Another busy week, this time on the domestic front with new boiler and water tank and the ensuing disruption, and I have been reading this in between the work being undertaken, and enjoying it very much indeed.
There have been so many books written about Her Maj and, I daresay, there will be more in the future, and striking the right note is always tricky. Royal biographies written back in my younger days were mere hagiographies and the impression given was that the subject was a perfect human being, a saint and we should grovel at their feet. On the other hand you can find some which are quite unpleasant and take delight in showing the feet of clay. One in particular, is a book written by Craig Brown about Princess Margaret which was a total hatchet job and totally and unneccessarily vicious and which gave away more of the character of the author than the Princess.
Robert Hardman has written an admirable book. It is refreshingly lacking in hyperbole and he has a journalistic style which makes for easy reading. I think most of us here in the UK are aware that the Queen is not going to be with us much longer and it will be difficult to imagine her not being there. She has been on the throne longer than Queen Victoria and for generations she has been an immovable figure - we just accept that she is around somewhere and I, for one, find it very reassuring to have a stable figure in society. Having a King rather than a Queen is going to take some getting used to.
I do not think there is any need for me to go into detail of the book's content as it has all been in the public eye for so long but one thing that struck me when reading is the non-stop, never ending daily duties to be done. Living in a palace and having all the comforts and wealth you could possibly need sounds wonderful but it is not a life that I would find appealing. Always in the public eye, having to smile and be welcoming when your feet might be aching and you have a splitting headache, being constantly criticised and never ever being able to answer back, it would drive me mad.
One of my favourite moments of the Queen's entire reign is when she took part in a James Bond sketch for the opening of the Olympics in 2012. When Daniel Craig as James Bond walked into the palace I, and everyone else, was expecting a look alike and then when Her Maj turned round, smiled and said "Good evening Mr Bond" I let out a shriek along with millions of others. I remember Twitter crashed. Here is the video:
I am an unashamed royalist and I admire the Queen enormously. Watching her at this week's memorial service for the Duke of Edinburgh and seeing her on the verge of tears, one has to remember she can feel grief just like everyone else.
An excellent biography and well worth reading in this her Platinum Jubilee Year.
