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The longest-reigning monarch in European history!
If the news about Harry, William, Kate, Meghan, and the rest of the British royals has you wondering about how this latest generation of princes, princesses, dukes, and duchesses got their start, you’re not alone. Queen Elizabeth II For Dummies takes you on a fascinating journey through the life of Great Britain’s longest-serving monarch.
You’ll find revealing stories about Queen Elizabeth II’s family background, her childhood, early ascension to the throne, and her role during times of national crisis and triumph. The book combines must-know facts about the monarchy with details of the remarkable woman who has held the crown for over 68 years (and counting). You’ll also read about:
Perfect for anyone with an interest in the monarchy, British governance, power and society, leadership, or the resurgence of the British monarchy in popular culture, Queen Elizabeth II For Dummies is a cracking read full of trivia, secrets, and history that puts one of the most central figures of the 20th and 21st centuries in the palm of your hand.
Stewart Ross is the author of over 250 published titles, including prize winning books for children, young adults and adults. He has written on history and sport – including titles on monarchs and the Royal Family.
Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: The Road to the Throne 5
Chapter 1: Queen Elizabeth II: A Global Icon 7
Carrying the Weight of History 9
Heading up a monarchy 1,500 years in the making 9
Ruling the jig-saw kingdom 11
Being one of the precious few queens 13
Following in the Footsteps of Grandpa and Daddy 16
George V 17
George VI 17
Wearing Many Different Hats 18
Ruling in theory 18
Running the family firm 19
And Being a Mum, Too 20
The Secrets of Elizabeth’s Success 21
She’s been queen for a long time 21
Her style has evolved and adapted 21
She uses more carrot than stick 22
She’s nothing if not discreet 23
Chapter 2: Triumph of Compromise: Constitutional Monarchy 25
From Tribal Leader to King of England 27
Settling down with the Anglo-Saxons 27
Uniting through adversity 29
Ruling by Divine Right? 32
Losing my religion: Henry VIII’s church reforms 33
Entering the first Elizabethan Age 35
Finding Mary (Queen of Scots) 35
Becoming a republic 36
Establishing a Constitutional Monarchy 37
Choosing absolutism or republicanism? 38
Bringing about revolution 38
Appointing a newcomer 40
Learning with George: what monarchs shouldn’t do 41
American Republic, French Republic – Britain next? 42
Chapter 3: Victoria: The Queen Who Defined an Era 43
The Monarchs Who Came Before Victoria 44
The Young Queen 45
Along Comes Albert 46
How Albert helped the British monarchy 47
The royal network 48
From Monarch to Empress 49
Victoria Gives Way to Parliament 50
Britain’s New Empire 51
Death, despair, and republicanism 52
Celebrating Victoria’s Jubilees 53
Golden Jubilee, 1887 53
Diamond Jubilee, 1897 54
After Victoria 54
Edward VII: A playboy king 55
George V: A dull king for a difficult time 55
Chapter 4: The Birth of a Princess 57
Bertie: The Stammering Second Son 58
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon: A Suitable Match 58
Princess Lilibet is Born 60
Baby Betty steals the limelight 62
Grandma knows best 62
A sister is born 63
Educating a princess 64
Chapter 5: Edward VIII: The King Who Abdicated 65
Edward Prince of Wales 66
A Populist Prince 67
Edward’s other education 67
A trial run 68
Enter Wallis Simpson 68
Accession and Abdication 69
Act I: October 1936 71
Act II: November 1936 72
Act III: December 1936 73
Chapter 6: Preparing for the Throne 75
Bertie Steps up to the Plate 75
Peeking out from behind the glass curtain 77
Building up to war 78
Choosing a premier 80
The Royals at War 82
Royalty on rations 83
Working towards victory 84
Sharing hardship 84
The princesses at war 85
Countdown to the Crown 87
Reaching out to the Commonwealth 88
