Counting One's Blessings
4 total works
The official and definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the most beloved British monarch of the twentieth century. Consort of King George VI, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, and grandmother of Prince Charles, Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon—the ninth of the Earl of Strathmore’s ten children—was born on August 4, 1900, and, certainly, no one could have imagined that her long life (she died in 2002) would come to reflect a changing nation over the course of an entire century. Vividly detailed, written with unrestricted access to her personal papers, letters, and diaries, this candid royal biography by William Shawcross is also a singular history of Britain in the twentieth century.
‘Enchanting, often moving and sometimes hilarious’ Daily Mail
Full of wit, hilarity, acute observation and a deeply held sense of duty, the Queen Mother’s letters give readers a vivid insight into the person behind the public face.
Here, in her own words, is the much-loved little girl writing teasing letters to her many siblings and friends; here, too, is the young woman who, after a long courtship and two refusals, accepted the Duke of York’s proposal.
‘The warm personality and humour of the late, much-loved Queen Mother shines through in her letters, as does her affection for all, whether below or above stairs' Scotsman
‘Recaptures her effervescent charm, and the simple fact that she was a good egg’ Spectator
‘How one warms to her!’ Evening Standard
‘Enchanting, often moving and sometimes hilarious’ Daily Mail
Full of wit, hilarity, acute observation and a deeply held sense of duty, the Queen Mother’s letters give readers a vivid insight into the person behind the public face.
Here, in her own words, is the young woman who, after a long courtship and two refusals, accepted the Duke of York’s proposal and, as his Duchess, brought a sense of ease and fun into the public and private lives of the Royal Family. We see her delight in her beloved daughters and her real anguish when she and her husband realized that he would become King because his brother Edward VIII was determined to abdicate.
‘The warm personality and humour of the late, much-loved Queen Mother shines through in her letters, as does her affection for all, whether below or above stairs’ Scotsman
‘Recaptures her effervescent charm, and the simple fact that she was a good egg’ Spectator
‘How one warms to her!’ Evening Standard
‘Enchanting, often moving and sometimes hilarious’ Daily Mail
Full of wit, hilarity, acute observation and a deeply held sense of duty, the Queen Mother’s letters give readers a vivid insight into the person behind the public face.
Here, in her own words, is the woman who brought a sense of ease and fun into the public and private lives of the Royal Family. We see her delight in her beloved daughters and her real anguish when she and her husband realized that he would become King because his brother Edward VIII was determined to abdicate. We read of her work during the Second World War, and her horror at the suffering it caused, her joy in the marriage of her daughter Elizabeth, and her grief at the tragically early death of the King in 1952.
‘The warm personality and humour of the late, much-loved Queen Mother shines through in her letters, as does her affection for all, whether below or above stairs’ Scotsman
‘Recaptures her effervescent charm, and the simple fact that she was a good egg’ Spectator
‘How one warms to her!’ Evening Standard