Hugo Vickers was described by the Financial Times as ‘The greatest royal biographer on the planet’ and more recently as ‘The Tolstoy of royal biographers.’  His magnificent biography of Queen Elizabeth II is based on sixty years of research and observation.  Not only did he work in archives, but over many years he had important conversations with The Queen’s close friends and Household, and some of the Royal Family.  He first went to Buckingham Palace on a research mission when he was 20 years old in 1972.  He met The Queen at least 40 times between 1968 and 2022, enjoying conversations with her, and he observed her frequently in London, Windsor, and even in Paris, Russia, Pakistan and India. 

The Queen enjoyed ten years of blissful childhood before the death of her beloved grandfather, George V, and the abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII, changed her life.  She realised that one day she would be Queen.  She was determined to be a good daughter and successor to her father, George VI. 

Having written about Queen Mary, the Queen Mother, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Prince Philip’s mother, Vickers brings to this book a wide experience of the Royal Family.  Not only does he look at the personal life of The Queen, but he deals with her relations with her Prime Ministers, and her dedicated life of reconciliation on the international stage.  This is without doubt the fullest account of The Queen’s life yet written.

Richard René Silvin, a long-time friend of Hugo Vickers, will interview him in a candid and informative discussion, revealing Mr. Vickers’ charm, knowledge and humor only at GLAZER HALL.