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The Monarchy: An Oral Biography of Elizabeth II
Her public and private worlds, the life and times of Elizabeth II and her family.
Fifty years ago in February 1952, while in Kenya on the beginning of a world tour, Princess Elizabeth ascended to the British Throne on the death of her father, King George VI, who the day before had stood on the tarmac at London’s Heathrow airport waving her farewell. She returned to London as Queen to be met at the foot of the aircraft steps by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The Monarchy is the brilliantly constructed oral biography of the life of Elizabeth II and her fifty-year rule as the second-longest-reigning British sovereign in history. This candid look at the enduring monarch has been compiled from interviews that paint a rich picture of the private and the public life of the Queen. With access to over one hundred friends and associates of the Royal Family, the authors have woven their in-depth conversations into a fascinating, comprehensive personal profile that brings vividly to life the various strands of Queen Elizabeth’s life.
We follow the story from her birth in an elegant townhouse in London’s Piccadilly, through the trauma of the abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, and her realization that she was the heir to the Throne. During the London blitz the Royal Family stayed in London, an action that was loved by Britons, and after the war her almost fairytale marriage to Prince Philip followed by her Coronation in 1953 in Westminster Abbey. This early life is brought vividly to life by insiders like Lady Pamela Hicks, Lady Elizabeth Longford, Michael Parker, Earl of Harewood, Philip Ziegler, and others.
The years of her reign, beset by political turmoil in her beloved Commonwealth of Nations and problems nearer to home in her family, are treated sensitively. A portrait emerges of a woman whose understanding of political reality and foreign and domestic policy is wide and deep. She has been served by nine Prime Ministers from Winston Churchill to Tony Blair (who, it is certain, has both given her advice and received it in return). The Monarchy also sheds light new light on Queen Elizabeth’s often strained and fractious relationships with her children and their spouses, including, of course, the Prince Charles/Princess Diana/Camilla Parker Bowles drama that riveted the world.
Drawing on the knowledge and observations of a wide range of people, courtiers, journalists, heads of state, politicians, and close friends, this book is an intimate and meaningful tour of a remarkable life. It is also a forthright portrait of an amazing the Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth II, a figure who has captured the hearts and imagination of millions.
Fifty years ago in February 1952, while in Kenya on the beginning of a world tour, Princess Elizabeth ascended to the British Throne on the death of her father, King George VI, who the day before had stood on the tarmac at London’s Heathrow airport waving her farewell. She returned to London as Queen to be met at the foot of the aircraft steps by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The Monarchy is the brilliantly constructed oral biography of the life of Elizabeth II and her fifty-year rule as the second-longest-reigning British sovereign in history. This candid look at the enduring monarch has been compiled from interviews that paint a rich picture of the private and the public life of the Queen. With access to over one hundred friends and associates of the Royal Family, the authors have woven their in-depth conversations into a fascinating, comprehensive personal profile that brings vividly to life the various strands of Queen Elizabeth’s life.
We follow the story from her birth in an elegant townhouse in London’s Piccadilly, through the trauma of the abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, and her realization that she was the heir to the Throne. During the London blitz the Royal Family stayed in London, an action that was loved by Britons, and after the war her almost fairytale marriage to Prince Philip followed by her Coronation in 1953 in Westminster Abbey. This early life is brought vividly to life by insiders like Lady Pamela Hicks, Lady Elizabeth Longford, Michael Parker, Earl of Harewood, Philip Ziegler, and others.
The years of her reign, beset by political turmoil in her beloved Commonwealth of Nations and problems nearer to home in her family, are treated sensitively. A portrait emerges of a woman whose understanding of political reality and foreign and domestic policy is wide and deep. She has been served by nine Prime Ministers from Winston Churchill to Tony Blair (who, it is certain, has both given her advice and received it in return). The Monarchy also sheds light new light on Queen Elizabeth’s often strained and fractious relationships with her children and their spouses, including, of course, the Prince Charles/Princess Diana/Camilla Parker Bowles drama that riveted the world.
