Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History

by Hugo Vickers

Queen Elizabeth II occupies a unique place in the hearts of her people. She was elegant, self-contained, and enigmatic. After a supremely happy childhood, gravitas descended with the death of her beloved grandfather and after the Abdication she accepted her destiny. When she was 21 in 1947, she made a promise to serve and kept it for a remarkable 75 years. She was steadfast and conciliatory and presided calmly over decades of change, political upheaval and family tragedy. Tommy Lascelles described her as 'the most remarkable woman' he had ever met.
Hugo Vickers has been described by the Financial Times as 'the most knowledgeable royal biographer on the planet.' This major new biography is based on sixty years of close observation and research, and uses never-before-seen sources and personal recollections to illuminate her life as never before.

Genres: Biography

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 16, 2026

About the author

Hugo Vickers is a writer and broadcaster, who has written biographies of many twentieth century figures, including the Queen Mother, Gladys, Duchess of Marlborough, Cecil Beaton, Vivien Leigh, a study of Greta Garbo, Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece, and his book, The Private World of The Duke and Duchess of Windsor was illustrated with pictures from their own collection. Mr Vickers’s book, The Kiss: The Story of an Obsession won the 1996 Stern Silver Pen Award for Non-Fiction.

Reviews

[KT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.
I love that at 5yrs old she thought horses should have a day off.
Great Britain is great because of her.
What an excellent account of her amazing life
Ten ⭐