AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFETIME, TOLD IN THE WORDS OF THOSE WHO WERE THERE

Lieutenant Commander Michael Parker, equerry-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, speaking about the death of King George VI:

'The Queen was really bowled over. Forlorn. Fully conscious of the fact that she was Queen, and that she must tend to affairs immediately, but at the same time carrying the load of this new, awful news. A brave person. Gosh! If I loved her before, boy did I love her after that!'

Queen Elizabeth II: The Oral History paints a spirited, detailed and global portrait of a life lived in service. Insightful accounts of events range from the early years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign - the shocking death of her father and the adjustment required of a newly married couple - to more recent years, including the death of Prince Philip and the grandchildren's marriages and families.

Featuring interviews from diverse sources, including staff, family and friends, such as Lady Pamela Hicks, Queen Elizabeth II also includes memories from crucial international figures such as Nelson Mandela. Asking questions about conflict and change and the Monarchy's journey as colonial institution, this is a revealing view into the workings of Buckingham Palace and the strengths and weaknesses of the Royal Family.

Containing a broad spectrum of views on Queen Elizabeth II - from her role as leader of the Commonwealth to her personality in private - this is an extraordinary insight the ways in which the reign of the monarch has intersected and impacted on others around the world.