Following her death in September 2022, the outpouring of affection and admiration for the Queen was as touching as it was remarkable. She had been a matriarch to the nation for over seven decades, and tens of millions of people – in Britain and across the world – poured forth their heartfelt respect for this extraordinary woman in the ten days of mourning that followed. Including a queue of up to twenty-four hours’ wait, momentous ceremonial processions across two countries and emotional coffin-side vigils from the monarch’s closest family members – these were events the scale of which are unlikely to be repeated.

In this insightful biography, veteran royal biographer Andrew Morton charts Elizabeth’s life, from her ascent to the throne at twenty-five, through fifteen Prime Ministers; the turmoil and tragedies of family life that dogged her until the end; a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, during which she became the reassuring face of hope and optimism, solidifying her status as grandmother to the nation; and on to her record-breaking Platinum Jubilee, the first UK monarch to reign for over seventy years.