Five of the best biographies of the Queen to read now
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Five of the best biographies of the Queen to read now
As national mourning continues, extensive coverage of the Queen's life and legacy does too. For anyone interested in going deeper into the longstanding monarch's life, there are myriad biographies and history books offering fascinating insights: from seasoned royal journalists to some of the people closest to her.
Here are five of the best to read now.
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1) Queen of our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II, Robert Hardman
This 2022 biography, by acclaimed royal historian Robert Hardman, is one of the most recent and comprehensive books about the late queen. Published in March this year, ahead of the Platinum Jubilee, what would be the last of her reign, it looks back on a lifetime of achievements and struggles, both personal and public. Hardman himself has made a career – as a journalist, broadcaster and author – from his expertise on the royal family, so expect an extensively researched and meticulously crafted poignant final portrait of Elizabeth II.
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2) The Palace Papers, Tina Brown
Tina Brown has made a reputation as a smart and entertaining chronicler of royal life. Her bestselling book, The Diana Chronicles is followed by this 2022 look at the power struggles and relationships within the Queen's court and family. It has a remarkable degree of inside access and looks at some of the most relevant crises of the royals today – from #megxit to the fall of Prince Andrew. A gripping read which centres on the Queen's resolve through all.
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3) The Queen, Matthew Dennison
Published in 2021, this balanced and brilliantly written biography is an extremely detailed depiction of the Queen's life. It paints a picture of her childhood – her at-times oddly spartan existence that was nonetheless filled with toys gifted to her from foreign states. In this way, it deftly handles the central contradictions of her life: a profoundly down-to-earth and humble woman who lived an extraordinary life in some of the grandest palaces in Britain.
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4) The Queens Speech, Ingrid Seward
Ingrid Seward is editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, making her one of the most prominent writers on the royals, and the most prolific. With over a dozen books on this subject to her name, The Queen's Speech is perhaps one of the most intriguing. Complied from nearly 70 years of her public speeches, it analyses the monarch's emotions, personality and motivation through each one. It is an impressive attempt to gauge a sense of an innately public yet curiously personal person, in her own words.
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5) The Other Side of the Coin, Angela Kelly
While many royal biographers may claim grand insight into the Queen, there are perhaps few who know her in quite the same way as her longstanding and loyal dresser, Angela Kelly. Her 2019 book received royal approval and is a touching and warm tribute to the person behind the crown, taken from some of the monarch's funniest and most personal moments. The book makes even more poignant reading today.
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