The Queen

In The Queen, Ben Pimlott creates a richly detailed, compelling portrayal of Elizabeth II - the individual, the institution, and the icon. Written with the cooperation of Buckingham Palace, this distinguished biography is enriched by unprecedented access to government and palace archives, as well as interviews with dozens of persons close to the queen, including Princess Margaret; the archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Runcie; Lord Charteris, the queen's longtime private secretary; and Hardy Amies, the royal dressmaker, and by access to the private diaries of Jock Colville, who served as private secretary to both the queen and Winston Churchill. The result is a penetrating examination that goes far beyond the typical royal biography. He explores the social, political, and psychological influences that shaped the queen's personality and the ideas she represents, Pimlott brings an illuminating perspective to the queen's relationship with her prime ministers, and he offers an intriguing view of the phenomenon of the monarchy itself - and of its future.

First sentence: APRIL 1926 was a busy month for every member of the Conservative Government, but for few ministers more than the Home Secretary, Sir William Joynson-Hicks.

Year

1996

Language

English

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Editions

7

Pages

651

ISBN

9780002554947

Data source: Wikidata