Elizabeth & Margaret by Andrew Morton
The first in-depth dual-biography of Elizabeth & Margaret, written by the bestselling royal biographer, Andrew Morton.
They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends.
But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward VIII decided to abdicate the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more, Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet'. And bow to her wishes.
Elizabeth would always look upon her younger sister's antics with a kind of stoical amusement but Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system - and her fraught relationship with its expectations - was often a source of tension. Famously, the Queen had to inform Margaret that the Church and government would not countenance her marrying a divorcee, Group Captain Peter Townsend, forcing Margaret to choose between keeping her title and royal allowances or her divorcee lover.
From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden wartime lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father's death and Elizabeth's ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton, renowned bestselling author of Diana: Her True Story, offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters - one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it - and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family and the way it has adapted to the changing mores of the twentieth century.
About the author.
ANDREW MORTON is one of the world's best-known biographers and a leading authority on modern celebrity. His groundbreaking 1992 biography revealed the secret world of Princess Diana, prompting Tina Brown to declare in The Diana Chronicles, "The journalist Morton most reminds me of is Bob Woodward." Diana: Her True Story became a #1 New York Times bestseller, as did Monica's Story, Morton's portrait of the young woman behind the blue dress in the Clinton White House.
The winner of numerous awards, including Author of the Year by the British Book Awards and Scoop of the Year by the London Press Club, he lives in London and has travelled extensively in the U.S., Canada, and Europe in his research for this biography.
Review
It's not often that I review non-fiction on my blog but this was too good to pass up! Ever since watching ‘The Crown’, I have been fascinated by the relationship between the two sisters. This was riveting and illuminating insight into their lives, loves and passions.
Probably like the rest of the country it was Margaret’s rebellious and glamorous life that fascinates me the most. But also Elizabeth’s reaction to her sister’s ‘wayward’ ways. To be honest I am not a royalist so it's more the personal aspects to these people that makes me want to find out more about them and this book certainly delivers on that. It was lovely to get such details about their childhoods and their experiences in the war etc. Also, that it came from such primary sources as their nanny.
I think it's books like these that help to humanize people like the royals. I don't agree with the tabloids and papers making people’s lives hell but books like the one Andrew has written helps to nurture positive feelings towards them. Well, it makes me!
Let me know if you read this one!
