Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait" is a biography of the late queen from the perspective of someone who interacted with her and her family frequently. Brief moment of illumination that even the Queen / her team played into the competition of who could get what imagery into the media.

Indeed, Brandreth is as much a character in this book as the Queen herself. There is a lot of “as X put it to me”, and “as X told me”. This is Brandreth’s magical mystery tour, and he is a fine guide if you like your guides fully involved.From her childhood in the 1920s to the era of Harry and Meghan in the 2020s, from her war years at Windsor Castle to her death at Balmoral, this is both a record of a tumultuous century of royal history and a truly intimate portrait of a remarkable woman.

A personal account of the life and character of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, from the writer who knew her family best He kept a record of all those encounters, and his conversations with the Queen over the years, his meetings with her family and friends, and his observations of her at close quarters are what make this very personal account of her extraordinary life uniquely fascinating. Nobody, other than the Queen’s family, knew her intimately. Therefore, there are bound to be limitations when it comes to any books written about her. What Brandreth does in this book is discuss how other people’s descriptions of the Queen and their experiences spent in her company tally with his own. That is interesting, I only wish there was more of it. But, as I say, she was immensely private - who could blame her - and so there isn’t a whole heap to go on.

Enjoy this s pecial edition now featuring an exclusive postscript about King Charles III's Coronation with photographs. Brilliant . . . There is so much in this book you won't find anywhere else' LORRAINE Read more Look Inside Details