The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II

The Queen is a timely book with beautiful photos and fascinating details about one of the most famous women of modern times: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch in history.

＂Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.＂ --Queen Elizabeth II, Coronation Speech, June 2, 1953

When the Queen passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, she had reigned over the United Kingdom for a total of 70 years and 214 days, having endured the ups and downs that long life will bring. She was a beacon of hope during and after the Second World War in difficult times when the world faced a precarious future, and she served as a role model for generations of men and women who continue to be in awe of her commitment to service, sacrifice, and the Commonwealth of nations over which she ruled.

The abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, in 1936 turned her family’s world upside-down. When her father was crowned King George VI, Elizabeth was thrust into the eye of the storm as a future queen. A shy and reserved child, she grew into a wise and insightful monarch who dealt ably with 15 British Prime Ministers during her long reign, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss. It was, of course, not always straightforward and the Queen found herself in hot water several times, most notably during the marriage of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. When Diana was tragically killed in a car crash, the standing of the Royal Family was probably at its lowest ebb.

It is unlikely that we will ever see a monarch reign so long or so effectively again, holding together a disparate group of nations, each with its own aspirations, customs, and traditions.

From her uncle’s abdication to the marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, this intriguing biography includes all the ups and downs of Queen Elizabeth’s long life.

Catherine Ryan is a writer who studied history at St. Andrews University and English at Oxford. Her father was a gamekeeper at Glamis Castle in Scotland, the ancestral home of the Bowes Lyon family, and her path crossed with that of Prince William when he was also a student at St. Andrews.