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The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Elizabeth II
At the time of Elizabeth II's accession, Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Harry S. Truman was President of the United States and Joseph Stalin still governed the Soviet Union. It has often been said that she never put a foot wrong during her seven decades as monarch, and even those ideologically opposed to Britain and its governments have lauded her. Remarkably, she retained her relevance as sovereign well into her nineties, remaining a reassuring constant in an ever-changing world.
Royal biographer Ian Lloyd reveals the woman behind the legend over seventy themed chapters. Drawing on interviews with relatives, friends and courtiers, he explores her relationship with seven generations of the royal family, from the children of Queen Victoria to Elizabeth's own great-grandchildren. He also sheds light on some lesser-known aspects of her character, such as her frugality and her gift for mimicry. In addition, we see her encounters with A-listers, from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna, and her adept handling of several of the twentieth century's most difficult leaders.
Above all, Lloyd examines how the Queen stayed true to the promise she made to the nation at the age of 21, 'that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service'.
Royal biographer Ian Lloyd reveals the woman behind the legend over seventy themed chapters. Drawing on interviews with relatives, friends and courtiers, he explores her relationship with seven generations of the royal family, from the children of Queen Victoria to Elizabeth's own great-grandchildren. He also sheds light on some lesser-known aspects of her character, such as her frugality and her gift for mimicry. In addition, we see her encounters with A-listers, from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna, and her adept handling of several of the twentieth century's most difficult leaders.
Above all, Lloyd examines how the Queen stayed true to the promise she made to the nation at the age of 21, 'that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service'.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 21, 2022
13 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Ian Lloyd
68 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Ian Lloyd has been a professional writer and photographer for nearly two decades, producing illustrated articles for Britain’s leading newspapers and magazines, as well as syndicating material to over 30 countries.
During this period he has photographed every member of the Royal Family as well as iconic figures from Nelson Mandela and Elizabeth Taylor to the Dalai Lama.
Ian was born in Lymm, Cheshire. He has a degree in Medieval and Modern History from the University of Nottingham as well as diplomas in photography, management and bookselling.
After graduating he became a retail manager for Blackwell’s, the prestigious Oxford-based bookselling group, going on to become Training Officer for the group’s 70 shops.
Ian Lloyd has been a professional writer and photographer for nearly two decades, producing illustrated articles for Britain’s leading newspapers and magazines, as well as syndicating material to over 30 countries.
During this period he has photographed every member of the Royal Family as well as iconic figures from Nelson Mandela and Elizabeth Taylor to the Dalai Lama.
Ian was born in Lymm, Cheshire. He has a degree in Medieval and Modern History from the University of Nottingham as well as diplomas in photography, management and bookselling.
After graduating he became a retail manager for Blackwell’s, the prestigious Oxford-based bookselling group, going on to become Training Officer for the group’s 70 shops.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 13, 2022
Whether you believe in a monarchical system or not, the life and times of a 96-year-old world leader is still fascinating. She has either brushed up against (through her parents and grandparents) or lived through the entire 20th century, and is probably going to see a quarter of the 21st. She has seen “good times and bum times” and she’s still here. Her realm has fallen and risen and fallen again; her family is a perpetual circus but without a ring master (Edward VIII, Margaret, Charles & Diana, Andrew and Fergie, bumptious Edward, Harry and Meghan, Andrew again); her house burned down one year; she’s the last of the her entire immediate family. Ian Lloyd’s 70 chapters - not really but sort of a biography - highlight that “still here”-ness and why that might be so. She’s resilient, a hard worker, smart, patient, charming. She both recognizes the zeitgeist and skillfully moves in and out of it. One day we are all going to wake up, and she’s going to be gone, and it will seem really weird to not have a world with her in it (her great-great grandmother Victoria’s death had a similar impact). (She’s also the great-great-great granddaughter of George III through her grandmother Queen Mary, which is a bit fascinating to think about).
September 13, 2022
This was brilliant. Moving and funny. It really get a sense of a woman behond the crown who put her kingdom at the very forefront of her thoughts and actions.
December 2, 2022
Well done!
This stands as one of the most insightful royal biographies I’ve read lately. Instead of linear chapters, Lloyd offers vignettes; that approach serves to shine light on various facets of the Queen’s personality and life. For example, I can feel the sheer euphoria the princesses experienced when they were able to blend into the celebratory crowds on VE and VJ Days.
