Lilibet: The Girl Who Would Be Queen by A.N. Wilson

My review

2/5 stars

I got swept up by the Jubilee celebrations, and the illustration on the cover of this book, when I swiped it off a library shelf earlier in the year.

If I'm being honest, the illustrations were my favourite part of the book. There was an old-world charm to the simplicity of them and they really suited the tone of the book.

As for the rest of the book, I struggled to follow the plot at certain points. There were too many random details thrown in without rhyme or reason, and a very jumpy writing style. I pushed through, but it was not a straightforward read.

While I appreciate that the idea behind the book is a semi-fictionalised look-back at the Queen's reign, and so there is going to be a heavy focus on the facts and highlights of her life, I would have appreciated a bit more emotion behind the story. This ended up feeling more like a recitation of events in a slightly softer package than a traditional history book, which didn't marry with the fiction element of what was written, in my opinion.

I also struggled to connect with the author's idea of the Queen's character, especially the bit where she was dismissive of her own child's birthday. We have all read Charles' opinion of how distant and uncaring his parents were in his childhood, but this felt a bit extreme even based on that, and doesn't align with the person we've all seen in the press in recent years.

I've read a few books on the Queen this year, but this one fell short of the mark for me.

Book blurb

Lilibet: a carefree child, a lover of horses and dogs, devoted to her family. And the girl who would be Queen.

A.N. Wilson, one of England's most beloved writers, imagines the Queen on the eve of her platinum jubilee. We watch as she discovers, at the tender age of ten, that she is heir to the throne. We witness her meet the dashing Prince Phillip of Greece, who she loved steadfastly from the age of fifteen, and see their friendship blossom into passionate love. Above all, we learn of her astonishing sense of vocation and public duty, which grew during the dark years of WWII and her father's subsequent years of ill health.

By turns funny, tender and tragic, Lilibet: The Girl Who Would be Queen honours our beloved monarch and her illustrious reign.

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You can buy the book here now. It was published by Manilla Press.

For more on the author, you can check out their Goodreads page.