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Elizabeth

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Elizabeth

By: Gyles Brandreth
Narrated by: Gyles Brandreth
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE NO 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER NOW FEATURING EXCLUSIVE MATERIAL ABOUT CHARLES III's CORONATION

A personal account of the life and character of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, from the writer who knew her family best

Gyles Brandreth first met the Queen in 1968, when he was twenty.

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.

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.

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.

Enjoy this special edition now featuring an exclusive postscript about King Charles III's Coronation.

©2022 Gyles Brandreth (P)2022 Penguin Audio Europe Great Britain Politics & Activism Royalty Inspiring Thought-Provoking War

Critic Reviews

'Compelling . . . Fascinating' DAILY MAIL

'The writer who got closest to the human truth about our long-serving senior royals' THE TIMES

'The book overflows with nuggets of insider knowledge' TELEGRAPH
All stars
Most relevant  
thoroughly enjoyed this book, a detailed account of various aspects of the Queen’s life and world.

amazing!

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An insightful look into the life of ER which was let down by the awful, and at times, grating attempt at an Australian accent. Talk about characature.

The biography included amazing details but by the end all the gushing over Elizabeth, Her life and the reputation in the narration reduced my overall enjoyment.

Fantastic depiction, terrible Australian accent....

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I thought this would be more info on what most people already know about royalty, but no. Lots of interesting snippets but also a good look at the God fearing Elizabeth.
The book loses one star for repetition. Better editing could have noted that.
Well narrated and interesting.

A very nice book

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this is such a wonderful insight into the royal family and our beautiful beloved Queen Elizabeth ll ...
i had a lump in my throat throughout. well worth read indeed

absolutely wonderful

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I loved this book, giving a clearer picture of the Queen. Often funny but wonderfully displaying the Queen’s humanity, loyalty, steadfastness and devotion to duty. Difficult to find the words to describe how the author has delivered comfort to many who will be grieving at the Queen’s passing and the end of an era.

Insight into our Queen

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This is a very well written biography of the Queen that gives great insight into her life and the lives of her family and friends. It is well worth a listen. Though the narrator frequently got on my nerves with the way he'd put on silly voices and attempt accents, all of which were terrible.

An excellent biography but the narrator...

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Great historical detail. Well written, well read. I loved listening to this book. Highly recommend.

A lovely book.

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This story is a great insight into the life of a remarkable person who has inspired generations. It heightens the respect for the queen Elizabeth, and reduces respect for some other members of the family.

A remarkable story

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I did not want this book to end! Outstanding account of an incredibly dutiful, diligent and professional Monarch.
Giles tells it so well. Well done!

Exceptionally researched, written and narrated!

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This very well written biography of Queen Elizabeth II told me almost more than I wanted to know about her - and about Prince Philip and other members of the royal family. However, Gyles Brandreth is a superb writer and documenter of life at the top of Britain's hierarchical society. As he says, the late Queen was in some ways an unremarkable person, but in others, remarkable indeed for her dedication to her role as Queen. Brandreth shows us many aspects of her personality, with some hitherto unknown anecdotes about her.

The late Queen's life in extraordinary detail.

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