From before she took the throne through the craziness of her children and to the present day, this book takes you behind the scenes of both the political and personal life of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. There are many reasons why I picked up this book, but with the royal wedding this past spring I, among others, has a renewed sense of curiosity towards the royal family and its inner workings.

Queen Elizabeth II is destined for the throne as an heir to the throne and no male sibling, little did she know that she would be taking her place in history at the young age of 25. Newly married and still trying to find her place in the family, she takes the central role to a very large empire. She has endured many years as the centerpiece and has had to endure a lot of scrutiny and tragedy. The one piece of history that I was unaware of was the horrible year she had in 1992 with three of her children separating and divorcing, she had a year full of turmoil.

A great book for anyone who has any interest in the life of a royal. But beware this book is a chunkster and is definitely detailed, so for those faint of heart, this one may not be the read for you.

Read my full thoughts over at Read.Write.Repeat.

I really could discuss this book and the Queen's life for pages upon pages. But, I really feel you need to go read it yourself. Even if you only have a mild interest in the Queen, I think you will find her life and responsibilities fascinating. Smith may even make a royalist out of you.

I was pleased to win this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. While I have read other books about the royal family, most have been salacious and tabloidesque. Bedell Smith attempts to present the queen through many lenses. Yes, this book does contain all the background regarding her accession and family life straight through the Diana years and right up to the wedding of William and Catherine. However, it also portrays her as a diligent leader and examines many of her relationships with Britain's Prime Ministers. At times the book was maybe too ambitious and the relationships were difficult to keep track of, but there were many funny moments.

I should have picked a more neutral book instead of one that was approved by Queen Elizabeth. This book is very clearly biased toward the royal family and makes a clear effort to dispel a lot of controversial topics in their favor — especially Diana. The subtle jabs toward her did not go unnoticed... However, I did enjoy this book. It was a very detailed history that kind of straightened out things that are portrayed in the TV shows and movies (in favor of the royals, of course). It was a nice read to follow her passing. Overall, it was an interesting read and I would recommend it to anyone who has a deep interest in the royal family.

Queen Elizabeth is my spirit animal and I have a mild obsession with her life. This biography was a pleasure to read and gave a lot deeper insight into the stories we've heard on the news or seen on The Crown. There's A LOT of information to pack into a book so it's not necessarily a quick read, but I was kept interested throughout the entire book. If you love biographies, the royal family or interesting people then this is a must!

3.5 stars....decidedly favors the queen as expected and a bit dry. No surprises.

This was a fantastic portrait of perhaps the most constant, consistent persona of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Especially now, as we follow the Queen into her nineties (and minimal signs of slowing down, as with her eighties), it's mind-boggling to think of all the people she has come in contact with and all the policies she's had a hand in advising.

I'd love to see an updated edition in a year or so to include William and Kate's kids and Harry & Meghan's wedding. Back to rewatching The Crown I go.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I appreciated the history and learning the sense of duty that Elizabeth II has towards her crown.

I will say the worst part was learning about the complications of horse breeding. It was a little drawn out. But the explanation of decisions made early in her reign, the scandals, and how she valued people in all walks is strong.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this account of Queen Elizabeth II. I really did not know much about her or her duties so it was very interesting to gain knowledge of both. I did not find myself bored or wishing it were over, which sometimes can happen with a book of this nature. I would recommend it to anyone. Sometime in the future, I will read the other book that came out around the same time, which was also a study of Queen Elizabeth II. We shall see how they compare then.