Gyles Brandreth is one of Britain’s busiest after-dinner speakers and award ceremony hosts. He has won awards himself, and been nominated for awards, as a public speaker, novelist, children’s writer, broadcaster (Sony), political diarist (Channel Four), journalist (British Press Awards), theatre producer (Olivier), and businessman (British Tourist Authority Come to Britain Trophy). She found the Duke of York’s account of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein “intriguing”, worried that the Duke of Sussex might be a little “over in love” with Meghan, and found some solace in the gritty police drama Line of Duty after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh. Over the next fifty years he met her many times, both at public and at private events. Through his friendship with the Duke of Edinburgh, he was given privileged access to Elizabeth II. I have this as both an ebook and an audiobook, but chose to listen to the audiobook exclusively as Giles has such a relaxing voice. Conversely, Sir Alan “Tommy” Lascelles, for reasons unknown, gets almost his whole Who’s Who entry printed, as if the fact that he was a member of the Travellers private gentleman’s club is important to his estimation of the then Lt Philip Mountbatten.

This is a bit of a painful review for me as I am a huge fan of Brandreth and interested in the Royal Family. I hugely enjoyed Philip, his previously published book about the Royals, and found this to be a rehashed version of Philip with some hastily thrown in trivia tidbits about The Queen. Told with authority, a refreshing dose of humour and moving honesty from a totally unique viewpoint, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait is the must-have biography of the longest-serving monarch in English history, of a woman who represented not only her people but stood as an emblem of fortitude and resilience worldwide throughout her long life. Elizabeth II - what was she really like? What made her the person she was? Brilliant, totally inspiring . . . It's a joy to read a book that comes from a perspective of fondness' KIRSTIE ALLSOPP, THE TIMES To Gyles’ merit, the comparisons of former members of the Royal family (David and Wallis, Meghan and Harry) provided new and interesting food for thought. I particularly enjoyed reading about HM’s interest in the Commonwealth.

I liked it better than the Katie Nicholl book I read last year; it’s more gentle, less tabloid-y. Brandreth makes little mention of the modern Meghan & Harry controversy; he’s actually quite kind about them because he says that’s what the Queen was, kind. She found the whole tabloid culture wearisome, as did Prince Philip. Enjoy this s pecial edition now featuring an exclusive postscript about King Charles III's Coronation with photographs.

Over the next fifty years he met her many times, both at public and private events. Through his friendship with the Duke of Edinburgh, he was given privileged access to Elizabeth II. Brief moment of illumination that even the Queen / her team played into the competition of who could get what imagery into the media. 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. So readable and refreshing even after the millions of words that have been written about Prince Philip in the past couple of weeks' THE TIMES

I listened to the book on Audible as I love to hear Gyles speak and I knew it would enhance the experience and I was not disappointed. Far too much talk of Harry and Megan (who he obviously doesn't like), far too little mention of Prince William and Catherine. Brilliant . . . There is so much in this book you won't find anywhere else' LORRAINE Read more Look Inside Details

As a performer, Gyles Brandreth has been seen most recently in ZIPP! ONE HUNDRED MUSICALS FOR LESS THAN THE PRICE OF ONE at the Duchess Theatre and on tour throughout the UK, and as Malvolio and the Sea Captain in TWELFTH NIGHT THE MUSICAL at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This being an “intimate portrait”, most readers will enjoy that the author has impeccable access, as he recounts (mostly trivial) conversations he had with the Queen. He is admiring of his subject, even when remembering a discussion with the monarch at a drinks party in 1990, in which his small talk led her to comment that being a vegetarian, like his wife, “must be very dull”. A personal account of the life and character of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, from the writer who knew her family bestEnjoy this special edition now featuring an exclusive postscript about King Charles III's Coronation with photographs. The trouble with writing about the Royal Family is that most of it is already known. Gyles Brandreth’s book about the Queen Elizabeth II is readable, but not all that revelatory. As Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait is due to be published imminently, here are five key points from published extracts from the book. On the Sussexes

This is a well-meaning book about people loved by the author. I enjoyed it for what it is, but as Brandreth himself writes, “sustaining the mystique of the monarchy was essential to its authority – and survival”. He might reflect on that. A former Oxford Scholar, President of the Oxford Union and MP for the City of Chester, Gyles Brandreth’s career has ranged from being a Whip and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in John Major’s government to starring in his own award-winning musical revue in London’s West End. A prolific broadcaster (in programmes ranging from Just a Minute to Have I Got News for You), an acclaimed interviewer (principally for the Sunday Telegraph), a novelist, children’s author and biographer, his best-selling diary, Breaking the Code, was described as ‘By far the best political diary of recent years, far more perceptive and revealing than Alan Clark’s’ ( The Times) and ‘Searingly honest, wildly indiscreet, and incredibly funny’ ( Daily Mail). He is the author of two acclaimed royal biographies: Philip Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage and Charles Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair. In 2007/2008, John Murray in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US began publishing The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries, his series of Victorian murder mysteries featuring Oscar Wilde as the detective.Gyles Brandreth has written the Queen's tale candidly with grace and sensitivity from the view of someone who knew her, her late husband Philip and the wider Royal family. It is a book he has been working on for many years.