The Queen: Her Life

by Andrew Morton

Overview

#1 New York Times bestselling biographer Andrew Morton provides the definitive, most comprehensive account of Queen Elizabeth II's legendary reign. 

Painfully shy, Elizabeth Windsor’s personality was well suited to her youthful ambition of living quietly in the country, raising a family, and caring for her dogs and horses. But when her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated, she became heir to the throne—embarking on a journey that would test her as a woman and queen.

Ascending to the throne at only 25, this self-effacing monarch navigated endless setbacks, family conflict, and occasional triumphs throughout her 70 years as the Queen of England. As her mettle was tested, she endeavored to keep the monarchy relevant culturally, socially, and politically, often in the face of resistance from inside the institution itself. And yet the greatest challenges she faced were often inside her own family, forever under intense scrutiny; from rumors about her husband’s infidelity, her sister’s marital breakdown, Princess Diana’s tragic death, to the recent departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Now in The Queen, renowned biographer Andrew Morton takes an in-depth look at Britain’s longest reigning monarch, exploring the influence Queen Elizabeth had on both Britain and the rest of the world for much of the last century. From leading a nation struggling to restore itself after the devastation of the second World War to navigating the divisive political landscape of the present day, Queen Elizabeth was a reluctant but resolute queen. This is the story of a woman of unflagging self-discipline who will long be remembered as mother and grandmother to Great Britain, and one of the greatest sovereigns of the modern era.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538700433
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	11/15/2022
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	146,154
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Andrew Morton studied history at the University of Sussex, England, with a focus on aristocracy and the 1930s. Morton has written extensively on celebrity including biographies of Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, and Madonna, as well as the British royal family. He has written bestselling biographies of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Prince Andrew, and Meghan Markle. His #1 New York Times bestselling biography Diana: Her True Story won international acclaim, described by critics as a "modern classic" and "the closest we will ever come to her autobiography."

Table of Contents

Introduction: Surfing with Her Majesty ix

1 Shirley Temple 2.0 1

2 Bombs at Bedtime 31

3 A Walk in the Heather 61

4 The Barefoot Princess 85

5 Crowning Glory 107

6 Hearts and Coronets 129

7 Secrets, Scandals, and Spies 151

8 A Family Affair 173

9 Then Along Came Diana 201

10 Marriages Under the Microscope 223

11 One's Annus Horribilis 249

12 Flowers, Flags, and Fortitude 279

13 Two Weddings and Two Funerals 303

14 Good Evening, Mr. Bond 335

Epilogue 365

Acknowledgments 377

Notes 379

Select Bibliography 405

Photo Credits 409

Index 411

Editorial Reviews

11/07/2022

Biographer Morton (Elizabeth & Margaret) reveals “the woman behind the mask” in this fluid if familiar biography of Queen Elizabeth II. He begins in 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, elevating Elizabeth’s father to the throne and sending the 10-year-old princess to scratch out the name “Simpson” from her books. Also noted are the scandal caused by governess Marion “Crawfie” Crawford’s 1950 memoir about her time with the royal family, and Elizabeth’s reluctance to seriously consider other suitors after naval cadet Philip Mountbatten “caught the eye of the princess” aboard the royal yacht in 1939. Elizabeth’s heightened role during WWII “emphasized and endorsed her stoical, reserved character,” according to Morton, and led to sibling rivalry with her sister Margaret as she assumed more responsibilities. In a speech broadcast on her 21st birthday, Elizabeth vowed to the British public that she would devote her life “to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong”; less than five years later, she acceded to the throne after her father’s death. Morton also delves into the “existential crisis” caused by the simultaneous implosions of Prince Charles and Prince Andrew’s marriages, and recounts Prince Harry’s demands that his fiancée Meghan Markle receive a special tiara fitting before their 2018 wedding. Incisive character sketches and a touch of gossip make this admiring biography go down smooth. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Andrew Morton has been the best known and most accessible, if not the foremost, biographer of England’s royal family.”—New York Times

“A narrative that hits all the plot points… of course, this is precisely as Queen Elizabeth would have wanted it.”—Washington Post