Drawing on the knowledge and observations of a wide range of people, courtiers, journalists, heads of state, politicians, and close friends, this book is an intimate and meaningful tour of a remarkable life. It is also a forthright portrait of an amazing the Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth II, a figure who has captured the hearts and imagination of millions.
592 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 16, 2020
Slow read, plus I have not read an oral history before. This style can be confusing but you do garner pertinent information on how others perceive the Queen. If you enjoy the subject matter it is a worthwhile effort, not really for beginners interested in Royal life.
December 28, 2021
I was gifted a free copy of Queen Elizabeth II: The Oral History by Deborah Hart Strober and Gerard Strober. I'm not a monarchist by any stretch of the imagination but I do have an interest in the subject, albeit all knowledge I have tends to relate to periods several centuries prior to the accession of Queen Elizabeth II. Nonetheless, as for many people based here in the UK, I do have a certain fondness for the Queen, in part because I admire her quiet dignity, and in part because seeing her on TV reminds me of the Christmas Days of my childhood, which were always spent with my Granny, who insisted on watching the Queen's speech and was not far off insisting we all stood up for the national anthem like (a much more respectable version of) Father Jack.
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The format of this book is quite different to anything I have read before: the authors essentially interviewed a number of people with royal experience and put excerpts from the different interviews together into a single volume chronicling the Queen's life from birth to near enough present day. The nature of book inevitably meant it was fairly repetitive as several interviewees discuss the same topic. However, this was more or less made up for by the fact that some view points were conflicting, leading to an interesting and more complete picture of the Queen's life.
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I did learn quite a lot reading this book, although some sections were more interesting than others. For me, the highlights were the abdication of the Queen's uncle, Edward VIII (who doesn't enjoy a bit of scandal?), and the story of Charles and Diana (anyone fancy a binge of The Crown?). Has it converted me into a monarchist? Well, no, but I have to admit that I did rather enjoy delving into the stories of the nation's history from the points of view of those who were there, and my sense of admiration for the Queen's constancy remains intact.
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If you enjoyed The Crown, I'd recommend this book as essential reading to discover some of the true stories behind the events depicted.
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The format of this book is quite different to anything I have read before: the authors essentially interviewed a number of people with royal experience and put excerpts from the different interviews together into a single volume chronicling the Queen's life from birth to near enough present day. The nature of book inevitably meant it was fairly repetitive as several interviewees discuss the same topic. However, this was more or less made up for by the fact that some view points were conflicting, leading to an interesting and more complete picture of the Queen's life.
📚
I did learn quite a lot reading this book, although some sections were more interesting than others. For me, the highlights were the abdication of the Queen's uncle, Edward VIII (who doesn't enjoy a bit of scandal?), and the story of Charles and Diana (anyone fancy a binge of The Crown?). Has it converted me into a monarchist? Well, no, but I have to admit that I did rather enjoy delving into the stories of the nation's history from the points of view of those who were there, and my sense of admiration for the Queen's constancy remains intact.
📚
If you enjoyed The Crown, I'd recommend this book as essential reading to discover some of the true stories behind the events depicted.
📚
March 18, 2023
This book was excellent! Of course I had heard of oral histories, but didn't realize it would be so very interesting to read one. To read about the opinions and points of view from so many different people involved in the monarchy was a real eye-opener. The only section where it grew tiresome was the "Charles and Diana" chapter; some of the statements and beliefs were really off the wall. Anyway, I had been hesitant to read this because of the length, but I am glad I did. 4.5 stars.
April 21, 2014
I love the oral biography format - different views any given subject is always interesting.
Unfortunately this book varied in content. Some areas were great and I flew through them, others seemed belabored and too many people saying the same thing - some editing to even things out would have been nice.
I wish I could rate this 3.5, but a 4 is too high, hence my 3 stars.
Unfortunately this book varied in content. Some areas were great and I flew through them, others seemed belabored and too many people saying the same thing - some editing to even things out would have been nice.
I wish I could rate this 3.5, but a 4 is too high, hence my 3 stars.
November 27, 2016
Unusual format as each section and chapter focuses on an event or time frame and several people share their thoughts. Having opposing viewpoints is interesting but sometimes there is a lack of cohesion.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews