From the moment of her ascension to the throne in 1952 at the age of twenty-five, Queen Elizabeth II was the object of unparalleled scrutiny. But through the fog of glamour and gossip, how well did we really know the world’s most famous monarch? Drawing on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed documents, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith pulls back the curtain to show in intimate detail the public and private lives of Queen Elizabeth II, who led her country and Commonwealth through the wars and upheavals of the last twentieth and twenty-first centuries with unparalleled composure, intelligence, and grace.
In Elizabeth the Queen, we meet the young girl who suddenly becomes “heiress presumptive” when her uncle abdicates the throne. We meet the thirteen-year-old Lilibet as she falls in love with a young navy cadet named Philip and becomes determined to marry him, even though her parents prefer wealthier English aristocrats. We see the teenage Lilibet repairing army trucks during World War II and standing with Winston Churchill on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on V-E Day. We see the young Queen struggling to balance the demands of her job with her role as the mother of two young children.
Sally Bedell Smith brings us inside the palace doors and into the Queen’s daily routines—the “red boxes” of documents she reviewed each day, the weekly meetings she had with twelve prime ministers, her physically demanding tours abroad, and the constant scrutiny of the press—as well as her personal relationships: with her husband, Prince Philip, the love of her life; her children and their often-disastrous marriages; her grandchildren and friends.
From the moment of her ascension to the throne in 1952 at the age of twenty-five, Queen Elizabeth II was the object of unparalleled scrutiny. But through the fog of glamour and gossip, how well did we really know the world’s most famous monarch? Drawing on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed documents, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith pulls back the curtain to show in intimate detail the public and private lives of Queen Elizabeth II, who led her country and Commonwealth through the wars and upheavals of the last twentieth and twenty-first centuries with unparalleled composure, intelligence, and grace.
In Elizabeth the Queen, we meet the young girl who suddenly becomes “heiress presumptive” when her uncle abdicates the throne. We meet the thirteen-year-old Lilibet as she falls in love with a young navy cadet named Philip and becomes determined to marry him, even though her parents prefer wealthier English aristocrats. We see the teenage Lilibet repairing army trucks during World War II and standing with Winston Churchill on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on V-E Day. We see the young Queen struggling to balance the demands of her job with her role as the mother of two young children.
Sally Bedell Smith brings us inside the palace doors and into the Queen’s daily routines—the “red boxes” of documents she reviewed each day, the weekly meetings she had with twelve prime ministers, her physically demanding tours abroad, and the constant scrutiny of the press—as well as her personal relationships: with her husband, Prince Philip, the love of her life; her children and their often-disastrous marriages; her grandchildren and friends.
Reviews-
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December 19, 2011
In her 60-year-reign, Elizabeth II has evolved “from beautiful ingénue to businesslike working mother to wise grandmother,” whose grave public persona conceals her spirit, intelligence, humor, and joie de vivre. In a respectful, engrossing, and perceptive portrayal, Smith (Diana in Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess) relates that Elizabeth defied her mother in marrying her cheeky third-cousin Prince Philip of Greece, but she bowed to Churchill in not adopting Philip’s surname, which strained their marriage; while her laissez-faire attitude toward child-rearing allowed a flinty, critical Philip to dominate the sensitive Charles. Her compassion in shaking hands with cured Nigerian lepers in 1956 prefigured Diana’s handshake with an AIDS patient in 1987. But while some of the inner workings of the monarchy are exposed, Smith often pulls her punches; the queen’s passion for her dogs and horses gets more ink than daughters-in-law Camilla and Sophie, and the monarch remains distant, her thoughts and feelings ultimately unknowable. Photos. Agent: Amanda Urban, ICM. -
January 1, 2012
A microscopically detailed portrait of the reigning Queen of England. Vaulted unexpectedly onto the throne at a young age after the death of her father, and before that the abdication of her uncle, Elizabeth II has occupied the position for 50 years, as the British Empire faded into the Commonwealth and the monarchy turned from making history to making tabloid headlines. Smith (For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years, 2007, etc.) traces the queen's life with exhausting thoroughness, down to what was served for dinner at seemingly every royal function she attended. As an American, the author brings an outsider's perspective to the insular world of British royalty; those already familiar with its intricacies may want to skim the detailed explanations of protocol and the meaning of each ritual. Behind all the pomp and circumstance, Smith reminds us, is a real person, a wife and mother as well as a monarch. Though we do see glimpses of her humanity through the years, it becomes clear that Elizabeth's position, and her duty to uphold its honor, is who she is at her core--Queen and country always come before wife and mother. Though Smith is clearly a supporter, she does not shy away from showing the blemishes beneath the polished facade, and readers in search of juicy gossip will find plenty of palace intrigue, illicit affairs, breaches of protocol and other drama. Of particular note are the events leading up to the Annus horribilis of 1992, with Prince Charles portrayed as the victim in his tragic relationship with Diana, who is shown as selfish, childish and emotionally and mentally unstable. But Elizabeth rarely makes a misstep, remaining the solid center that keeps the monarchy standing. God save the Queen. She is a human being, and an extraordinary one at that.(COPYRIGHT (2012) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
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August 1, 2011
Best-selling biographer Smith (yes, she's done Diana, Princess of Wales) is out to get the goods here. While conducting multitudinous interviews with royal friends and family, she also had access to some of the queen's previously unavailable correspondence and the journals of both a former adviser and a former U.S. ambassador. This will certainly be in demand; with a seven-city tour.
Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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November 15, 2011
Personalization is the purpose of this new biography of the current British sovereign, who, we are reminded, has one of the most famous faces in the world. All the details are here for the reader to gather a comprehensive picture of a life so rarefied none of us could imagine it, as the author brings the queen's story up to the present, including such recent events as the wedding of her grandson Prince William and her triumphant state visit to the Republic of Ireland. As we see, she is never not the queen, and for nearly 60 years now, she has experienced that singularity even within what would otherwise be the intimate confines of her family. But the author, without clumsy psychoanalysis, brings into focus the personal side of the ordinary-extraordinary balancing act that has been not only the queen's trademark style but also the cause for continued appreciationeven loveof the monarchy in these decidedly cost-conscious days. She has not been without missteps, but as she has averred to friends, training spells success, and her long reign has trained her to achieve great success.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.) -
April 30, 2012
Bedell’s biography charts the life of Queen Elizabeth II, from her youthful receipt of the title “heiress presumptive” and first love to her ascension to the throne and transformation into England’s current monarch. Rosalyn Landor narrates in a light, authentic British accent. Her pace is steady and her tone appropriately soothing throughout. And while this meticulously researched biography doesn’t offer the narrator an opportunity to produce many character voices, she nonetheless turns in a winning performance. Additionally, Bedell reads the book’s brief preface, explaining—in her American accent, which, to a certain degree, casts her as an outsider—her lifelong fascination with Elizabeth and determination to make the iconic and enigmatic queen both human and accessible. A Random House hardcover. -
December 1, 2011
Smith (contributing editor, Vanity Fair; Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House) has written a satisfying biography of a woman who is both very private and one of the most famous people in the world. The Queen has never given an interview or authorized a biography, but Buckinham Palace staff courteously help authors such as Smith and Andrew Marr (The Real Elizabeth, reviewed above). Smith interviewed over 200 people who have interacted with the Queen, the majority of whom spoke on the record, including both Bush presidents, Lucian Freud, Helen Mirren, and Paul McCartney, as well as lesser-known relatives and friends. She succeeds in portraying something of the monarch's personal life through anecdotes that show the Queen's sharp intelligence and dry sense of humor. VERDICT The results are as informative as they are entertaining. Comparable to Ben Pimlott's excellent The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II (1998), but with information on nearly 15 more years, this will appeal to readers of biographies, British history, and all followers of the British royal family. The Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee should increase demand. With impressive source notes and bibliography. [See Prepub Alert, 7/18/11.]--Elizabeth Mellett, Brookline P.L., MA
Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Nancy Milford
"In an era plagued by flawed public figures, the world's most famous woman has graced her realm impeccably for sixty years. She does so by being both mysterious and grounded. Sally Bedell Smith, through great reporting and insightful writing, provides a revealing look inside the palace to show how the Queen balances being both modern and traditional. Our celebrity-saturated world could learn a lot from her--and from this book."--Walter Isaacson
"This is a biography that avoids none of the difficult questions. Sally Bedell Smith asks them in a way no one else has dared."
