Queen Elizabeth II

Fans of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II have new options for learning about her seven-decade reign.

Hardman’s extensive research included some access to royal archives, and he quotes from the war diaries of the queen’s father. The journalist and biographer tells an admiring story of the life of Queen Elizabeth II amid political and social issues throughout her record-long reign. Hardman argues that Elizabeth’s commitment to her role is driven by more than a sense of duty: “she jolly well likes being Queen and always has.” He addresses family conflicts (not just Prince Andrew), Commonwealth concerns and, lately, quiet steps of “transition” as mobility issues curtail the queen’s public appearances. But it covers an impressive amount of history without getting bogged down — taking readers from the end of Elizabeth’s grandfather’s reign to the 1936 abdication of her uncle and through Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne, including the abrupt exit from royal life by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the death of the queen’s 99-year-old husband, Prince Philip, in 2021, and the run-up to the Platinum Jubilee. The book discusses influential figures such as her majesty’s longtime dresser, Margaret “Bobo” MacDonald; Norman Hartnell, who designed her wedding and coronation gowns; and the keeper of the queen’s clothes today, Angela Kelly (nicknamed AK-47 for her “steely attitude”). (Kelly, with permission rarely accorded a royal staffer, has published two books on the queen’s fashion; “The Other Side of the Coin” was updated last month to include the covid era.) Fans of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II have new options for learning about her seven-decade reign.