Hugh Robertson

I was a commercial and corporate lawyer in the City of London for many years becoming senior partner of City firm Braby & Waller in 1989 and a senior partner in national firm Irwin Mitchell in 1998 on merger.

As well as legal practice, I also maintained outside interests as a non-executive director, for instance as a Trustee of the London Air Ambulance Charity and Chairman of a privately owned conglomerate. I was also a member of the Court of the Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants and ultimately became its Master.

On retirement, I moved to our house in Spain and decided to write historical fiction drawing on research that I had begun some years before. I am now currently working on the fourth volume of a series centered on the periods 1936 to 1940. Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson are pivotal to the story which encompasses politics, international business and espionage.

I developed an interest in the Abdication of King Edward VIII and surrounding events after a visit to the Duke of Hamilton's home Lennoxlove House with my parents. Later, I spent holidays in Cornwall where the King regularly stayed at the Carlyon Bay Hotel with friends and also took Wallis.

The series is entitled "The Fools' Crown" with the first three published volumes being "King or Pawn", "Traitors Games" and "Court of Knaves".

Whilst my treatment of the people and events are in many cases factually accurate, reflecting detailed research, the books are works of fiction and should be read accordingly.