Unseen behind the throne, two sides of the royal bloodline competed for influence, and egregious family secrets had to be protected. Meanwhile, in public, a succession of family ruptures put the monarchy under unprecedented scrutiny from the world's media. From the turbulent loves of Princess Margaret to the tragic saga of Princess Diana, from the torments of Prince Charles to the arrival of Meghan Markle, tensions gripped the House of Windsor. Through all this, Elizabeth II remained steadfast in her values while many of those around her seemed to lose their moorings. Clive Irving's gripping account casts new light on seventy tempestuous years of British history, exploring how the Queen, uncomfortable with the pace of the social and cultural changes in her nation, and often seeming out of touch, resolutely kept the monarchy stable in a rapidly changing world. With unparalleled insight, Irving examines the pivotal events of the Queen's reign and then steps above them to assess her role in the royal family's Faustian pact with the media. The final irony is, as Irving's carefully measured scrutiny shows, that in the last decades of her reign the Queen endures to become one of the most admired people in the world while remaining one of the least known and understood. She will likely be the last Queen of the United Kingdom.

About the Author
Clive Irving is a columnist for the Daily Beast in New York. He has had a long and distinguished career on both sides of the Atlantic, with an unusually wide media experience: as a pioneer of investigative journalism at the Sunday Times; as a colleague of David Frost in transforming live television journalism; as a top magazine editor in London and New York; and as an early contributor to the Daily Beast. Coincidentally, his career in journalism and as a frequent critic of the monarchy has run in parallel with the Queen's entire reign. This gives him a unique insight into how the Queen has dealt with enormous social and cultural changes and, particularly, how the world's perception of the royal family is now, more than ever, decisively shaped by the media.

Reviews
"Clive Irving's immensely readable book brings real authority, context and personal insight to our understanding of the Queen. As a newspaperman in the center of the coverage for decades, he has a wonderful eye for the illuminating detail and a sense of history that pulls together the threads of social and political change, never losing sight of the remarkable woman at the center of his enquiring gaze. The Last Queen is as entertaining as it is essential, and I read it with gusto." - Tina Brown "Irving puts his mark on a familiar story with his confident assessments and insider perspective on the British press. Royal watchers will delight in this richly detailed appraisal of the world's oldest reigning monarch." - Publishers Weekly



Book Information
ISBN 9781785905551
Author Clive Irving
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Biteback Publishing
Publisher Biteback Publishing