The Real Story: Franklin Roosevelt and His Cousin Daisy

This week’s release, “Hyde Park on Hudson,” tells the story of the visit by King George V (“The King’s Speech” king) and Queen Elizabeth (the parents of the present queen) to the home of President Franklin Roosevelt, played by Bill Murray.  And it is told from the point of view of FDR’s quiet cousin Margaret “Daisy” Suckley (pronounced “sook-lee”), the President’s distant cousin, played by Laura Linney.  The true nature of their relationship was only revealed after Daisy died at age 99 and her treasure trove of correspondence with the President was found in a suitcase under her bed.  The story is told in Closest Companion: The Unknown Story of the Intimate Friendship Between Franklin Roosevelt and Margaret Suckley by historian Geoffrey Ward, and there is more information in Franklin and Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life.  The only man to be elected President four times and one of the towering historical figures of the 20th century, Roosevelt has been portrayed in movies like Sunrise At Campobello and Eleanor and Franklin.