First published 2009
William Shawcross presents the authorized life story of Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, born the ninth child of the Earl of Strathmore in 1900. The author draws from previously restricted personal papers, private correspondence, and diary entries to construct this comprehensive portrait. Shawcross traces her journey from a young woman caring for wounded soldiers in World War I through her marriage as Duchess of York, her unexpected rise to Queen when Edward VIII abdicated, and her steadfast presence during the London Blitz. The biography follows her evolution into the nation's cherished grandmother figure and final Edwardian representative until her death in 2002. Shawcross offers readers both an intimate royal portrait and a lens through which to view Britain's transformation across an entire century.
Genres: biography, historical, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Britain, London
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
1096 pages · Hardcover · Alfred A. Knopf