Just when I thought I had consumed enough biographies on Queen Elizabeth II, comes another must read, English critic and satirist Craig Brown’s beautifully written and well documented book: “Q: A Voyage Around the Queen.”
Instead of writing the typical cradle to the grave biography, Brown was wonderfully creative in presenting the Queen in short chapters, centered on different topics, such as the Queen’s corgis, PM meetings with the Queen, royal rumors and scandals, etc.
It was really a fascinating way to present the Queen to the public, which underscores on just about any topic under the sun, including prominent individuals in British culture, world leaders, and celebrities--had some connection to the Queen.
Brown points out that in addition to the Queen, others who died in 2022, included: Pope Benedict XVI, Olivia Newton-John, Sidney Poitier, Angela Lansbury, Jerry Lee Lewis, Robbie Coltrane, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pele, Vivienne Westwood, Lester Piggott, Jean-Luc Godard and Hilary Mantel. Of this list, amazingly, only two, "Jerry Lee Lewis and Jean-Luc Godard-had never met the Queen."
The chapter on her beloved corgis is hysterical. Corgis are apparently temperamental dogs, and they would often nip at the ankles of her Majesty’s guests. Her husband, Prince Philip, hated the corgis, they always seemed to get in the way of his path when walking.
At one point, the Queen owned as many as nine corgis at one time. Someone asked her, how do you tell them apart? The Queen snapped back, “do you have trouble telling your children apart.”?
The big joke at Buckingham Palace was the Queen’s true loves in life were her corgis, her horses, Philip, and her children—and in that order.
Craig additionally has a chapter or two dealing with all the Prime Ministers and celebrities she met. The Queen wasn’t much for small talk, she would just say a few words and move on. Some celebs, so nervous about meeting the Queen, got tongue tied and barely got words out of their mouth before she moved on to the next person to shake hands with.
In her meetings with Prime Ministers, the Queen would often pepper her leaders with tough questions about current world affairs. Many were caught off guard and at times found themselves back on their heels, trying to answer her questions in an intelligent, well-informed manner.
Some thought they would charm the Queen and engage her with their personal stories, but before they got into the heart of their stories, the Queen usually rang the bell in the state room at Buckingham Palace, indicating the meeting was over.
Over her 70-year reign, the Queen was exceptionally shrewd in sizing up world leaders. She reportedly told someone that she thought Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, must have some business arrangement with her husband. If she didn’t, the Queen said, Melania would have left him long ago.
The Queen’s death on September 8, 2022, age 96, had a profound impact on so many from Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, to Johnny Rotten (whose real name is John Lydon).
The author does a remarkable job chronicling all the letters, tweets, and messages from all over the world expressing their deep sadness over her death and the profound sense of duty she gave to the United Kingdom so admirably under her reign.
Craig Brown put together a highly entertaining book filled to the brim with facts, figures, and anecdotes, many of which I never knew about Her Majesty, the Queen.
QE2: Fast Facts
• The Queen has met more leaders than anyone in history.
• Visited 117 countries
• Traveled at least 1.3 million miles
• During her lifetime the Queen has sent 307,000 hundredth birthday messages
--Bill Lucey
January 10, 2025
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