"The Queen hails from the generation in which stiff upper lips were the norm."
I was in London last Friday for the long-planned lunch meeting with my publisher. It went well and it was a very enjoyable engagement. However, the death of our Queen cast a long shadow over the whole of London and it was impossible to be there, just three days before her State Funeral, and not feel emotionally moved by the experience. I'm glad that I was in London during the official mourning period though, as it helped to process what is a seismic shift in British history.
On my return to Yorkshire, I soon discovered that I had picked up an unexpected souvenir in the form of a bad cold, brought on no doubt, by the stroll we took along the River Thames to look at HMS Belfast, the war ship museum. So I have spent the last few days resting, curled up with a regal book or two, reading all about Queen Elizabeth II.
What Would HM The Queen Do? by Mary Killen is a light hearted look at Her Majesty's resilience and forbearance. It offers bite-sized nuggets of wisdom and social conduct for all occasions, so that you need never be caught out in public. This little book explains some of the tricks the Queen used to navigate an often tedious lifestyle of small talk and polite chit-chat. Simple strategies are presented and explained - such as how standing close to the entrance at a party means that you greet everyone politely, without the risk of being cornered by the local bore, as the surge of guests behind him sweeps him away from you almost at once. Genius!
This book also offers budget friendly tips on how to host a country house party, or how to attend Ascot without breaking the bank, so that you can experience a taste of the high life if you wanted to. There are also insights into the Queen's more personal life, such as what her morning routine would have looked like and how a sudden 'power cut' can be orchestrated to break the ice at an uncomfortable social gathering, because darkness helps people to speak more freely. Sadly, there is nothing in this book about her secret handbag language, but perhaps that is because it is the worst kept secret in Britain! Everyone knows that the Queen used her handbag as a kind of semaphore to communicate with her staff. Still, I do think that this topic deserved an honorable mention. What Would HM The Queen Do? is a flippant take on royalty and the perfect antidote to all the doom and gloom of the past week or so. It is very short book and one that you could easily read over afternoon tea. So far so frivolous.
On the other hand, Elizabeth & Margaret by Andrew Morton is a much more serious biography of the royal sisters. I was drawn to this book because I can clearly recall all the scandal that accompanied the release of his earlier book, Diana; Her True Story, which I have read and enjoyed very much. I have been besotted with Princess Diana from the age of seven, but I remember my grandmother always spoke quite fondly of the Queen and her younger sister, Margaret, as they were the iconic princesses of her youth.
In this book Morton explores the dynamic of this sisterly bond and how it was forced to change and evolve once Elizabeth became the heir to the throne, because let's not forget, that she was the daughter of the 'spare' who became king, rather than the daughter of the man born to be king. Were it not for Wallis Simpson, we would never have had Queen Elizabeth II.
Here we get to see a more intimate view of the royal sisters, from their earliest childhood as relations of the King, through their change of circumstances when their father takes on the Crown following his brother's abdication. As you might expect, it was a fairly glamorous life - the kind of life that people born to wealth and privilege tend to enjoy. Even during the war years, when the sisters were 'evacuated' they only went as far as Windsor Castle, though I doubt if sleeping in the dungeons during air raids was much fun. Imagine the spiders! Still, they were kept within the bosom of the Establishment, among people who had to defer to them as Princesses and just a half hour drive from their parents at Buckingham Palace, rather than being sent far away to strangers as most evacuees were.
It is well known that the Queen refused to let her sister Margaret marry the man she originally fell in love with. I remember my Nan telling me that Princess Margaret had had her heart broken when she was a young woman. The reason behind that decision however, was never explained to me and I have often wondered why the Queen said no, causing her own sister so much unhappiness. The real reason for the refusal was an old law regarding royal marriages, which dated from the 1700's! In short, the Queen had no choice but to refuse. Her hands were tied by the weight of her responsibility to the Crown.
This is just one of the revelations that Elizabeth & Margaret holds within it's pages. As it follows the sisters through their lives, mistakes and all, it tells a familiar tale of love, devotion, jealousy and the odd spat that happens between all siblings. They were two very different women, with Margaret being rebellious and Elizabeth dutiful. How much of this is a direct result of their place in the line of succession, and how much was their natural personality traits, we will probably never know, but this biography is certainly worth reading.
If you are tired of hearing all about the Queen's death, maybe tailor your reading to studying her life instead, with these books. We can learn so much from her example, if we are open to her teachings. Enjoy and remember to always wear your invisible crown - Queen Elizabeth would approve!
BB Marie xxx
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