First published 2012
Queen Elizabeth II became heir to the British throne when her uncle abdicated in 1936. Sally Bedell Smith traces her journey from childhood through six decades of rule. The biography draws on extensive interviews and previously unrevealed documents to examine both public duties and private moments. Smith shows the thirteen-year-old Lilibet falling in love with naval cadet Philip, the teenage princess repairing military vehicles during World War II, and the young queen balancing motherhood with constitutional responsibilities. The author takes readers inside palace routines, from daily document reviews to weekly prime ministerial meetings. Smith explores Elizabeth's relationships with her husband of sixty-four years, her children's troubled marriages, and twelve different prime ministers. The book reveals how the queen navigated Britain and the Commonwealth through wars and social upheavals while maintaining her composure under constant media attention. Smith provides an intimate portrait of the woman behind the crown.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, family-secrets
Setting: Britain, Commonwealth
Period: 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s
663 pages · Hardcover · Random House