Yours, E.R.: A Regal Correspondence

by Terence Blacker

I have reached a stage in my life when I would like people to see who I really am, what I think and, just now and then, how I feel . . . For many years, Her Majesty the Queen has received a weekly report on the news and issues of the day from one of her senior private secretaries. She has replied to them in letters which have expressed her private thoughts about what is happening in the world, and her reflections on life at Buckingham Palace. Now she has decided to allow some of these letters to appear in the public domain. They reveal for the first time what she really thinks about the Prime Ministers she has met, about Helen Mirren, about the great, the good, and the mysteriously famous people she meets as she goes about her duties, and about the unique pleasures and pressures of being HRH. Affectionately imagined, Yours, E.R. provides a glimpse into a year that has seen our Queen jump out of a helicopter, win a Bafta, sit in a Cabinet meeting, and become a great grandmother. It also offers a view on the way we live now, as seen from the top by someone who is both at the center of national life, and yet removed from it.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2013

About the author

Terence Blacker wanted to be a jockey when he grew and up. In fact, he could ride before he could walk, and his childhood hero was the great steeplechaser Mill House (a horse). He lives in Norfolk, England.

Reviews

[Fiona MacDonald]

Gentle and witty, Terence Blacker's imagined letters between himself and Queen Elizabeth are just the sort of cosy reading you need in your life.
Elizabeth is a wonderfully funny and intelligent human. Her letters are laced with sarcasm and playfulness whilst she attempts to navigate modern day events, the latest crazes and and you can well imagine that she might speak this way in real life.
Just a lovely, and non offensive book.

[Victoria Kennedy]

Originally published on My Books Are Me

I found this book while scrolling through Booktopia's End Of Financial Year Sale, and I'm so glad I found it because it was such a great read. I love the British Monarchy and our lovely Queen, so was was fun to read a book about the royal family and what the Queen (probably) thinks behind closed doors.

The book is a series of letters the Queen has written to Sir Jeremy, her retired private secretary, who sends her a weekly 'bulletin' of news articles that are of interest or amusement for the monarch. The letters span from the opening of the London Olympic games and the Queen jumping from the helicopter with James Bond, to the birth of Prince George. Over that period of time, she airs her thoughts on her family, both past and present, the politicians who have lead the country over the years, the celebrities she meets at various events, her staff and estates, as well as her love for dogs and horses.

Now, I don't know the Queen personally (how awesome would it be if I did though!), so I don't know how she thinks or what she thinks about the world around her on a personal level, but I can totally see her saying, thinking and believing everything within this book. Terence has definitely captured the essence of the Queen within the pages, and on several occasions I was laughing out loud at the comments the Queen had made.

What's great about the book is that you do forget that it's fictional. Sir Jeremy is a fictional man, and the Queen has never written these letters, and yet it really feels like she has. Her thoughts still ring true of the person she is, and yet there is a slight relaxation about it all. Terence has not written anything over the top that would be out of character for her, so you truly believe that these are actual letters and thoughts that the Queen has!

This book is obviously not going to suit everyone, but if you enjoy a bit of royal reading, then this book is right up your alley and I'm sure you'll love reading it and get a laugh out of it. What I would really love to know is what those within the Monarchy think of this book and if it is at all close to what actually goes on in the Queen's head!

As someone who love the British Monarchy and Royal Family, I loved this book and recommend it to everyone and anyone. It's such a quick and fun read that I'm sure will put a smile on your face!

[Debbie]

disappointing indeed

[Cathryn]

Despite the charming last letter-entry, I found this book just a little bit too mean-spirited or snarky for my tastes.

[Baxter]

I loved this short fiction about letters the Queen might have written to a retired private secretary.
Having followed her for 60 years, so much rings true as to what she really might think - but NEVER says.

[Mary]

I wish this book was non-fiction. I would love to read Queen Elizabeth's actual thoughts on her family and country. What a fun book to read.

[Jilanna]

Light and interesting. What would personal correspondence between the Queen and a trusted advisor/friend be like?

[Angela Reeves]

ok

[Sarah]

Abandoned on page 30 of 173. Normally I give an abandoned book 1 star but there was nothing to bad about this book it was just dull.