Lilibet: An Intimate Portrait of Elizabeth II

By Carolly Erickson

Book Overview

In Lilibet , master biographer Carolly Erickson turns her skill at writing un-put-downable narrative to telling the remarkable story of Elizabeth II, Queen of England. With her customary psychological insight, historian Erickson traces the queen's gilded but often thorny path from her overprotected girlhood to her ascension to the throne at twenty-five to her personal and national difficulties as queen. Lilibet shows us an Elizabeth we thought we knew-but shows her in a different light: as a small, shy woman with a sly and at times raucous sense of humor, a woman who appears stiff in public, but in private enjoys watching wrestling on TV. A woman most at home among her horses and dogs. And a woman long annealed to heartbreak and sorrow, who has presided over the decline of Great Britain and the decline in prestige of her own Windsor dynasty. Far from being a light, gossipy treatment of a celebrity, Lilibet tells the queen's story from her point of view, letting the reader relive Elizabeth's long and eventful life with all its splendid ceremonies, momentous responsibilities and family clashes. Through it all we glimpse, as never before, the strong and appealing sovereign who has ruled over her people for half a century and more, a ruler of immense wealth, international esteem and high character whose daily life is grounded in the bedrock of common sense.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312287348
• ISBN13: 9780312287344
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 392 Pages
• Weight: 1.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.5" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

Completely Captures Its Subject

Initially, I was wary of reading this book. I thought it had a pretty cover and a relatively intriguing title, but didn't figure that Elizabeth II would be anyone who was fascinating enough to write about. But nonetheless, envisioning a book filled with an agonizingly boring chronicle of this seemingly "deadly dull" woman's life, I began "Lilibet." And was I ever in for a surprise! Carolly Erickson has done an outstanding job with this biography and completely captured the essence of this queen. The pages keep turning, and it is one of the highest compliments I can give to a biography to say that it "reads" like a good novel-I can certainly say that in this case. Chronicling the Queen's life from birth until 2002, Erickson uses a winning "formula" to ensure a satisfyingly complex character portrait. Granted, the simple factual matter of "Lilbet" was admirable. Yet other characteristics make "Lilibet" so enjoyable. First, I enjoyed the quotes/testimonials from the queen and others that Erickson used. It sometimes seems in a biography that the quotes chosen are unremarkable and cliche, yet "Lilibet" includes sparklingly memorable quotes from those who know Elizabeth as well as intriguing "morsels" from the queen herself. Furthermore, "Lilibet" was enhanced by the way English history (and crucial royal family events) were woven into the story line. These happenings are presented to the reader in a clear and interesting manner, and as said, they add richness to the story. Time and time again, Erickson deftly shows how events like the World War 2, the Wallis Simpson incident, and the scandals recently plaguing the royal family played their part in the life of the Queen. But best of all, the author shows excellent psychological insights during her writing. When I think about why exactly I found this book so fascinating, I realize that it was due in part to the sharply intelligent analysis of Lilibet's character. Erickson does not portray the queen as a "whitened" saint or as a cruel elderly woman-she seems to understand and empathize with the queen's character enough to see both the good and the bad in it. Solid facts, expert inclusion of history and background information, memorable psychological insight, and just plain an interesting read! What an EXCELLENT biography!

Not much new here

I had read that this was a different kind of biography and it proved to be. There wasn't much I hadn't read before, but I did enjoy the never-before-seen photographs.If the book is a bit dull, it is because the subject is. The Queen isn't terribly interesting or exciting. I think she is a nice person. A good Christian and very good at her duties which she takes very seriously. Maybe that is enough. I think she relates better to animals than to her family, but that doesn't make her a bad person.