Book description
With the flair for narrative and the meticulous research that readers
have come to expect, Andrew Marr turns his attention to the monarch -
and to the monarchy, chronicling the Queen’s pivotal role at the centre
of the state, which is largely hidden from the public gaze, and making a
strong case for the institution itself.
Arranged thematically, rather than chronologically, Marr dissects the
Queen’s political relationships, crucially those with her Prime
Ministers; he examines her role as Head of the Commonwealth, and her
deep commitment to that Commonwealth of nations; he looks at the drastic
changes in the media since her accession in 1952 and how the monarchy -
and the monarch - have had to change and adapt as a result. Indeed he
argues that under her watchful eye, the monarchy has been thoroughly
modernized and made as fit for purpose in the twenty-first century as it
was when she came to the throne and a ‘new Elizabethan age’ was ushered
in. Andrew Marr was born in Glasgow in 1959. He studied English at the
University of Cambridge and has since enjoyed a long career in political
journalism, working for the Scotsman
, the Independent
, the Daily Express
and the Observer
. From 2000 to 2005 he was the BBC’s Political Editor. He has written
and presented TV documentaries on history, science and politics, and
presents the weekly Andrew Marr Show on Sunday mornings on BBC1 and
Start the Week on Radio 4. He lives in London with his family.
