In April 1897, Charlotte Bill enters service into the house of the Duke and Duchess of York as a nanny. For decades, "Lala", as she is called, cares for her royal charges, some of which will rule, and one known as "The Lost Prince".

April, 1897: A young nanny arrives at Sandringham, ancestral estate of the Duke and Duchess of York. She is excited, exhausted and about to meet royalty. So begins the story of Charlotte Bill, who would care for a generation of royals as their parents never could. Neither Charlotte LaLa, as her charges dub her nor anyone else can predict that eldest sons David and Bertie will each one day be king. LaLa knows only that these children, and the four who swiftly follow, need her steadfast loyalty and unconditional affection. But the greatest impact on Charlotte's life is made by a mere bud on the family tree: a misunderstood soul who will one day be known as the Lost Prince. Young Prince John needs all of Lala's love -- the kind of love his parents won't or can't show him. From Britain's old wealth to the glittering excesses of Tsarist Russia; from country cottages to royal yachts, and from nursery to ballroom, Charlotte Bill witnesses history.