On Duty With The Queen

Retired press spokesman Dickie Arbiter recounts his experiences as a Buckingham Palace press secretary for Queen Elizabeth II, beginning with his appointment in 1988 until his retirement in 2000.

The British monarchy’s rich and storied heritage has been preserved for centuries, and The Queen’s People, made with Royal Household approval, presents a magnificent collection of photography that brings Queen Elizabeth II and important members of Her Majesty’s court to life as rarely seen before. Featuring forty-two unique portraits by prominent British photographer Hugo Rittson Thomas, this hand-bound limited-edition volume captures the pageantry of the Royal Court’s intricate ceremonial dress and regalia, and highlights the pride each individual takes in serving his or her nation and sovereign. A historical essay by the Garter Principal King of Arms completes this grand tome.

A Sunday Times Book of the Year Queen Of Our Times is the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth II by one of Britain’s leading royal authorities, Robert Hardman. This commemorative edition includes an epilogue reflecting upon Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, her passing and her funeral. 'Sensational' – Kirsty Young, The Platinum Pageant (BBC) With fascinating revelations from those who knew her best and special access to unseen royal papers granted by Elizabeth II herself, author and royal expert Robert Hardman explores the full, astonishing life of our longest reigning monarch in this authoritative yet intimate biography. The book also charts the way in which the Queen raised the future King Charles III as both son and heir. Elizabeth was not born to be queen, being third in line to the throne. Yet from her accession as a young mother of two in 1952 to the age of Covid-19, she proved an astute and quietly determined figure, leading her family and her people through more than seventy years of unprecedented social change. She faced constitutional crises, confronted threats against her life, unified the Commonwealth, saw fifteen British prime ministers come and go, charmed world leaders, and steered her family through a lifetime in the public eye. Her Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in June 2022 and her death mourned months later, both events a reminder of the huge impact she had made. Queen of Our Times is a must-read study of dynastic survival and renewal, spanning abdication, war, romance, danger and tragedy. It is a compelling portrait of a leader whose legacy of steadfast service lives on.

WRITTEN ALONGSIDE THE MAJOR ITV DOCUMENTARY, WITH EXTRAORDINARY ACCESS TO THE ROYAL FAMILY 'Dazzling, poignant and full of delicious surprises; the true story of how Elizabeth II took on the world - and won. The Crown is fictional. Here is the real thing.' - Andrew Roberts 'In Queen of the World Robert Hardman anatomizes from almost every conceivable angle the workings of soft power in creating the present Queen's global role ... His book is a veritable reference work and cornucopia, overflowing with significant anecdotes, people, traditions and incidents.' - Times Literary Supplement _____________________________ Written by the renowned royal biographer, Robert Hardman, and with privileged access to the Royal Family and the Royal Household, a brilliant new portrait of the most famous woman in the world and her place in it. On today's world stage, one leader stands apart. Queen Elizabeth II has seen more of the planet and its people than any other head of state, and has engaged with them like no other monarch in British history. Since her coronation, she has visited over 130 countries across the ever-changing globe, acting as diplomat, stateswoman, pioneer and peace-broker, while also managing the responsibilities of a mother and grandmother, and her sixty-four-year marriage to the late Prince Philip. She has transformed her father's old empire into the Commonwealth, her 'family of nations', and has come to know its leaders better than anyone. In 2018, they would gather in her own home to endorse her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, as her successor. With extensive access to the Queen's family and staff, Hardman tells a true story full of drama, intrigue, exotic and even dangerous situations, heroes, rogues, pomp and glamour - and, at the centre of it all, the woman who has genuinely won the hearts of the world. _____________________________ 'Superb' - Peter Hennessy 'Hardman's book, filled with new details, will be an essential source for any historian of modern Britain. It's also a glorious read' - William Shawcross, Spectator

The definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by a renowned royal biographer. As seen on Good Morning America, CNN, and the BBC Shy but with a steely self-confidence; inscrutable despite ten decades in the public eye; unflappable; devout; indulgent; outwardly reserved, inwardly passionate; unsentimental; inquisitive; young at heart. Even with her recent passing at age ninety-six, she remains a twenty-first century global phenomenon commanding unrivalled respect and affection. Sealed off during the greatest peacetime emergency of modern times, she has stuck to her own maxim: "I have to be seen to be believed." Robert Hardman, one of Britain’s most acclaimed royal biographers, now wraps up the full story of one of the undisputed greats in a thousand years of monarchy. Hardman distills Elizabeth's complex life into a must-read study of dynastic survival and renewal. It is a portrait of a world leader who remains as intriguing today as the day she came to the Throne at age twenty-five. With peerless access to members of the Royal Family, staff, friends, and royal records, Queen of Our Times brings fresh insights and scholarship to the modern royal story. There will be no more thorough, more readable, more original book on Elizabeth II as we celebrate a life and reign that, surely, will never be equaled.

This official souvenir publication celebrates the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-serving monarch. In February 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will mark seventy years as monarch with a celebration known as the Platinum Jubilee. This official publication honors the Queen's reign with a special selection of photographs captured by professional and amateur photographers alike. These photographs document Her Majesty's early life before she acceded to the throne in 1952, her official role as monarch, her travel at home and abroad in support of the Commonwealth, and her fondness for animals and family life. These pictures also demonstrate the Queen's continued efforts to give thanks to those who have served the monarchy and their communities, from official garden parties to the Order of the Garter. These photographs are accompanied by resonant quotations from speeches given by the Queen over the years, including her wartime Children's Hour radio broadcast given at the age of 14, her first televised Christmas Speech in 1957, and her speech welcoming President Obama and the First Lady during their State Visit in 2011. With a varied selection of photographs from Her Majesty's reign, The Queen takes readers on a photographic journey of a remarkable life of duty and service.

How did a little girl who loved horses become the longest reigning monarch in England? Find out in this addition to the #1 New York Times best-selling Who Was? series! In 1936, the life of ten-year-old Princess Elizabeth of York changed forever. Although she was a member of the British Royal Family, she never expected to become queen. But when her uncle Edward gave up the throne, suddenly her father was the new king, which meant young Elizabeth was next in line! Queen Elizabeth reigned for seventy years, and while there were palaces galore, the crown jewels, and trips around the world, her life was one of strict discipline and duty. This riveting chronicle follows the life of a woman who was both a public figure and an intensely private person and explores how she kept the monarchy together through good times and bad.

“Outlander meets Camelot” (Kirsty Logan, author of The Gracekeepers) in the first book of an exciting historical trilogy that reveals the untold story of Languoreth—a powerful and, until now, tragically forgotten queen of sixth-century Scotland—twin sister of the man who inspired the legendary character of Merlin. Intelligent, passionate, rebellious, and brave, Languoreth is the unforgettable heroine of The Lost Queen, a tale of conflicted loves and survival set against the cinematic backdrop of ancient Scotland, a magical land of myths and superstition inspired by the beauty of the natural world. One of the most powerful early medieval queens in British history, Languoreth ruled at a time of enormous disruption and bloodshed, when the burgeoning forces of Christianity threatened to obliterate the ancient pagan beliefs and change her way of life forever. Together with her twin brother Lailoken, a warrior and druid known to history as Merlin, Languoreth is catapulted into a world of danger and violence. When a war brings the hero Emrys Pendragon, to their door, Languoreth collides with the handsome warrior Maelgwn. Their passionate connection is forged by enchantment, but Languoreth is promised in marriage to Rhydderch, son of the High King who is sympathetic to the followers of Christianity. As Rhydderch's wife, Languoreth must assume her duty to fight for the preservation of the Old Way, her kingdom, and all she holds dear. “Moving, thrilling, and ultimately spellbinding” (BookPage), The Lost Queen brings this remarkable woman to life—rescuing her from obscurity, and reaffirming her place at the center of the most enduring legends of all time. “Moving, thrilling, and ultimately spellbinding, The Lost Queen is perfect for readers of historical fiction like The Clan of the Cave Bear and Wolf Hall, and for lovers of fantasy like Outlander and The Mists of Avalon” (BookPage).