Queen Elizabeth II
Date Added: 14/05/2022
The upcoming royal jubilee has been a focus for publishing. There are lots of new books about the queen and her reign, free to reserve. Click on the titles and logon to reserve with your library card (join here) and pin (Request PIN).
A Queen for all Seasons, is a selection of writings about the queen, edited by actress Joanna Lumley, who is a great fan of the queen.
HRH: so many thoughts on royal style by Elizabeth Holmes examines the fashion and branding of Queen Elizabeth II; Diana, Princess of Wales; Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge; and Meghan Markle.
The Queen's platinum celebration: 1952-2022 by Brian Hoey, prolific author on the royal family, is available to reserve.
The Times Queen Elizabeth II: a portrait of her 70 year reign based on articles and photographs from the Times newspaper, by James Owen.
Queen of our times: the life of Elizabeth II is the latest of many royal biographies by Robert Hardman.
Elizabeth and Margaret; the intimate world of the Windsor Sisters by Andrew Morton, 2021.
Elizabeth II: princess, queen, icon is a selection of portraits of the queen, from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of over a thousand.
For anyone who is looking for a more critical perspective, the book by Clive Irving, originally published in 2020 and updated for 2022, is worth a read: The Last Queen: the remarkable story of Elizabeth II's seventy-year reign and the future of the monarchy.
Insider Secrets
The Little Princesses was the first royal biography by an insider – Queen Elizabeth’s governess – published in 1950. The story of Marion Crawford is told in Governess, as biographical fiction, by Wendy Holden. Insider biographies are now more acceptable and The other side of the coin: the Queen, the dresser and the wardrobe is by Angela Kelly, the Queen’s dresser and personal advisor. Lady in Waiting is the tragic story of Lady Anne Glenconner, Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret.
The Consort
Prince Philip carved himself a notable role as the Queen’s consort, with a range of interests, particularly in science. Prince Philip Avenue in Cranfield commemorates one of many visits to Cranfield University. Read more about him in one of these biographies:
The Duke: 100 chapters in the life of Prince Philip by Ian Lloyd, 2021;
Prince Philip revealed by Ingrid Seward, 2020;
Philip: the final portrait by Gyles Brandreth, 2021.
The next generation
Rebel Prince: the power, passion and defiance of Prince Charles by Tom Bower was published in 2018 and described in one Amazon review as “a good case for a republic.”
Charles: the misunderstood prince by Sally Bedell Smith, 2017, is a more sympathetic biography.
The Duchess by Penny Junor, is the story of Camilla Parker Bowles, now Duchess of Cornwall, and always a book lover.
The grandchildren
William at 40: the making of a modern monarch by Robert Jobson, published in May and available to reserve.
Battle of the brothers by Robert Lacey, royal historian and consultant to Netflix series The Crown.
Royalty in Libby magazines
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Some magazines have a jubilee focus, including the May issue of Vanity Fair.
Royalty for children
There are royalty books for fun and for education. All can be reserved at no-charge.
Our Queen Elizabeth by Kate Williams celebrates 70 years on the throne.
All about the Commonwealth is an information book by the prolific non-fiction writer for children, Anita Ganeri. It covers the history of the Commonwealth and its purpose today, including events such as the Commonwealth Games, taking place in Birmingham in August this year.
Great Elizabethans: Queen Elizabeth II and 25 amazing Britons from her reign, is a selection of potted biographies, beautifully illustrated, including David Attenborough (scientist), Marlorie Blackman (children’s writer), Stormzy (rapper) and Sarah Gilbert (COVID vaccine scientist).
The Royal Family is published by Raintree, who produce excellent children’s non-fiction books. It was published in 2019, so pre-dates Prince Philip’s death, but is nevertheless worth a read.
Top 50 Kings and Queens from the ever popular Horrible Histories series by Terry Deary.