While some disaffected aristocrats turned to communism or socialism, a small fringe looked to Fascism to cure the many ills of Depression-era Britain, and these were actively courted by Nazis and Fascists on the Continent. Through her sister Unity, a fanatical Nazi who lived in Munich, Diana became a friend of Hitler and other Nazis. She was imprisoned as a traitor during World War II, which drove her family apart: Unity tried to kill herself, and eventually succeeded. Diana's older brother Tom, whom she adored, was killed in Burma in the final days of the war. Jessica denounced Diana to the Intelligence services, and their parents drifted apart, never to live together again. Diana, after retrieving her social position in a semi-exile in France and Ireland, never ceased to be controversial, and never repented for her involvement with Nazism.

Her incredible story, an important part of the story of her celebrated family, has been told by Jan Dalley, who has interviewed her at length, with irresistible panache, balance, and objectivity. The result is a wonderfully readable piece of social history in the form of biography.