The Queen
70 Chapters in the Life of Elizabeth II, Centenary Edition
Published on 9. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
978-1-83705-341-4 (ISBN)
Description
At the time of Elizabeth II's accession, Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Harry S. Truman was President of the United States and Joseph Stalin still governed the Soviet Union. It has often been said that she never put a foot wrong during her seven decades as monarch, and even those ideologically opposed to Britain and its governments have lauded her. Remarkably, she retained her relevance as sovereign well into her nineties, remaining a reassuring constant in an ever-changing world.
Royal biographer Ian Lloyd reveals the woman behind the legend over seventy themed chapters. Drawing on interviews with relatives, friends and courtiers, he explores her relationship with seven generations of the royal family, from the children of Queen Victoria to Elizabeth's own great-grandchildren. He also sheds light on some lesser-known aspects of her character, such as her frugality and her gift for mimicry. In addition, we see her encounters with A-listers, from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna, and her adept handling of several of the twentieth century's most difficult leaders.
Above all, Lloyd examines how the Queen stayed true to the promise she made to the nation at the age of 21, 'that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service'.
Royal biographer Ian Lloyd reveals the woman behind the legend over seventy themed chapters. Drawing on interviews with relatives, friends and courtiers, he explores her relationship with seven generations of the royal family, from the children of Queen Victoria to Elizabeth's own great-grandchildren. He also sheds light on some lesser-known aspects of her character, such as her frugality and her gift for mimicry. In addition, we see her encounters with A-listers, from Marilyn Monroe to Madonna, and her adept handling of several of the twentieth century's most difficult leaders.
Above all, Lloyd examines how the Queen stayed true to the promise she made to the nation at the age of 21, 'that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service'.
Reviews / Votes
'Ian Lloyd lovingly crafts each chapter into an intimate look at her life.' * <i>The Lady</i> *More details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Stroud
United Kingdom
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
29 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
322 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83705-341-4 (9781837053414)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2022
The History Press Ltd
€6.99
Available for download
Person
IAN LLOYD has spent twenty years as a full-time writer and photographer, specialising in the British Royal Family. He has had two books in the Sunday Times bestseller list (both 2011) and writes regular features for the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Hello and Majesty. Ian is also the Royal Correspondent for The Sunday Post and a regular royal pundit on Sky News, BBC News and BBC Radio 5 Live. For the death of the Queen, he appeared in over 50 hours of TV coverage for Sky News, as well as two appearances on BBC Breakfast and three on GB News. He was also interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live, Times Radio and TV networks in the USA, Australia, Italy, Mexico, Brazil and Qatar.
Content
Title
Copyright
Contents
Foreword
1 Mayfair Baby
2 'My Beloved Papa'
3 Elizabeth and a Flying Ace
4 Grandpapa England
5 A Terrifying Grandmama
6 A Best Friend
7 Granny and Grandpa, Non-Royal
8 Pilgrim's Progress
9 Vic's Chicks
10 'The Most Famous Little Girl in the World'
11 Bobo
12 Crawfie
13 Heir and Spare
14 Manners Maketh the Monarch
15 Phoney Times
16 VE and VJ
17 Sisterly Love
18 Dancing Queen
19 Handbags and Gladrags
20 Traditionally Speaking
21 First Meeting
22 Courting Cousins
23 Tour de Force
24 Elizabeth's Austerity Wedding
25 What Are We Going to Do with all These?
26 A Longed-for Brother
27 'Your Majesty, Mummy': The Queen and Prince Charles
28 Malta and a Normal Life
29 Princess Anne: The Son they Never Had
30 Well-Endowed
31 The Special Relationship
32 Accession
33 The Other Queen Elizabeth
34 And to Crown it All
35 Forever Faithful: The Queen and Religion
36 The Queen and Churchill
37 Dropping the Curtsies
38 TV Queen
39 Four-Legged Friends
40 'It Gives Me Great Pleasure to Declare Open ...'
41 Picking a Winner: Two Controversial Elections
42 The Human Side
43 One's Hand-One-Downs
44 The Admirable Perkins
45 Monarch of the Glen
46 Royal Variety - Not Always the Spice of Life
47 A Room with a View
48 Awkward Customers: The Queen and Idi Amin
49 Lights, Camera, Action: Royal Film Performance
50 Regina vs Celebrities
51 Looking after the Pennies
52 'I Name This Ship ...'
53 Queen on Screen
54 We Are Amused: The Queen's Sense of Humour
55 Daughters-in-Law
56 Coo, What a Hobby!
57 Jam and Jerusalem: The Queen and the WI
58 The Royal Stamp of Approval
59 Handbags at Dawn: The Queen and Mrs Thatcher
60 The Royal Family on the Queen
61 Two Awkward State Visits
62 Death of a Princess
63 Her Godchildren
64 How the Queen was Hoaxed
65 Elizabeth and the Other Windsors
66 Techno-Queen
67 My Husband and I
68 Anni Horribiles
69 On Being Queen, in Her Own Words
70 A Credit to the Nation
Remembering Queen Elizabeth II
Bibliography
Copyright
Contents
Foreword
1 Mayfair Baby
2 'My Beloved Papa'
3 Elizabeth and a Flying Ace
4 Grandpapa England
5 A Terrifying Grandmama
6 A Best Friend
7 Granny and Grandpa, Non-Royal
8 Pilgrim's Progress
9 Vic's Chicks
10 'The Most Famous Little Girl in the World'
11 Bobo
12 Crawfie
13 Heir and Spare
14 Manners Maketh the Monarch
15 Phoney Times
16 VE and VJ
17 Sisterly Love
18 Dancing Queen
19 Handbags and Gladrags
20 Traditionally Speaking
21 First Meeting
22 Courting Cousins
23 Tour de Force
24 Elizabeth's Austerity Wedding
25 What Are We Going to Do with all These?
26 A Longed-for Brother
27 'Your Majesty, Mummy': The Queen and Prince Charles
28 Malta and a Normal Life
29 Princess Anne: The Son they Never Had
30 Well-Endowed
31 The Special Relationship
32 Accession
33 The Other Queen Elizabeth
34 And to Crown it All
35 Forever Faithful: The Queen and Religion
36 The Queen and Churchill
37 Dropping the Curtsies
38 TV Queen
39 Four-Legged Friends
40 'It Gives Me Great Pleasure to Declare Open ...'
41 Picking a Winner: Two Controversial Elections
42 The Human Side
43 One's Hand-One-Downs
44 The Admirable Perkins
45 Monarch of the Glen
46 Royal Variety - Not Always the Spice of Life
47 A Room with a View
48 Awkward Customers: The Queen and Idi Amin
49 Lights, Camera, Action: Royal Film Performance
50 Regina vs Celebrities
51 Looking after the Pennies
52 'I Name This Ship ...'
53 Queen on Screen
54 We Are Amused: The Queen's Sense of Humour
55 Daughters-in-Law
56 Coo, What a Hobby!
57 Jam and Jerusalem: The Queen and the WI
58 The Royal Stamp of Approval
59 Handbags at Dawn: The Queen and Mrs Thatcher
60 The Royal Family on the Queen
61 Two Awkward State Visits
62 Death of a Princess
63 Her Godchildren
64 How the Queen was Hoaxed
65 Elizabeth and the Other Windsors
66 Techno-Queen
67 My Husband and I
68 Anni Horribiles
69 On Being Queen, in Her Own Words
70 A Credit to the Nation
Remembering Queen Elizabeth II
Bibliography