The Queen changed compared to her twilight years. You begin to appreciate that the monarchy is a moving target. You’ve dedicated most of your career to the royals-what keeps you interested in them? It shows you how unstable our world is, when even a nation like Britain, which is supposedly sober and even handed and fair minded, quickly falls apart. Her legacy is stability as well, and we can see how much she’s been missed instantly. Her grandson is happily married with three children, has been trained quite assiduously by the Queen, and is very much following in her footsteps.

Now that we have the complete picture, what would you say is Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy? That speech she made was probably one of the most poignant speeches she ever made in her 70-year reign. Quite frankly, I think she came into her own then-the leadership she showed during COVID-19 was remarkable. The reign was winding down and there was still an awful lot going on. Having done most of, I thought I may as well do the “top lady,” as Diana used to call her. The process started with embarking on the idea of writing about Elizabeth and Margaret, which was my previous book. I’ve been collecting bits and pieces over the years, little stories here and there because you are never really off duty.

Read More: Queen Elizabeth II’s Death Is a Chance to Examine the Present-Day Effects of Britain’s Colonial Past Is this something that you had been writing in preparation for the death of the monarch?

I’m relaying some of my experiences, my conversations with people who have worked with her, and I think it’s a vivid and rounded portrait-but I would say that, wouldn’t I? What does your new book bring to the retelling of her story?Īndrew Morton: It’s bringing the whole story up to date and trying to give it a little bit of my own perspective after writing and observing the royal family for 40 years. TIME: The Queen is a figure everyone already knows so much about.

Diana her true story in her own words