The Queen's Secret
A Novel of England's World War II Queen
-
-
3.6 • 5 Ratings
-
-
- $13.99
Publisher Description
If you love Jennifer Robson or The Crown you will love New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper’s novel about Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.
1939. As the wife of the King George VI and the mother of the future queen, Elizabeth—“the queen mother”—shows a warm, smiling face to the world. But it’s no surprise that Hitler himself calls her the “Most Dangerous Woman in Europe.” For behind that soft voice and kindly demeanor is a will of steel.
Two years earlier, George was thrust onto the throne when his brother Edward abdicated, determined to marry his divorced, American mistress Mrs. Simpson. Vowing to do whatever it takes to make her husband’s reign a success, Elizabeth endears herself to the British people, and prevents the former king and his brazen bride from ever again setting foot in Buckingham Palace.
Elizabeth holds many powerful cards, she’s also hiding damaging secrets about her past and her provenance that could prove to be her undoing.
In this riveting novel of royal secrets and intrigue, Karen Harper lifts the veil on one of the world’s most fascinating families, and how its “secret weapon” of a matriarch maneuvered her way through one of the most dangerous chapters of the century.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Harper's enchanting latest (after American Duchess) explores the private life of Queen Elizabeth, formerly Elizabeth Bowes Lyon. Harper traces Elizabeth's long life through her marriage to King George VI, raising her daughters Elizabeth and Margaret Rose, and living through WWII. Harper's artful prose brings Elizabeth to glorious life as tensions mount around the animosity between Elizabeth and upstart American socialite Wallis Warfield Simpson, whose intention to marry king Edward VIII led to his abdication (and about whom Elizabeth is said to have uttered "The two people who have caused me the most trouble in my life are Wallis Simpson and Hitler"). While not all of the dishy details are historically established for instance, the story lines about Elizabeth's supposedly true parentage, her largely celibate marriage, and certain peccadillos of her brother-in-law, the former king, which call his character into question Harper's evocative prose and able plotting make each twist and turn believable. This displays Harper's mastery at fictional profiles of prominent 20th-century women.
