5 Books that commemorate our love for the Late Queen Elizabeth II

on Sep 09, 2022

The longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom is dead at 96. She has been reigning for so long that she has gone through 15 Prime Ministers, from Winston Churchill (Born in 1874) to Liz Truss (Born in 1974). There's no doubt that she has reigned over so many world events that it is tough to imagine that she is gone. An extraordinary life that was lived with an iron core heart. Elizabeth II's life is shrouded in so many important incidences that it cannot be all listed in one article. She went from being upon whom the throne was thrust to someone who was only recognized as the Queen for most of her life.

To understand Her Majesty's life, here are 5 books to help you collect the pieces and form a picture of the objective truth.

'Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch,' by Sally Bedell Smith

This thorough but deferential biography coincided with the Queen's diamond jubilee. The author has written books about Princess Diana, Prince Charles, and various American Presidents, that It is the right choice to pen her book. Smith consulted public sources, friends, and former courtiers of the Queen who shared "intimate tidbits " about horses and corgis. He wrote this book with part passion and part glory, and it shows as you skim through the pages of this biography.

Queen of the World: The Global Biography,' by Robert Hardman

Hardman, the journalist, known for his reports on the royal family, wrote this biography in 2018. He explores the Queen's global influence and writes about her international missions and travels. He catalogs her most significant international trips and lists some of the memorable gifts she received during her journeys, including a pair of Brazilian jaguars and a baby crocodile, presented in a biscuit tin by a boy in Senegal. He details the byzantine protocols and security measures that were part of her travels to at least 126 nations and territories.

'The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor — the Truth and the Turmoil,' by Tina Brown

This book explores all the scandals and problems faced by the royal family in this last decade. The book is witty, funny, and compassionate about all royal family members, with a key focus on the Queen herself. The structure and flow of this book are delightful and paces itself as it reveals the riveted exploits of the Windsors during the entire decade. Filled with romance, doubt, mystique, and glamor, this book has everything one could ask from a royal family. The story presents itself as a historical account. Still, some liberties have been taken to imagine the private lives of the Windsors but do so in a respective and obvious manner.

The Queen's Speech: An Intimate Portrait of the Queen in Her Own Words,' by Ingrid Seward

Seward, a tireless chronicler of the monarchy, profiles the famously private Elizabeth by analyzing what little she shared with her subjects: seven decades' worth of speeches. While this may seem like a narrow framework, in fact, it's a savvy workaround. Starting with Elizabeth's first broadcast in 1940, a segment on the Children's Hour directed to young refugees when she was 14, and continuing through a lifetime's worth of national highs, lows, and Christmases, Seward manages to paint a surprisingly vivid portrait.

'Queen Elizabeth II: Portraits,' by Cecil Beaton

Cecil Beaton is a prominent fashion and society photographer and was the first to be requested to photograph Elizabeth in her teenage years about 80 years ago. The author spent the next several decades as the official image manager of the Queen herself and was responsible for all her public appearances. He photographed the Queen during some of the most significant moments in her private and public life: in a military uniform as war broke out in England, shortly after the birth of her first child, Charles, and at her coronation in 1953. This book marks the entire history of how the Queen behaved, established herself as the reigning monarch, and guided through what occurred at those times.

All these books, shows, and musicals share and glorify the image of the Late Queen. Read through these texts, and perhaps you'd understand what it was to be the longest reigning monarch in the history of Britain. What all she did for the Commonwealth and how she swam through the political turmoils so many times. Inspiration for the people, let's pay homage to the Late Queen by immortalizing her life in our hearts and minds.