Andrew Morton has published popular biographies of Royals and non-Royals. What comes through in this biography is the respect he has for Queen Elizabeth and his admiration for the way she’d tackled problems. When very young, Elizabeth listened gravely to ‘Grandpa England’ (King George V) as he extolled the virtues of duty, decency and hard work. Her mother taught the future Queen to be kind, courteous and to appreciate the benefits of Christian values.
Political crises are highlights: the Profumo scandal; Anthony Blunt being exposed as a Soviet spy; and the appointment of a new prime minister after Harold Macmillan retired. Family crises including Princess Margaret wishing to marry her divorced equerry; the publicity surrounding Prince Charles and his long-term mistress; Princess Margaret again and Roddy Llewelyn; and the death of Princess Diana, the most emotional part of this biography.
One action of the Queen that made the staff anxious was her refusal to wear protective headwear when she rode her horses around Windsor. There’s a quote in the book: the only thing standing between Prince Charles and his destiny is a Hermes scarf.
The biography is thoroughly researched with many end notes. For royalty tragics, this is a must-read. For the rest of us, it’s interesting, well written and entertaining.
Reviewed by Clive Hodges
Andrew Morton is one of the world’s best-known biographers and a leading authority on modern celebrity as well as royalty. His ground-breaking 1992 biography revealed the secret world of Diana, Princess of Wales. Written with her full, though then secret, cooperation, the book changed the way the world looked at the British royal family. Since Diana: Her True Story, he has gone on to write Number 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers on Monica Lewinsky, Madonna, David and Victoria Beckham, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, and, most recently, 17 Carnations: The Windsors, The Nazis and The Cover-Up. The winner of numerous awards, he divides his time between London and Manhattan.
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