A timely and revelatory new biography of Queen Elizabeth (and her family) exploring how the Windsors have evolved and thrived, as the modern world has changed around them.
Clive Irving’s stunning new narrative biography The Last Queen probes the question of the British monarchy’s longevity. In 2021, the Queen Elizabeth II finally appears to be at ease in the modern world, helped by the new generation of Windsors. But through Irving’s unique insight there emerges a more fragile institution, whose extraordinarily dutiful matriarch has managed to persevere with dignity, yet in doing so made a Faustian pact with the media.
The Last Queen is not a conventional biography—and the book is therefore not limited by the traditions of that genre. Instead, it follows Elizabeth and her family’s struggle to survive in the face of unprecedented changes in our attitudes towards the royal family, with the critical eye of an investigative reporter who is present and involved on a highly personal level.
"Irving does an excellent job of providing a respectful and unbiased approach to many aspects of the lives of the queen and her family while also illuminating the knotty relationships among the Windsors, the press, and the public, leaving readers enlightened and in awe over Britain's resilient and gracious monarch."
"Over the course of her lifetime, monarchy became increasingly rare and outdated, and the British Empire dissolved. To Irving, telling the story of the queen’s life means trying to figure out how she was able to ensure the monarchy’s survival despite decades of societal upheaval."
"In each incredibly readable chapter, Irving reexamines all the famous crises of Elizabeth’s reign, from the various scandals of Princess Margaret to the popularly sanctified figure of Diana Spencer."
“[An] irresistible history of the Windsor family. From the scandals they tried to hide (Nazi leanings) to the Queen’s perceived chilliness, particularly in mourning Diana, to the Harry and Meghan problem, Irving illuminates an antiquated system in the flux of change.”
