The Queen Mother cover art

The Queen Mother

The Untold Story of Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mother

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The Queen Mother

By: Lady Colin Campbell
Narrated by: Jennifer M. Campbell
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About this listen

Packed with stunning revelations, this is the inside story of The Queen Mother from the New York Times best-selling author who first revealed the truth about Princess Diana.

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother has been called the 'most successful queen since Cleopatra'. Her personality was so captivating that even her arch-enemy, Wallis Simpson, wrote about 'her legendary charm'.

Portrayed as a selfless partner to the king in the Oscar-winning movie The King's Speech, The Queen Mother is most often remembered from her later years as the smiling granny with the pastel hats. When she died in 2002, just short of her 102nd birthday, she was praised for a long life well lived. But there was another side to her story.

For the first time, Lady Colin Campbell shows us that the untold life of The Queen Mother is far more fascinating and moving than the official version that has been peddled ever since she became royal in 1923. With unparalleled sources - including members of the royal family, aristocrats and friends and relatives of Elizabeth herself, this mesmerising account takes us inside the real and sometimes astonishing world of the royal family.

©2012 Lady Colin Campbell (P)2018 Tantor Politicians Politics & Activism Royalty England
All stars
Most relevant  
The measured pace of the reader and the detailed information in the text. I’m going to throw away any ‘official’ biography I have.

The lies we’ve been fed

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I found the speaker to have a very soothing voice which was easy to listen to. However, the writing needed a strong editor as there was repetition throughout and at times the story meandered into tangental stories which added little to the narrative. In addition the same few sources were quoted and when I looked them up they appeared to be a bit dubious as accurate sources.

Well read but repetitive

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Annoying in its opinions, but entertaining in the detail. A great insight into the monarchy as change takes place in real time.

Fascinating detail-whether correct or not - of a bygone era.

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Too many boring pedigree discussions relating to friends of QM, that weren't pertinent to story.

Could have been shorter, too many tangents.

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I came across this book in a search for biographies and was not familiar with the author. Not at all what I had expected. It’s ugly and malicious and leaps to unsubstantiated conclusions all over the place. Don’t expect historical accuracy but if you enjoy scandal mongers this is for you.

Character Assassination

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The tale held my interest and even backed up some of my own thoughts after reading The Little Princesses by Marion Crawford... my first eye opener into a Royal household.

I did, however, audibly gasp at the venom employed many times by the author when retelling many events or when describing the Queen Mother. Descriptions were vivid word pictures and the authors boot was often replanted repeatedly just in case any other visuals had failed to be assimilated by the reader.

It was when we reached the Roddy Llewellyn, PM era I think I began to understand where and when the vitriol commenced and why. I think an empathetic fan girl of both of these characters and their communal existence at this time was exposed.

I can't believe Lady C didn't end up in the tower after penning this warts and all character study.

I guess that in itself says something about the veraciousness of the work.

An Acerbic Anecdote

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Either the queen Mother was the worlds greatest actress or Lady CC is very bitter and has an acrimonious relationship with royals. Don’t bother with book as it is acid.

A Axe to Grind

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Wow is author anti QM. Forgot to mention that the Duke and Duchess were Nazi sympathisers..

One sided sTory

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The monotone voice of the narrator coupled with the negative opinions of the author made it hard to listen to.

Not worth it

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This book certainly presents a different picture of The Queen Mother, far from the pink fluffy grandmotherly ever-smiling image most of us are used to. It's been criticised as inaccurate and it reads as a very gossipy and often bitchy portrayal of the much loved royal. Wherever the truth lies, it's not an easy listen. Too many of Lady Campbell's sentences are clumsy and extraordinarily long, surely any half competent editor could have sorted that for her. And Jennifer Campbell's voice has a harsh edge and her intonation is often strange so that, too, makes this a less than pleasant read.

It's certainly different

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