Queen Elizabeth II is an enigma, despite spending six decades in the public eye--she is universally recognized, but remains little known to most people outside her inner circle. in The Real Elizabeth, BBC journalist Andrew Marr draws on his knowledge of British history, as well as many Buckingham Palace sources, to paint an intimately detailed and sometimes surprising portrait of the queen and her complex role in British politics.
Only 25 at her coronation, the queen has led the British state through the protests of the 1960s and '70s, the decline of the Empire, the formation of the Commonwealth and her own children’s indiscretions and tragedies. Through it all, she has maintained a stately, smiling public image, balancing her roles as head of state and ambassador of Britain around the world with those of wife, mother and grandmother.
Marr carefully explains the tricky balance of power between the British monarchy and Parliament, focusing on the queen's relationship and weekly audiences with the prime minister. While the Crown is not the government, it must work with the government, and Marr mixes history, politics and anecdotes to show the evolution of that relationship during Elizabeth's long reign. He also explores the shifting attitudes of the British public toward the monarchy and speculates about the future of the Windsor dynasty. His biography will give readers a deeper understanding of the British monarchy--and heightened respect for the monarch who keeps calm, carries on and does her job well. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams