Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II, 1926-2022

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A Sunday Times Book of the Year Queen Of Our Times is the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth II by one of Britain's leading royal authorities, Robert Hardman. This commemorative edition includes an epilogue reflecting upon Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee, her passing and her funeral. 'Sensational' - Kirsty Young, The Platinum Pageant (BBC) With fascinating revelations from those who knew her best and special access to unseen royal papers granted by Elizabeth II herself, author and royal expert Robert Hardman explores the full, astonishing life of our longest reigning monarch in this authoritative yet intimate biography. The book also charts the way in which the Queen raised the future King Charles III as both son and heir. Elizabeth was not born to be queen, being third in line to the throne. Yet from her accession as a young mother of two in 1952 to the age of Covid-19, she proved an astute and quietly determined figure, leading her family and her people through more than seventy years of unprecedented social change. She faced constitutional crises, confronted threats against her life, unified the Commonwealth, saw fifteen British prime ministers come and go, charmed world leaders, and steered her family through a lifetime in the public eye. Her Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in June 2022 and her death mourned months later, both events a reminder of the huge impact she had made. Queen of Our Times is a must-read study of dynastic survival and renewal, spanning abdication, war, romance, danger and tragedy. It is a compelling portrait of a leader whose legacy of steadfast service lives on.

Reviews

The essential authoritative biography of the Queen that everyone needs to read - packed with new research, gripping details and telling anecdotes on every page, equally masterful on matters high and low, power and family. -- Simon Sebag Montefiore
Robert Hardman has written a truly exceptional biography of an equally exceptional monarch, rich in new material, wit and original thought. With intimate and unrivalled access to those who really know the story. -- Andrew Roberts
A compendious new biography . . . closely observed . . . I relished the incidental details * The Times (Book of the Week) *
Hardmans exhaustive and endlessly enthusiastic biography paints a vivid picture of a phenomenal sovereign * The Telegraph *
Authoritative . . . scrupulously well researched, thoughtful and sensitive to the sweep of history * Mail on Sunday *
Revelatory . . . Queen of Our Times shows why her extraordinary lifetime of service should be celebrated, honoured and cherished -- William Shawcross,The Spectator
This is a beautifully-crafted, deeply informed and rounded portrait of the gold standard monarch and the age to which she has given her name. Queen of Our Times has depth, feel and insight in abundance -- Peter Hennessy, award-winning historian
[A] fascinating and thoughtful biography from one of Britain's leading Royal writers . . . * Good Housekeeping *

Author Bio

Robert Hardman is an internationally renowned writer and broadcaster, specializing in royalty and history for more than twenty-five years. He has previously written the acclaimed books Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work, Our Queen and Queen of the World, along with the BBC and ITV television documentaries of the same names. Among other television credits, he wrote and presented the BBC Two documentary George III - The Genius of the Mad King and wrote the BBC series The Queen's Castle. Hardman interviewed the Prince of Wales for the BBC's Charles at 60, the Duke of Edinburgh for the BBC's The Duke: In His Own Words and the Princess Royal for ITV's Anne: The Princess Royal at 70. Most recently, he wrote and co-produced the BBC's Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, for which he interviewed a dozen members of the Royal Family. He is also an award-winning newspaper journalist for the Daily Mail in London. Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II is his fourth book.