"A fitting tribute to a long reign."—Kirkus

“Incisive character sketches and a touch of gossip make this admiring biography go down smooth.”—Publishers Weekly

"Morton packs a great deal of interesting material between the covers . . . interesting and energetically written . . . [T]here is much to commend in this effort at capturing a unique woman who will remain an enigma for some time to come."—BookReporter.com

"Morton uses archival research and his relationships with palace insiders to paint a complete written portrait of Britain’s longest reigning monarch . . .  Morton also unpacks some buzzier tidbits including rumors about her husband’s infidelity, her sister’s tumultuous marriage, Princess Diana’s death, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s high profile exit from the royal fam."—The Skimm

"This is something historians will enjoy and the most avid Anglophile should pounce on . . . will make you smile; enjoyment like you’ll get here is hard to hide."—Naples Daily News

“It's hard to come away from this book without feeling some affection for [the queen]—regardless of your views on the monarchy.”—Star Tribune

Praise for Elizabeth & Margaret:

"The king of royal tea...Morton provides rich context on the coldness of royal life...Margaret’s tale is revelatory."—New York Times

"A diligent and well-researched job, examining the closeness of the sisters and their conflicted relationship in a seamless, readable way."—Wall Street Journal

“Deliciously detailed, sometimes gossipy, often moving, this in-depth examination of royal siblings is sure to be in demand.”—Booklist

“Morton’s insightful analysis of the complex relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret succeeds in humanizing two extremely public figures and the myths surrounding them. It will engage history buffs, biography readers, and especially fans of The Crown.”—Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 11/11/2022

Best-selling royal biographer Morton (Diana: Her True Story) pens a solid but somewhat lackluster look at the life of Queen Elizabeth II, with the wistful epilogue completed shortly before her death on September 8, 2022. Morton reminds readers that the longest-reigning monarch in British history had been a celebrity since she was born, appearing on the cover of Time magazine and postage stamps even before her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936, making her unexpectedly second in line to the throne. Morton adeptly chronicles the queen's life and 70-year reign since 1952 as she tried "to keep the monarchy relevant, often in the face of resistance from inside the institution itself. Hard-core royal watchers may learn little new information here, but Morton excels at those small details that show the monarch's personal side, like when the queen was gleefully photographed informally with her hands in her pockets, something her mother had always discouraged her from doing. VERDICT Published so soon after the queen's death, Morton's biography will be popular as a new generation of British royals takes the stage.—Denise Miller

Library Journal

2022-10-07
The longtime royal observer delivers a fond remembrance of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022).

Having written of the British royal family in numerous other works, notably about the close relationship between the queen and her sister, Margaret, British journalist Morton writes with reverence about his subject and adds some personal touches to her story. “The queen had been part of my life forever,” he writes. “Growing up, the queen and her family were like the white cliffs of Dover, immutable, impregnable, there. A fact of life, like breathing.” Composed while she was still alive, the biography was fashioned as a memorial to her unprecedented 70 years on the throne (she acceded upon her father’s death, in 1952, at age 25) as well as her early life. In the preface, Morton offers glimpses of “the woman behind the mask” (in this case, under the crown), many of which he gleaned during his work as an attending journalist on her California tour in 1983. He moves chronologically through the fairly well-known facts of Elizabeth’s life, adding poignant details—e.g., about young Elizabeth’s sensible ways and how she and her sister would gaze out from windows at the crowds gathered outside, gazing constantly in at her (“both sides wondering what the other was doing”). As the author reminds us, Elizabeth was not supposed to accede to the throne so early, and he shows readers how her husband, Philip, struggled to adapt to being second fiddle. “The left-leaning New Statesman magazine,” writes Morton, “hoped that the new monarch, described as ‘capable, energetic, and sensibly progressive,’ would ‘seize the opportunity to sweep away the old order at court and substitute a way of life that matches the times they live in.’ ” However, scandals among the family concerning Margaret, the queen’s sons, and their wives caused seemingly irreparable damage to the monarchy until only recently, when William and Kate Middleton rekindled a nostalgia for the institution.

A fitting tribute to a long reign.

Kirkus Reviews