In 2019, the Queen finally appears to be at ease in the modern world, helped by the new generation of Windsors, while — ironically — the campaign for Brexit encourages in the British people a backward yearning for a glorious age that never really existed. But here, through Clive Irving’s unique insight, we find a more fragile institution, whose extraordinarily dutiful matriarch has managed to persevere by making a Faustian pact with the media.
From the ‘annus horribilis’ that was 1992, the Queen’s reputation, and thus that of the monarchy, has staged a remarkable recovery and arguably stands at an all-time high.
The Last Queen is not a conventional biography, and is therefore not limited by the traditions of that genre. It follows Elizabeth and her family’s struggle to survive in the face of unprecedented changes in attitudes towards the royal family with the critical eye of an investigative reporter who is present and involved.
