Virginia Woolf compared her to a caterpillar Anne Frank kept pictures of her on the wall of
her annexe Haile Selassie gave her a gold tiara Dirk Bogarde watched Death in Venice with her
Donald Trump offended her E.M. Forster confessed he would have married her if only she had
been a boy. Queen Elizabeth II was famous for longer than anyone who has ever lived. When
people spoke of her they spoke of themselves. To the optimist she seemed an optimist to the
pessimist a pessimist to the awestruck charismatic and to the cynical humdrum. Though by
nature reserved and unassuming her presence could fill presidents and rock gods with terror.
For close to a century she inhabited the psyche of a nation. Combining biography essays
cultural history dream diaries travelogue and satire the bestselling author of Ma'am Darling
and One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time presents a kaleidoscopic portrait of this most
public yet private of sovereigns. 'An enthralling reverie on memory identity coincidence
and meaning' RORY STEWART 'Exquisitely funny and fascinating. This book is dare I say
majestic' MARINA HYDE
