Elizabeth :An intimate portrait from the writer who knew her and her family for over fifty years
Elizabeth :An intimate portrait from the writer who knew her and her family for over fifty years
paperback
Published:
16 April, 2026
Description
A personal account of the life and character of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, from the writer who knew her family best
'Compelling . . . Fascinating' DAILY MAIL
'The writer who got closest to the human truth about our long-serving senior royals' THE TIMES
'The book overflows with nuggets of insider knowledge' TELEGRAPH
Paints a unique picture of the remarkable woman who reigned for seven decades. Fascinating insights' HELLO!
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Gyles Brandreth first met the Queen in 1968, when he was twenty.
Over the next fifty years he met her many times, both at public and at private events. Through his friendship with the Duke of Edinburgh, he was given privileged access to Elizabeth II.
He kept a record of all those encounters, and his conversations with the Queen over the years, his meetings with her family and friends, and his observations of her at close quarters are what make this very personal account of her extraordinary life uniquely fascinating.
From her childhood in the 1920s to the era of Harry and Meghan in the 2020s, from her war years at Windsor Castle to her death at Balmoral, this is both a record of a tumultuous century of royal history and a truly intimate portrait of a remarkable woman.
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Praise for Gyles Brandreth's bestselling royal writing:
'Beautifully written book. I have read many other books about Philip but this is the best' DAILY EXPRESS
'Brilliant, totally inspiring . . . It's a joy to read a book that comes from a perspective of fondness' KIRSTIE ALLSOPP, THE TIMES
'As a sparkling celebration of Prince Philip, the book will be hard to beat' TELEGRAPH
'So readable and refreshing even after the millions of words that have been written about Prince Philip in the past couple of weeks' THE TIMES
'Brilliant . . . There is so much in this book you won't find anywhere else' LORRAINE
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9781405972888 |
| ISBN10 | 1405972882 |
| Number Of Pages | 656 |
| Item Weight | 500 g |
| Product Dimensions | 129 x 198 x 35 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Format | paperback |
Media Reviews
Brandreth paints a vivid picture of the Queen . . . Don't miss this trusted account of the incredible life of the most famous and arguably best-loved Head of State on Earth * This England *
Brandreth offers insights into the extraordinary life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth. Insightful and personal * Woman and Home *
Author's Bio
Gyles Brandreth is a writer, broadcaster and former MP and Government Whip. His many books include the bestselling poetry anthology, Dancing by the Light of the Moon, and the international bestseller about spelling and punctuation, Have You Eaten Grandma? With Susie Dent, the lexicographer from Countdown, he co-hosts the award-winning podcast, Something Rhymes with Purple. Gyles presents Great Canal Journeys on Channel 4 with Dame Sheila Hancock and regularly appears on Celebrity Gogglebox with Dame Maureen Lipman.