Mr Lloyd also reveals the Queen’s character by showing us facets of her ancestors’ characters. Many times, he does it with humor. For example, “Both George V and Elizabeth II had happy marriages and preferred spending leisure time with the family and, preferably, outdoors. In George’s case, it made for a dull, if virtuous, lifestyle. His official biographer, Harold Nicolson, lamented that ‘for seventeen years he did nothing at all but kill animals and stick in stamps’.”
Lloyd succeeds in making The Queen human, no more so than with this anecdote: “This sensitive side of the Queen’s character was apparent when surgeon David Nott was a lunch guest in October 2014. Nott had recently returned from front-line duties in Syria. When she asked him about his service there, it revived traumatic memories of the horrors he had experienced, and he found himself unable to reply. Speaking on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, he recalled: I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to speak to her – I just couldn’t. I just could not say anything. She picked all this up and said, ‘Well, shall I help you?’ I thought, ‘How on earth can the Queen help me?’ All of a sudden, the courtiers brought the corgis, and the corgis went underneath the table. The Queen then took a dog biscuit off a silver tray she has ready for her pets and gave one to him, saying, ‘OK, why don’t you feed the dogs?’ And so, for 20 minutes during this lunch the Queen and I fed the dogs. She did it because she knew that I was so seriously traumatised. You know the humanity of what she was doing was unbelievable.”
This stands as one of the most insightful royal biographies I’ve read lately. Instead of linear chapters, Lloyd offers vignettes; that approach serves to shine light on various facets of the Queen’s personality and life. For example, I can feel the sheer euphoria the princesses experienced when they were able to blend into the celebratory crowds on VE and VJ Days.
Mr Lloyd also reveals the Queen’s character by showing us facets of her ancestors’ characters. Many times, he does it with humor. For example, “Both George V and Elizabeth II had happy marriages and preferred spending leisure time with the family and, preferably, outdoors. In George’s case, it made for a dull, if virtuous, lifestyle. His official biographer, Harold Nicolson, lamented that ‘for seventeen years he did nothing at all but kill animals and stick in stamps’.”
Lloyd succeeds in making The Queen human, no more so than with this anecdote: “This sensitive side of the Queen’s character was apparent when surgeon David Nott was a lunch guest in October 2014. Nott had recently returned from front-line duties in Syria. When she asked him about his service there, it revived traumatic memories of the horrors he had experienced, and he found himself unable to reply. Speaking on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, he recalled: I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to speak to her – I just couldn’t. I just could not say anything. She picked all this up and said, ‘Well, shall I help you?’ I thought, ‘How on earth can the Queen help me?’ All of a sudden, the courtiers brought the corgis, and the corgis went underneath the table. The Queen then took a dog biscuit off a silver tray she has ready for her pets and gave one to him, saying, ‘OK, why don’t you feed the dogs?’ And so, for 20 minutes during this lunch the Queen and I fed the dogs. She did it because she knew that I was so seriously traumatised. You know the humanity of what she was doing was unbelievable.”
June 1, 2023
A good review of the Queen's reign.
There's not a lot of conversation here. Most of it reads as if derived from news clippings and other sources. As a history, it seems to capture the majority of the high points and low points of Queen Elizabeth's history.
I've read numerous books about the Queen. In a way, this was a review and I'm glad I read it. Queen Elizabeth's life encompassed so many historic events, this helped me remember some things I'd forgotten.
There's not a lot of conversation here. Most of it reads as if derived from news clippings and other sources. As a history, it seems to capture the majority of the high points and low points of Queen Elizabeth's history.
I've read numerous books about the Queen. In a way, this was a review and I'm glad I read it. Queen Elizabeth's life encompassed so many historic events, this helped me remember some things I'd forgotten.
November 16, 2022
A snappy and informative book which charts the life of her late Majesty through seventy chapters, from childhood to the last few years of her reign.
Reading this after the Queen's passing made the book all the more poignant. I throughly enjoyed the book and learnt things about the Queen and Royal family that I wasn't aware of before.
Reading this after the Queen's passing made the book all the more poignant. I throughly enjoyed the book and learnt things about the Queen and Royal family that I wasn't aware of before.
September 25, 2022
A Must
Good bio of the late HM, ‘Four Weddings’ style. 70 chapters on her life and work, some known facts, some surprising.
Good bio of the late HM, ‘Four Weddings’ style. 70 chapters on her life and work, some known facts, some surprising.
May 16, 2023
Absolutely wonderful
May 25, 2023
#53 of 120 books pledged to read during 2023
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews