonderful day-to-day accounts of the abdication. He was very keen on royalty.” Read more...

The Best Royal Biographies

Hugo Vickers, Biographer

“Sir Henry Chips’ Channon was a Tory MP for Southend – an American who married into the Guinness family and was therefore at home in high society. He never rose in rank above being parliamentary private secretary to the deputy foreign secretary, RAB Butler. His secret was that he entertained on a lavish scale; I mean a truly awesome scale. The king comes to dinner during the middle of the abdication crisis. Churchill comes to dinner, both in opposition and as prime minister. During the war, Field Marshall Lord Wavell – General Wavell as he was then – came back from the Middle East and stayed with Chips for three months. Everybody passes through his salon.” Read more...

The Best Political Diaries

Chris Mullin, Politician