Elizabeth the Queen

The Life of a Modern Monarch

By: Sally Bedell Smith

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-seller. 

Perfect for fans of The Crown, this magisterial biography of Queen Elizabeth II is a close-up view of the woman we’ve known only from a distance - and a captivating window into the last great monarchy. 

From the moment of her ascension to the throne in 1952 at the age of twenty-five, Queen Elizabeth II has been the object of unparalleled scrutiny. But through the fog of glamour and gossip, how well do we really know the world’s most famous monarch? Drawing on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed documents, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith pulls back the curtain to show in intimate detail the public and private lives of Queen Elizabeth II, who has led her country and Commonwealth through the wars and upheavals of the last sixty years with unparalleled composure, intelligence, and grace. 

In Elizabeth the Queen, we meet the young girl who suddenly becomes “heiress presumptive” when her uncle abdicates the throne. We meet the thirteen-year-old Lilibet as she falls in love with a young navy cadet named Philip and becomes determined to marry him, even though her parents prefer wealthier English aristocrats. We see the teenage Lilibet repairing army trucks during World War II and standing with Winston Churchill on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on V-E Day. We see the young Queen struggling to balance the demands of her job with her role as the mother of two young children. Sally Bedell Smith brings us inside the palace doors and into the Queen’s daily routines - the “red boxes” of documents she reviews each day, the weekly meetings she has had with twelve prime ministers, her physically demanding tours abroad, and the constant scrutiny of the press - as well as her personal relationships: with Prince Philip, her husband of sixty-four years and the love of her life; her children and their often-disastrous marriages; her grandchildren and friends.  

Praise for Elizabeth the Queen:

“An excellent, all-embracing new biography.” (The New York Times)

“[An] imposing, yet nimbly written, biography [that] dwarfs the field...a most satisfying and enjoyable read, one to be savored at length.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

“Fascinating.... After sixty years on the throne, the monarch of Britain is better known for her poker face than for sly wit or easy charm. Yet in biographer Sally Bedell Smith’s Elizabeth the Queen, Her Majesty sparkles with both.” (More)

“[A] smart and satisfying book.” (Los Angeles Times)

©2011 Sally Bedell Smith (P)2011 Random House Audio

The world's longest public relations statement

The preview recording that accompanies this book is misleading in two ways. First, and happily, the narrator for the bulk of the text is not the shaky voiced author who squeaks her way through the introduction. The pompous British narrator is easier on the ears, if effusively enthusiastic in her delivery of hours of fawning words. The second surprise is the personal observations and behind-the-scenes glimpse implied by the content of the preview are non-existent in the book proper.
The bulk if this book is an astonishingly positive, squeaky clean and obviously biased history of an historic figure, as gleaned from the official statements of the palace and scrubbed down news sources. It is a historical narrative without a hint of scandal, intimacy or insight except in so far as it agrees with the thesis that the queen is an awesome, consistent, heroic figure and as flawless as any monarch who ever lived.
Is there a contrasting view point? Who knows? This is my first biography of Queen Elizabeth II, and I certainly didn't get a hint of of controversy from any part of this unbalanced narrative.

A Personal Look at a Great Queen

Would you listen to Elizabeth the Queen again? Why?

I would absolutely listen to this book again. I felt like I came to know her as much more than a figure-head for the British people. I was continually intrigued by the story and I found myself admiring the queen for much more than just her role as a queen.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I have adored Queen Elizabeth II since I was 3 1/2. She continued to be my favorite queen as I listened to this book.

Any additional comments?

Overall, this book is both amazingly crafted and wonderfully narrated. The narrator did voices both consistently and believably. Sally Bedell Smith did her research for real and although it could have been easy to be biased, I felt the presentation was very fair. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a closer look at Her Majesty, the Queen.

3.5 stars- fascinating

What made the experience of listening to Elizabeth the Queen the most enjoyable?

