Alžbeta II., z milosti Božej, kráľovná Veľkej Británie, Írska a britských dominií v zámorí, obrankyňa viery. Tak znel jeden z mnohých titulovej kráľovnej Alžbety, jednej z najznámejších osôb dnešných čias. Suzy Klein, the head of arts and classical music TV at the BBC, said the list was “a real opportunity to discover stories from across continents and taking us through the decades, books that we might never have otherwise read, and reading authors whose work deserves a spotlight to be shone on it.”

In terms of the space over that decade, which was the 90s when more and more books were coming out across the Commonwealth, it was decided to make space for a book that was good and equally well received.”For years she prayed for her mother to give birth to a son. She longed to be spared her destiny as Britain’s future Queen. Her dream was to live in the country surrounded by children, dogs and horses. During her reign, the world has changed immeasurably, yet she has kept abreast of cultural and political changes, and remained a great role model for the commonwealth, despite her every move being under the microscope. The book really brought this point home. For a shy girl who desperately didn’t want to be monarch, she has done us proud! In this entertaining and insightful biography, writer Andrew Morton, author of Diana, Her True Story and Elizabeth & Margaret, takes you behind the scenes to uncover the woman and her world. Community Beacons – thousands of beacons will be lit by communities, charities and different groups throughout the regions of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories. I enjoyed the way the book was written, easy and free flowing and not stuffy and full of pointless dates and things that were not relevant, I also enjoyed a look at her extended ( massive ) family and who they are etc

būtų daugiau pasakojama apie tai, kaip atrodė karalienės diena nuo ryto iki vakaro, kaip ji augino savo vaikus, koks buvo jos santykis su anūkais, kaip ji rūpinosi savo sveikata, kaip ji leido laiką šalia oficialių pareigų (medžioklėje, jodinėdama, gamtoje, keliaudama), kokią muziką / kiną / knygas ji mėgo ir t.t. - būtų geroookai įdomiau :) I don't know what is that has fascinated me about her, I'm not British, I don't know her, I haven't lived with her. Still there's something here in her that's evident for all of us to see, whether her subject or not, and there's some value in her that is undeniable. She was a constant for such a long time, she is a real historic figure, she carries the essence of a world long gone. She was the Queen. Told in an informal style this book tells the story of The Queen, her history, family, homes, travels, good/bad times, her duties, passions, personality….the list is endless but tells it all in a non boring way, I dont think I found one paragraph tedious, although has to be said I have a more than passing interest of course We learn about queen Elizabeth’s life from birth to the present day, there is a lot of information to take in, much of it I knew nothing of before reading this book. But Elizabeth did her duty, the young princess pledging before her people that she would dedicate her whole life to the service of Britain and the Commonwealth. She hoped that that day would be a long way off. It was not to be. Only twenty-five when she became Queen after the premature death of her father, King George Vl, Elizabeth has become the stuff of superlatives: the longest reigning, most travelled and, for a shy woman, the Queen who has shaken more hands and made more small talk than any other monarch in history.The Big Jubilee Read, created by BBC Arts and The Reading Agency, embraces prize-winning books such as Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo and Seamus Heaney’s 1966 Nobel prize-winning poetry collection Death of a Naturalist. Family crises forced Her Majesty to take a welcome break from the drudgery of the interminable arrival of red boxes and the reading of official papers: Princess Margaret wishing to marry her divorced equerry, Group Captain Peter Townsend; the publicity surrounding Prince Charles and his long-term mistress; Princess Margaret again and Roddy Llewelyn; and the death of Princess Diana, the most emotional part of this biography. Pros: Dennison isn't afraid of including the good and the bad. This isn't a glowing biography that glosses over criticism, but rather a balanced look at the Queen's life. He discusses times when the Queen seemed out of touch with the general public and how her duties as monarch sometimes got in the way of being a more present mother. Dennison's research is impressive, and he includes many quotes that really added to the narrative. I think Dennison also did a great job showing time and again how the Queen's life has been shaped and guided by tradition and values. From a young age, she learned the importance of duty, and when it came time for her to be Queen, she brought a sense of honor and desire to serve her people as monarchs before her had done, even if these notions made her seem somewhat old-fashioned and sometimes detached. Having previously read Elizabeth and Margaret which covered the life of the Royal sisters from birth to date I couldn’t wait to read this standalone book about the Queen. What a perfect time to read the book then during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to celebrate the Queen’s 70th year as monarch. The book covers the Queen’s early years from her birth to her ascension to the throne and the many challenges she has faced over the years. It’s clear from the book that the then Princess Elizabeth was loved by the country from the day she was born. From a young age the Queen loved horses and when she was horse riding she felt like herself and to a certain extent free. It was quite interesting to learn that the Queen’s father from a young age stated that his daughter reminded him very much of Queen Victoria which showed that from an early age she was destined to play a pivotal role during her life. There were some facts that I was already aware of and also some new ones which I wasn’t aware of.

When very young, she listened gravely to ‘Grandpa England’ (King George V) as he extolled the virtues of duty, decency and hard work. Her mother taught the future Queen to be kind, courteous and to appreciate the benefits of Christian values. Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, believed a decent character, a moral compass and a sensitive awareness of the needs of others were as important, if not more so, than intellectual endeavours.Take a look ahead at all the upcoming book releases this year. Find out what the most-anticipated upcoming book releases are in the coming months.

Earlier titles include A House for Mr Biswas by VS Naipaul, The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carré, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie and Derek Walcott’s epic poem Omeros. I am giving this book 3 Stars but the author deserves 5 for the information given,just maybe wasn’t the best way for me to access it all,some great pics at the end After the retirement of the more elderly courtiers, and especially after the death of the Queen’s mother, progressive changes happened more frequently. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was no longer around to remind Elizabeth of precedent and tradition.

Political crises are the highlights of the biography: the Profumo scandal; Anthony Blunt, long-serving Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures, being exposed as a Soviet spy; and the appointment of a new prime minister after Harold Macmillan retired. Appointing Alec Douglas-Home rather than Macmillan’s deputy, Rab Butler, meant she was imposing her choice as Leader of the Conservative Party. The rules of the political party were changed very soon after to ensure this did not happen again.