“There is a saying that a strong sovereign must either be young and beautiful, or old and venerable; the Queen through her long reign has managed to be both.” This biography is a good overview of the life and more than 60 year reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Since the author does not know any member of the royal family personally, it is certainly not an in-depth tell-all. In fact, some of the author’s sources are laughably hearsay, such as Winston Churchill’s daughter recounting stories her father told her about what the Queen said to him during their meetings. Much of the book recounts information that is available through the public record, such as details of the pomp and circumstance of major events during the Queen’s life, the attendees of meetings with foreign heads of state, and the itineraries of her many travels. It is smoothly written and well organized, and to an American reader it gives a good explanation of the Queen’s constitutional role as the British head of state and leader of the British Commonwealth. There is no real insight into the Queen’s personal life, and in fact some of the author’s comments seem purely speculative, such as the way she paints Diana as manipulative and borderline psychotic. The author does a very good job however of describing the Queen’s unparalleled success as Britian’s second longest reigning monarch to date (she would pass Queen Victoria in September 2015). Having ascended to the throne as a 25 year old in 1952, today she enjoys an approval rating around 80 percent. In a national survey taken at the time of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, 35% of those surveyed considered her to be Britian’s “greatest ever monarch.” She has weathered war, scandal, technological and societal changes while remaining “the light above politics” even while consulting weekly with a dozen different prime ministers. She is incredibly hard working and makes nearly 400 official public appearances a year, and is committed to public service through charity and good works. She takes very seriously the anointing she received during her coronation, and will carry out her duties until she dies, “with steadfast determination and clarity of purpose, exerting influence without grasping for power, retaining her personal humility despite her public celebrity – and above all, in good times and bad, spreading a carpet of happiness.” Elizabeth II is in a class almost by herself both in position and in the way she has performed in that position. Recommended.