Before reading this biography of Queen Elizabeth II, I had very little knowledge of the English monarchy and how it operates. After finishing this biography, I am now very much interested and will very likely be looking for more books to read on the subject, so I am open to any suggestions if you have them!

This well-written book is a detailed biography of the young princess, lovingly called “Lilibet” because she couldn’t pronounce her name properly as a child. At the age of eleven, Princess Elizabeth found that she was heir to the throne, due to her uncle (the king) abdicating the throne. Kate Williams gives us a greater understanding of the Queen’s childhood and young adult years, as well as the English monarchy and the English empire in general in the early to mid-twentieth century. I felt it was highly informative and a very intriguing read, and I enjoyed it immensely. I listened to this one on audiobook, which was read by the author, and Kate Williams’s lovely British accent made it a very pleasurable experience!