Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II

by Robert Hardman

The Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II, has been on the throne for 70 years, making her the world’s longest-reigning monarch other than Louis XIV of France (1643-1715: he came to the throne aged 4). Lots of events are taking place in the UK to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, including a number of new books about her life. We have an interview with royal biographer Robert Lacey on the best books about the Queen but it dates from a few years ago. Robert Hardman’s Queen of Our Times came out this year and offers a detailed look at her life from birth. The book is readable, chatty almost, and a good corrective to anyone who has watched the Netflix drama The Crown, whose “questionable accuracy” Hardman points out.