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'.



- Title

- Copyright

- Contents

- Foreword

- 1 Mayfair Baby

- 2 'My Beloved Papa'

- 3 Elizabeth and a Flying Ace

- 4 Grandpapa England

- 5 A Terrifying Grandmama

- 6 A Best Friend

- 7 Granny and Grandpa, Non-Royal

- 8 Pilgrim's Progress

- 9 Vic's Chicks

- 10 'The Most Famous Little Girl in the World'

- 11 Bobo

- 12 Crawfie

- 13 Heir and Spare

- 14 Manners Maketh the Monarch

- 15 Phoney Times

- 16 VE and VJ

- 17 Sisterly Love

- 18 Dancing Queen

- 19 Handbags and Gladrags

- 20 Traditionally Speaking

- 21 First Meeting

- 22 Courting Cousins

- 23 Tour de Force

- 24 Elizabeth's Austerity Wedding

- 25 What Are We Going to Do with all These?

- 26 A Longed-for Brother

- 27 'Your Majesty, Mummy': The Queen and Prince Charles

- 28 Malta and a Normal Life

- 29 Princess Anne: The Son they Never Had

- 30 Well-Endowed

- 31 The Special Relationship

- 32 Accession

- 33 The Other Queen Elizabeth

- 34 And to Crown it All

- 35 Forever Faithful: The Queen and Religion

- 36 The Queen and Churchill

- 37 Dropping the Curtsies

- 38 TV Queen

- 39 Four-Legged Friends

- 40 'It Gives Me Great Pleasure to Declare Open …'

- 41 Picking a Winner: Two Controversial Elections

- 42 The Human Side

- 43 One's Hand-One-Downs

- 44 The Admirable Perkins

- 45 Monarch of the Glen

- 46 Royal Variety – Not Always the Spice of Life

- 47 A Room with a View

- 48 Awkward Customers: The Queen and Idi Amin

- 49 Lights, Camera, Action: Royal Film Performance

- 50 Regina vs Celebrities

- 51 Looking after the Pennies

- 52 'I Name This Ship …'

- 53 Queen on Screen

- 54 We Are Amused: The Queen's Sense of Humour

- 55 Daughters-in-Law

- 56 Coo, What a Hobby!

- 57 Jam and Jerusalem: The Queen and the WI

- 58 The Royal Stamp of Approval

- 59 Handbags at Dawn: The Queen and Mrs Thatcher

- 60 The Royal Family on the Queen

- 61 Two Awkward State Visits

- 62 Death of a Princess

- 63 Her Godchildren

- 64 How the Queen was Hoaxed

- 65 Elizabeth and the Other Windsors

- 66 Techno-Queen

- 67 My Husband and I

- 68 Anni Horribiles

- 69 On Being Queen, in Her Own Words

- 70 A Credit to the Nation

- Remembering Queen Elizabeth II

- Bibliography



'Ian Lloyd lovingly crafts each chapter into an intimate look at her life.'