I'm around a 3.5 on this one. The audio version was great, Rosalyn Landor has such a soothing and wonderful voice. I really enjoyed learning more about Elizabeth II as a person, and particularly liked the earlier stories about her childhood and first years of her marriage and reign. I felt that the middle sort of all ran together with different official engagements and traveling, and that it got too much into Prince Charles, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge toward the end, rather than end by summarizing the impact and important of Elizabeth II, though much of the book had taken the time to explain her role in the governing of England and the larger Commonwealth. I do wonder whether the royal family had any real part in this biography, whether some of the more endearing stories are accurate, but all in all I thought that the author did a good job of trying to portray Elizabeth as a woman, a husband, mother and friend.

An Enchanted Life of a Queen and Duty

If you could sum up Elizabeth the Queen in three words, what would they be?

Duty, Motherhood, and Love of Country

Who was your favorite character and why?

Elizabeth the Queen of course!

What does Rosalyn Landor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She brought compassion, reality and an incredible sense of personal knowlwedge and intimacy of a woman who will be remembered for generations.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The description of Elizabeth's relationship with her Father and losing him so young and being thrust into a role she may not have been quite ready for.

Any additional comments?

I would definately and likely be reading this again.

Fascinating!

I am a fan of British history going back centuries, and was not sure if I would enjoy this more contemporary biography. But, it did not disappoint. It was well written; seemed to follow history accurately, and the author did not take sides on the issues, just recorded them.

A Fascinating Life, Well Lived

How tough is it to narrate a life that is lived so privately in public? Very tough. But that's what keeps us curious. Those who criticize William and Kate for guarding their privacy so jealously would do well to remember that they have opened themselves up in ways that the Queen never has and never will-- interviews, for example. And the appetite is more insatiable than ever. Her Majesty is something to behold, and I wonder what it would be like to have some sense of national pride that was timeless. Politicians come and go, but it would be lovely to have some traditions that were a point of pride in the US. A good, solid read on the hardest subject imaginable.

A role model for all women to emulate

Where does Elizabeth the Queen rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Queen Elizabeth is the only woman who many of us have watched for decades. She has hit her stride and more. A true leader, able to change and to be sensitive to the world around her. This book opened my eyes to this truly remarkable woman.
I highly recommend it to woman professionals.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

THIS WAS A CHARACTURE, NOT A BIOGRAPHY

Would you ever listen to anything by Sally Bedell Smith again?

NO

Any additional comments?

This book presented the Queen not as a person, as I had hoped, but as a mythical figure, perfect in every way . I was drawn to finish it, but regret having wasted the time.

Decent biography, not particularly revealing

Would you try another book from Sally Bedell Smith and/or Rosalyn Landor?

Rosalyn Landor's narration is first rate. The book itself is interesting for it's details about the queen's official public life, but lacking in behind the scenes details. It almost seems to respectful of the royal family's privacy.

Would you recommend Elizabeth the Queen to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, but only for the most ardent Anglophiles and royalty fans.

What does Rosalyn Landor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great reader, easy to understand and very proper English accent. She does other voices just well enough to make a distinction without being distracting or overwrought.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

It makes an interesting companion read to the Netflix series The Crown.

New perspective on the Queen

Where does Elizabeth the Queen rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top

What was one of the most memorable moments of Elizabeth the Queen?

Her sense of laughter

Which character – as performed by Rosalyn Landor – was your favorite?

Queen Elizabeth

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Couldn't wait to get back to hearing more about the Queen

Any additional comments?

I never imagined that I would enjoy this book as much as I did. The Queen was young when she became the Queen. Her love for Phillip began early in her life. She has alot of responsibilites. She always tries to be optimistic and not critical. I highly recommend this book.

very thorough read, very enjoyable

full of all the scandal and glamour you would expect from the English monarchy but brought me to a sympathetic and supportive new view on the monarchy and this comes from a northern irish lass

very boring

long-winded and full of uninteresting details, such as the colour of her tea cups or how splendid everybody is. No dirt, no drama and barely any political events included.