With intimate and unrivalled access to those who really know the story, Queen of Our Times not only gives us the real Elizabeth II, but it also reminds us, often movingly, that we are living through one of history’s greatest reigns. Hardman opisuje zarówno triumfy, jak i wyzwania, z którymi monarchini musiała się zmierzyć na przestrzeni lat. I need to start this review by saying that I have read numerous books about Queen Elizabeth, as well as about many other members of the English royal family. And now she is preparing for an event without parallel since the reign of Louis XIV: her Platinum Jubilee.

Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen tells the story of the Queen's life through BBC exclusive access to never-before-seen home videos and footage of Elizabeth’s private moments, making it the most complete look at her life in existence to date. All the praise of fresh blood went out the window once it became apparent that you can’t suck it out to revitalise the moth-eaten colonial institution.

It’s clear that the capability and faithfulness of QE2 has shut down that debate during the later part of her life. Don't get me wrong, this was interesting representation of facts and some recollections from close environment and I am not sorry I listened through it all. has faced daunting political, economic, and family crises during her seven decades in power, including her sister’s romance with a married man; the assassination of Prince Philip’s uncle Lord Mountbatten; the Suez Canal conflict; disagreements with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; her children’s divorces; the deaths of Diana and Prince Philip; unrest in some parts of the realm; cultural upheaval in response to British colonialism; anti-monarchists; and, most recently, the decision of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to withdraw from their royal obligations. It also allows the government to minimize the damage of a bad monarch, though whether the royal family could survive such mismanagement at any point is open for debate.

Relationships with the many Prime Ministers who have served her are noted: from an aged Churchill through Labor's Harold Wilson, the dull Edward Heath and the complications with Margaret Thatcher, and beyond. Her historic visit to Ireland and her Gaelic (Irish) opening line in her speech all played a major role in it. This commemorative edition includes an epilogue reflecting upon Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, her passing and her funeral. Though her work was far from the Broadway shows she dreamed about, it eventually became all about the nightly hustle to simply survive.As an insight into what makes Queen Elizabeth II tick, it is surely as good as any: 'She did it with such dedication because she wanted to make her father proud of her. The world has changed a lot from 1952 when she became the Queen, and she will always be remembered for her sense of duty and dedication for more than 70 years when she was the Queen. As ever, however, the danger came from within, in this case the war between the Sussexes and the Cambridges. I grieved as I read, and by the end of the book I felt I had gained something like "closure" in the conviction that someone who performed her duty so gladly and successfully for so long richly deserved to be relieved of it and to pass on to her reward.

While I’m not interested in the celebrity of monarchy, I am interested in the governance/ geopolitical precedent of the English system. Who knew that Thelma Holland, who did the Queen’s makeup for her Coronation, was the daughter-in-law of Oscar Wilde?For those in "the states" her involvement with our leaders and politics is interesting and amusing; she has met every President in office except for LBJ, and even met former President Hoover.

And future generations, she insisted, 'will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any'. Queen Elizabeth II’s service has had broad impact across the English-speaking world, both directly through the Commonwealth and indirectly through the European Union and former colonies that share the English Common Law legal system, English language, and English customs.What a skillful dance the once Empress of India has played in continuing the planned divestment of Empire begun by King George VI. This is a beautifully crafted, deeply informed, and rounded portrait of the gold standard monarch and the age to which she has given her name. As for the affair of Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend, Hardman claims that the story of “star-crossed lovers” was a myth invented by Princess Margaret after the event. But in the Platinum year of 2022, the headlines are dominated by the current Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan, as they attempt to monetize their royal standing without serving the crown directly.