Synopses & Reviews
For more than fifty years, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor -- who became Elizabeth II, Queen of England on February 6, 1952 -- has been loved and loathed, revered and feared, applauded and criticized by her people. Still she endures as a captivating figure in the world's most durable symbol of political authority: the British monarchy. andlt;BRandgt; In andlt;Iandgt;Monarch,andlt;/Iandgt; a meticulously detailed portrait of Elizabeth II as both a human being and an institution, bestselling author Robert Lacey brings the queen to life as never before: as baby "Lilibet" learning to wave to a crowd in the Royal Mews; as a child "ardently praying for a brother" so as to avoid her fate; as a young woman falling in love with and marrying her cousin Philip; and as the mother-in-law of the most complicated royal of all, Princess Diana. andlt;BRandgt; Updated with new material to reflect the 2002 Golden Jubilee and the passing of the Queen Mum -- and featuring dozens of photographs, a family tree of the Hanoverian-Windsor-Mountbatten families, and a map that charts the location of royal castles -- andlt;Iandgt;Monarchandlt;/Iandgt; is an engaging, critical, and celebratory account of Elizabeth's half-century reign that no reader of popular history should be without.
Review
andlt;Iandgt;Newsweekandlt;/Iandgt; Robert Lacey [is] peerless...because he better than anyone sees the modern English monarchy for what it is.
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Martin Amis andlt;Iandgt;The New Yorkerandlt;/Iandgt; An exemplary book.
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Dominick Dunne In andlt;Iandgt;Monarch,andlt;/Iandgt; Robert Lacey makes you feel like you're right there -- in the palace, in the castle....I was absolutely riveted.
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Houston Chronicle A definitive study.
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andlt;divandgt;Martin Amis The New Yorker An exemplary book.
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andlt;Iandgt;Houston Chronicleandlt;/Iandgt; A definitive study.
Synopsis
In this rich and revelatory biography, Robert Lacey both celebrates and examines the British monarchy. Journeying back into history, he presents telling profiles of her iconic great-grandmother Victoria; her scandalous great-grandfather, King Edward VII; and the "lost boy, " her uncle Edward VIII, whose abdication put her in line for the throne. His portrait of the beloved Queen Mum includes reactions to her recent death.
Lacey takes readers inside Elizabeth's path to the throne, with exciting new discoveries about her lessons in how to be a constitutional monarch, and the story of how she fell in love with the dashing Prince Philip when she was only thirteen. He frankly discusses the personal difficulties that have marked her life: the truth about her "wild" sister, Princess Margaret; the rumors about Philip's infidelities; the assortment of scandals and family divorces that plagued her throughout the 1990s; and the inside story of the effect that Princess Diana's tragic death had on Elizabeth, both emotionally and politically. What emerges is a moving story of a woman of remarkable resilience, character, and courage.
Synopsis
An exemplary book. --Martin Amis, The New Yorker In Monarch, Robert Lacey makes you feel like you're right there--in the palace, in the castle...I was absolutely riveted. --Dominick Dunne
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor--who became Elizabeth II, Queen of England on February 6, 1952--has been loved and loathed, revered and feared, applauded and criticized by her people. Still she remained a captivating figure in the British monarchy for over seventy years.
In Monarch, a meticulously detailed portrait of Elizabeth II as both a human being and an institution, bestselling author Robert Lacey brings the queen to life as never before: as baby Lilibet learning to wave to a crowd in the Royal Mews; as a child ardently praying for a brother so as to avoid her fate; as a young woman falling in love with and marrying her cousin Philip; and as the mother-in-law of the most complicated royal of all, Princess Diana.
Featuring dozens of photographs, a family tree of the Hanoverian-Windsor-Mountbatten families, and a map that charts the location of royal castles--Monarch is an engaging, critical, and celebratory account of Elizabeth's reign that no reader of popular history should be without.