Brilliant, totally inspiring . . . It's a joy to read a book that comes from a perspective of fondness' KIRSTIE ALLSOPP, THE TIMES Pimlott was a political scientist and historian who had dabbled with a political career, written lives of British Labour figures, and in 1996 this whopper, to which he added five chapters for the Golden Jubilee in 2002. It was immediately acclaimed on publication and in his foreword to a 2012 Diamond Jubilee edition, historian Peter Hennessy said it was the “product of what happened when a leading political biographer and a top-flight historian of the 20th century ... took a long and serious look at the formation, the functions, the style and the adaptability of the lady whom we Brits of the post-war era were, and are, so fortunate to have as our Head of State”. Revision Col 3 Collins at Home | Support for schools Home tutors Letts Revision Collins4Parents Collins Book Sale Revision for students For many years, this book has been regarded as one of the best and most perceptive of biographies of the monarch. Had Ben Pimlott not died in his 50s in 2004, he would surely have produced another updated edition.

Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait by Gyles Brandreth review Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait by Gyles Brandreth review

When the book was published, it was described as “ludicrously lubricious” in Britain’s Observer newspaper and in his review Oxford-based Australian academic Peter Conrad said Brandreth’s “entire biography of the pair can best be read as the product of a sweatily over-heated imagination. It’s the kind of imagination a snob possesses, elated by a dizzy dream of high society and of his own exclusive access to it.” He is a frequent lecturer on the monarchy and commentator on royal matters for American broadcasters. When Majesty was published, former New Statesman editor Anthony Howard wrote in The New York Times: “Lacey is historian and biographer in his own right as well as being a highly professional journalist – and though authentic source material on the Royal Family is scanty (no one is allowed to know even the names of the Queen’s dogs) he has methodically been through virtually everything that exists.” Elizabeth was young when smitten by Philip. They were eventually married in 1947, only two years after the end of the Second World War and remained so until his death in 2021. Who can forget the poignant image of the Queen sitting on her own at his funeral.Reference Col 1 Times Books A-Z Astronomy Gardening National Parks National Trust Books Road Maps & Atlases World Atlases A glossy, authoritative tribute to the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, featuring our best writers, rare photographs and interviews with those who knew her best. This will be published separately and not be part of your newspaper. The question is where to start now? Here is a selection of the many books about the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Some are more recent, including a couple from this year, while others were first published years ago.

Queen Elizabeth II — 12 books to understand her life and reign

Seward’s take is this: “She has always appreciated how difficult it is for someone so obsessed with his masculine image as her husband to have a wife who always takes precedence over him. If compromise is marriage’s essential ingredient, it has been especially vital to the Queen and Prince Philip.” Secondary Col 3 Anthologies for KS3 to KS5 English White Rose Maths Secure Science for GCSE Reimagine KS3 English KS3 Science Now Collins Classroom Classics Beautifully written book. I have read many other books about Philip but this is the best' DAILY EXPRESS

Margaret had to find some sort of meaning to her life - read Craig Brown’s 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret for an original take on her life – but her sister, despite perhaps being exasperated by her partying, drinking, and divorce, never really deserted her during her many difficulties. Poor, sad Margaret died only a few weeks before the Queen Mother, a double blow for the Queen.

Queen Elizabeth II — 12 books to understand her life and reign Queen Elizabeth II — 12 books to understand her life and reign

Bedell Smith, a former contribtuing editor to Vanity Fair, told the magazine that “one thing I tried to do was to show how isolated she was in her position as Queen and wife and mother. Even though she’s surrounded by people all the time, she’s always been alone in many ways.” Paints a unique picture of the remarkable woman who reigned for seven decades. Fascinating insights' HELLO! Brown is not an intellectual journalist, still less a historian, but she is a captivating storyteller,” wrote Peter Craven when he reviewed the former New Yorker editor’s take on today’s royals, “and she can be wonderful with the telling quote even though the upshot in this hugely overwritten book is far more scintillating about Diana and Charles and Camilla than it is about William and Kate, Harry and Meghan.” Elizabeth is said to have fallen in love with Philip when she met him at the age of 13. After Philip’s death, Philip and Elizabeth was revised to include more material about him, his influence and his legacy. Brandreth certainly interviewed Philip on occasions and noted that while the Duke of Edinburgh showed him friendliness, he did not offer friendship. Dictionaries & language learning Col 1 Dictionaries Paul Noble Easy learning languages Free dictionary resources

Joanna Lumley, an out-and-out fan, knits it all together and says she wanted the book to be “a discovery of her (Elizabeth) through the eyes of other people ... this book is as if I had been let loose with my microphone and wandered about among people I met at random, asking ‘What do you remember of the Queen?’”