KNYGA Trine Engholm Michelsen Codename: Grand Duchess

When German troops crossed the Danish border on 9 April 1940, the small kingdom was given a chilling bargain: submit without a fight and retain its façade of sovereignty – or face destruction. Most Danes chose an uneasy compromise. Jutta Graae chose something far more dangerous. Code-named ‘The Grand Duchess’ in occupied Copenhagen, ‘Haddock’ in London and ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ in Stockholm, Graae built secret bridges to Churchill’s Britain, funnelling intelligence, messages and men across borders bristling with Nazi power. From her respectable bank office and well-laid dinner tables, she helped turn Denmark in Allied eyes from Hitler’s hostage to a trusted partner – all the while knowing that one careless word could mean torture and death not only for herself but for those she loved. Drawing on forgotten and newly opened archives, Trine Engholm Michelsen brings to light the hidden life of a woman who knew almost everything yet spoke of none of it. Spanning the six years from 1939 to 1945, Codename: Grand Duchess plunges the reader into a world of clandestine meetings, coded messages and narrow escapes – and restores Jutta Graae to her rightful place as one of the great, unsung heroines of the Second World War.