Courting Philip of Greece 89
Living the family life 90
Part 2: The Young Queen 93
Chapter 7: Coronation: ‘I Present Unto You Queen Elizabeth’ 95
An Occasion of Pomp and Ceremony 96
Glamour in Westminster Abbey 96
The glory of the Crown Jewels 99
Mixing family and politicians on the guest list 99
A Day to Remember 100
Chapter 8: The Queen Goes to Work 101
Working Daily as a Dutiful and Diligent Monarch 102
Dressing the part 103
Heading to work 104
Ploughing through the paperwork 105
Relaxing with some downtime 106
Acting as a Political Figure 107
Understanding the relationship between the Crown and Parliament 107
Meeting with the prime minister 108
Hosting heads of state 109
Carrying On with a Continuous Round of Visits and Ceremonial Duties 110
Touring her realm: visiting, opening, and launching 111
Running ‘The Firm’: the Windsor family business 111
Chapter 9: Back-up: The Royal Household 113
At Home With the Windsors 114
Crown properties 114
The Duchy of Cornwall 115
Private Properties 116
Are You Being Served? Meeting the Royal Household 116
The five key departments of the household 117
The power behind the throne: the Private Secretary’s Office 119
Working for the Royal Family 120
Chapter 10: The Globe-trotting Monarch 121
Taking Those All-important First Steps 122
Travelling Around the World 42 Times (Without a Passport) 124
Touring the Commonwealth of Nations 125
Understanding the Commonwealth’s role 126
Drawing the crowds and spreading joy 127
Bowling them over: Elizabeth and the Aussies 127
The Saviour of the Commonwealth? 128
Acting As a Royal Ambassador 128
Forging special relationships: Elizabeth and America’s presidents 130
Boosting trade 131
Passing the baton to other royals 132
Using Planes, Trains and Automobiles 132
Royal coaches 132
Royal cars 133
The royal train 134
The royal yacht 134
Royal flight 135
Chapter 11: The Queen Mother 137
Creating a New Role for the Former Empress 137
Sharing the Queen’s Duties 139
Flying the royal flag 139
Remaining the Queen’s mother (not just the Queen Mother) 140
Flipping the Coin: The Other Side of the Queen Mother 141
Sharing Royal Duties Around the Family 142
Out and about with Charles and Anne 142
Remaining a working family 143
Part 3: THE NEED TO ADAPT 145
Chapter 12: Times They Are a-Changing 147
Witnessing Britain’s Waning Influence in the World 147
No longer ruling an empire 148
No longer ruling the waves 149
No longer ruling the Middle East 149
No longer ruling Africa 150
Joining the European Economic Community 151
Surviving Gossip, Constitutional Complications, and Political Scandal 153
Philip’s solo world tour 153
The princess and the politician 155
Political shenanigans 156
Saying farewell to Winston 158
Ruling Through the Swinging Sixties 159
Satire and the establishment 159
Elvis and four boys from Liverpool 160
Changing social attitudes 162
Being Stuck in a Time Warp? 162
Malcolm Muggeridge 162
John Grigg 163
John Osbourne 163
Reactions from the monarchists 163
Chapter 13: Margaret: Elizabeth’s Troubled Sister 165
Looking at the Early Life of the Lively One 166
Becoming the All-singing, All-dancing Playgirl 166
Falling in Love 168
Introducing Group Captain Peter Townsend 168
Calling it off 170
And (Eventually) Getting Married 171
Being the odd one out 172
Finally a marriage 173
Heading Downhill: Sex, Drink, and Cigarettes 174
Divorce and depression 174
(Just about) Remaining a dutiful royal 175
Margaret’s final years 176
Chapter 14: The Royal Response to Criticism 177
The Raising of Charles and Anne 178
Prince Charles at school and beyond 178
Princess Anne grabs the headlines 179
Heading Towards the 1960s 181
Welcoming Two New Boys to the Family 182
Prince Andrew 182
Prince Edward 183
Living With Unsavory Rumours 184
Living with the Labour Party 185
Opening Up to the World (A Little) 186
The Royal Family documentary 187
The Investiture of Charles 187
The continued need for a little mystery 188
Chapter 15: Celebrating 25 Years: The Silver Jubilee 189
Britain’s Difficult Decade: The 1970s 189
Dealing with trouble and strife 192
Finding reasons to be cheerful 193
Keeping Calm and Carrying On 194
Planning Elizabeth’s Jubilee 196
Entering Jubilee Year 197
Celebrating in June 1977 199
Part 4: Stormy Waters 201
Chapter 16: The Tragedy of Charles and Diana 203
Stepping Out With Charles 204
Charles’s first girlfriends 204
Charles’s number one: Camilla Shand 206
Introducing Lady Diana 207
The early life of Lady Diana 207
Charles and Diana get engaged 209
The Marriage of Charles and Diana 210
Building up to the big day 210
Worrying moments of the wedding 211
Going Steady: The First Few Years of Marriage 212
Heading off on honeymoon 212
Protecting Diana from the press 213
The birth of Prince William 213
The Birth of Prince Harry 214
Fulfilling Royal Duties Together 215
Troubling times beneath the surface 215
Diana’s affairs 217
The whispers get louder 218
Heading Towards the End of The Marriage 218
Remembering Diana’s Final Year 220
Chapter 17: The Queen’s Wealth and the Cost of the Monarchy 221
Understanding Royal Finances Over the Centuries 222
Introducing the Civil List 222
Mixing family and state funding 224
Reforming the System 225
Introducing the Sovereign Grant 226
The growing grant 227
Giving the family some extras 227
Totalling Up the Windsors’ Wealth 228
Paying tax (on a voluntary basis) 228
Bowing to pressure 229
Estimating Royal Value For Money 230
Chapter 18: One Country, Two Women: The Age of Margaret Thatcher 233
Comparing Elizabeth and Margaret 234
The pragmatic Queen and her principled prime minister 234
The mother and the schoolmarm working together for a while 235
Navigating Difficulties and Dangers 236
The assassination of Louis Mountbatten 237
Rhodesia becomes Zimbabwe 238
South African apartheid 240
The invasion of Grenada 241
Prince Andrew goes to war: The Falklands 242
Coalminers divide the nation and its rulers 243
More Bombings, a Wedding and a 60th Birthday 244
Chapter 19: Defender of the Faith 247
Understanding the Long Relationship Between Crown and Church 248
Stirring things up: The radical Tudors 248
Calming things down: The Anglican compromise 249
Figuring out Elizabeth’s Faith 251
Delivering the Christmas message 252
Talking religion 253
Checking out Royal Chapels and Churches 253
Balmoral 254
Buckingham Palace 254
Sandringham 254
Windsor Castle 255
Chapter 20: Annus Horribilis 257
Staying Married is Hard to Do 258
What is a royal marriage? 258
The Windsor’s complicated history of marriage 259
Following the Family’s Progress 261
Charles: The tortured one 262
Anne: The gamechanger 262
Andrew: ‘Randy Andy’ 263
Edward: The lost boy 265
Watching a Royal Game Show 265
Smouldering Tension: Fire in Windsor Castle 267
Part 5: Steadying the Ship 269
Chapter 21: ‘Long to Reign Over Us’: No Sign of Flagging 271
Negotiating the 1990s 272
Dwindling public deference 273
Surviving the songs and satire 274
The Death of Diana 275
Sunday, 31 August 275
Monday 1 September 276
Tuesday 2 September 276
Wednesday 3 September 276
Thursday 4 September 277
Friday 5 September 277
Saturday 6 September 278
The aftermath of Diana’s death 279
Ancient Monarchy meets New Labour 279
Celebrations and Bereavements 281
Elizabeth and Philip’s Golden Wedding 281
The death and funeral of Princess Margaret 282
The passing of the Queen Mother 282
A Queen’s Work is Never Done 283
Reacting to 9/11 283
Heading over to Eire 284
Going online 285
Chapter 22: The Queen’s Animal Friends 287
Horsing Around: The Princess and Her Ponies 288
Following royal equine tradition 288
Learning to ride 289
Being in the saddle 289
Breeding Equine Success 290
Backing the winners 292
Attending Royal Ascot 292
Her Majesty’s notable racehorse winners 294
Keeping Pets and Receiving Presents 294
The corgis 294
The dorgis 295
Exotic animals as gifts 295
Supporting Bloodsports 296
Chapter 23: The Golden and Diamond Jubilees 297
Celebrating 50 Years on the Throne: The Golden Jubilee 297
Making careful preparations 298
Dining with five prime ministers 299
Proving popular at party time 299
Lighting up the Empire State Building 300
Jaunting 40,000-miles around the world 300
Following In the Footsteps of Victoria: The Diamond Jubilee 300
Becoming re-dedicated to a life of service 301
Falling (a little) flat 301
Planning for the Platinum Jubilee 302
Holding unprecedented popularity 303
Unique celebrations for a unique queen 303
Chapter 24: Succession Secured 305
Entering a Brave New World 305
Becoming a Happier Family 307
Charles 307
Anne 308
Edward 308
Opening the London Olympics 309
Making Ripples on the Royal Pond 309
Andrew’s murky goings-on 310
Weathering recession and austerity 311
Going Green: Environmental Efforts 312
Exploring the Difficult Lives of William and Harry 313
The princes at their mother’s funeral 314
The steady one: William’s education and service 315
The wild one: Harry, soldier and playboy 316
Introducing Catherine Middleton 316
A new marriage for a new age 317
Catherine’s non-royal upbringing 318
Changing the Rules of Succession 319
Updating the Monarchy In The New Century 319
Relaxing into the role 320
Welcoming George, Charlotte, and Louis to the family 320
Chapter 25: Home Alone 321
Living Without Philip 322
The Land Rover funeral 322
Tributes and complaints 323
And Elizabeth? 323
Facing Britain’s Current Big Issues 324
Austerity 325
Scottish independence 325
Brexit 326
BLM and culture wars 328
COVID-19 329
Going It Alone: Harry and Meghan 330
Marrying a TV star 330
Heading into American exile 332
Preparing For The Crown: King Charles III 332
What Will History Make of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II? 334
Her reign was not without difficulties 334
She did her duty 335
Part 6: The Part of Tens 337
Chapter 26: Ten Prime Ministers Elizabeth has Worked With 339
Winston Churchill (1952–1955) 340
Harold Macmillan (1957–1963) 340
Harold Wilson (1964–1970, 1974–1976) 341
James Callaghan (1976–1979) 342
Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990) 342
John Major (1990–1997) 343
Tony Blair (1997–2007) 344
Gordon Brown (2007–2010) 345
David Cameron (2010–2016) 345
Boris Johnson (2019 to the time of writing) 345
Chapter 27: Ten Tricky Moments for Elizabeth 347
Rumours of Prince Philip’s Infidelity (1948 onwards) 347
The Affair Between Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend (1952–1955) 348
Lord Altrincham Criticizes the ‘Priggish School Girl’ (1957) 350
The Unwise Appointment of Lord Home as Prime Minister (1963) 351
Dismissal Crisis: The Governor-General Sacks Australia’s Prime Minister (1975) 352
Michael Fagan Sneaks Into the Queen’s Bedroom (1982) 353
A New Biography Reveals Criticism of Prince Charles’s Upbringing (1994) 353
The Palace is Slow to Capture the Public Mood on Princess Diana’s death (1997) 354
Prince Charles Says he is ‘Impatient’ to Succeed to the Throne (2012) 355
President Trump Pats the Queen on the Back (2019) 355
Chapter 28: Ten Royal Portrayals 357
Jeanette Charles in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) 357
Helen Mirren in The Queen (2006) 358
Barbara Flynn in The Queen docu-drama (2009) 359
Freya Wilson in The King’s Speech (2010) 360
Emma Thompson in Walking the Dogs (2012) 360
Sarah Gadon in A Royal Night Out (2015) 361
Penelope Wilton in The BFG (2016) 361
Claire Foy in The Crown (2016–2017) 362
Olivia Coleman in The Crown (2019–2020) 363
Imelda Staunton in The Crown (2022) 364
Chapter 29: Ten Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren 365
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge 366
Prince George of Cambridge 367
Princess Charlotte 368
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex 368
Princess Beatrice 370
Princess Eugenie of York 370
James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn 371
Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor 371
Peter Phillips 372
Zara Tindall 372
Index 373
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