Queen Elizabeth II, A Woman For All Seasons

Celebrating The Diamond Jubilee In Books

Sixty years ago, while on safari observing wild game in Kenya, Princess Elizabeth was told that her father had died and that she had become Queen of England. On her return to England, as she stepped off the plane, she was greeted by her prime minister, Winston Churchill, and she received condolences from the American President Harry S. Truman. As the longest serving head of state in the modern era, her reign has spanned everything from the rise of television to the invention of the internet and the space race. She was present for the birth of Rock and Roll, and witnessed twelve American presidents come and go, all of whom she met - including President Obama, whom she hosted last year at Buckingham Palace. In this, her Diamond Jubilee year, we take a look at some of the best books about the Queen of England, some of the more gossipy tomes, and a book that you may not have seen that gives a little more insight into Queen Elizabeth and the House of Windsor.

One of the best books on the Queen is Ben Pimlott’s “The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II.” Pimlott was a writer of great authority, whose biographies of British politicians have earned him much praise. His volume on the Queen does not fawn; it provides a thorough and level-headed assessment of Elizabeth, affording a depth of understanding of both the person and the constitutional monarch. While Pimlott does not dwell on the scandals that have at times threatened to engulf the monarchy, he does not ignore them, and considers their implications and ramifications. Sarah Bradford’s widely acclaimed “Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain’s Queen” managed to stir up attention by being the first serious biography to state that Prince Philip had extra-marital affairs. However, while the more salacious stories are there, so is a detailed look at the finances of the Royal family, again through thorough research and analysis. Bradford creates a detailed and convincing portrait of a woman whose core values are from an era of deference, restraint and respect, at once anachronistic and admirable.

The sordid tell-all-and-then-some end of the celebrity biography spectrum is well covered by the publishing world’s favorite kleptomaniac, Kitty Kelley, in her immensely trashy tome “The Royals.” Banned in Britain, this book has everything you want to know and more from the tabloid perspective. The only Royal who emerges with any sympathy at all from this book is Diana, who in turn created her own publishing phenomenon when she collaborated with Andrew Morton on his book, “Diana: Her true Story.” It was this book, along with the BBC TV interviews, that spelled the acrimonious end of her fairy tale marriage, a story that ultimately concluded with Diana’s death. It was the Royal Family's muted response to her death and the nation's grief that perhaps posed the most serious threat to the monarchy during the Queen’s reign.

Our last choice of Queen Elizabeth biographies is “The Monarchy: an Oral History” by Gerald S. Strober and Deborah H. Strober. Drawn from over 150 interviews, this book navigates between issues of historical import and good gossip - was Prince Phillip maneuvered into marriage? The book creates an intriguing and sympathetic portrait of a woman who occupies a very special place at the head of a nation and commonwealth, and who is respected throughout the world. Notably, it includes the fascinating detail that when Elizabeth emerged from the plane in 1952 to be greeted by Churchill, despite having been on safari in Kenya she was dressed in perfect mourning attire, because Royal attendants always packed black clothes in preparation for just such an event. Happy Diamond Jubilee, Your Majesty!

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