Queen of Our Times cover art

Queen of Our Times

The Life of Elizabeth II

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Queen of Our Times

By: Robert Hardman
Narrated by: Robert Hardman
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

A Sunday Times Book of the Year

Queen of Our Times, read by the author, is the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth II by one of Britain’s leading royal authorities, Robert Hardman. This commemorative edition includes an epilogue reflecting upon Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, her passing and her funeral.

With fascinating revelations from those who knew her best and special access to unseen royal papers granted by Elizabeth II herself, author and royal expert Robert Hardman explores the full, astonishing life of our longest reigning monarch in this authoritative yet intimate biography.

The book also charts the way in which the Queen raised the future King Charles III as both son and heir.

Elizabeth was not born to be queen, being third in line to the throne. Yet from her accession as a young mother of two in 1952 to the age of Covid-19, she proved an astute and quietly determined figure, leading her family and her people through more than seventy years of unprecedented social change. She faced constitutional crises, confronted threats against her life, unified the Commonwealth, saw fifteen British prime ministers come and go, charmed world leaders, and steered her family through a lifetime in the public eye. Her Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in June 2022 and her death mourned months later, both events a reminder of the huge impact she had made.

Queen of Our Times is a must-listen study of dynastic survival and renewal, spanning abdication, war, romance, danger and tragedy. It is a compelling portrait of a leader whose legacy of steadfast service lives on.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Macmillan Publishers International Limited (P)2022 Macmillan Publishers International Limited Europe Great Britain Politics & Activism Royalty Women Thought-Provoking War

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Elizabeth cover art
Philip cover art
Our Queen cover art
Charles and Camilla cover art
The Final Curtsey cover art
The Real Diana cover art
King's Counsellor cover art
Oblivion or Glory cover art
The Unlikely Duke cover art
Prince Philip's Century cover art
Elizabeth and Philip cover art
The Fate of Abraham cover art
Three Times a Countess cover art
The Last Queen cover art

Critic reviews

'Sensational' – Kirsty Young, The Platinum Pageant (BBC)
All stars
Most relevant  
I enjoyed listening to the author's narration of his story of the life of 'Elizabeth the Earnest' while pottering at home and in the garden. The 25h 22m was therefore lengthy but not weighty. Robert Hardman obviously has a great deal of respect and affection for HM so may not be totally unbiased in his views.
However this timely account, pre the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, of 7 decades of dedicated service feels authentic and balanced. I was pleased to hear that HM 'absolutely loves being Queen', has a healthy work-life balance, is warm, forgiving, funny and, when required, can exercise 'soft power' with an eyebrow - a welcome antidote to the fictional portrayal of the cold, unhappy monarch in the Netflix film, The Crown. I confess I had to ask Auntie Google clarify 'the silken glove of Geidt'.
I learned a great detail about our Queen and particularly enjoyed hearing about her encounters with various prime ministers and world leaders throughout the Commonwealth and more. I like who she likes and I like her a lot. I reckon she's a good judge of character. Thank you for the good read and the insight into the life and work of Elizabeth II. This biography may have helped with the 'Transition' of the Royal Family into future generations but this lady, despite losing her beloved Philip, has not stopped mothering her family, her nation and commonwealth yet.
I have now bought the book as it is one to keep on the bookshelf; it has arrived safely and in good condition.

Superb

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A great book. I love the detail and in depth context which the author included when taking us through the major events of the life of our queen so far. If you like lots of detail and context to understand what processes the royal family goes through in relation to a wide range of events from the 1936 abdication, to the more recent events involving Harry and Megan, you will love this and want to keep it.


Its a huge load of work that the author has put in to give us a good all round view of our queen, and the thinking of those around her. As you gathered I really enjoyed this and will be keeping it.

An amazing look at the life of our queen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It was really good to get to know so much more about a woman who devoted her whole life to the service of others in such a balanced, subtle, determined and unselfish manner.

It was very informative and really didn’t seem biased in any way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Absolutely adored this book. A fascinating insight into the life of Queen Elisabeth and a wonderful reminder of the role she has played in our recent history. A lot of nice little details which made me smile and well up at different times. Amazing to see the part she has played. I loved the story of her going to visit Germany and mentioning her previous meeting with Konrad Adenauer, the founding father of post war Germany.

Wonderful look at the Queen and History

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Three weeks of pure listening glory. Most excellent narration of an engaging history. Robert Hardman wove a splendid yet complex tapestry of events with ease.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent snapshot of the Queen’s life and times, I really enjoyed listening to it and the narration was excellent and engaging.

Excellent snapshot of the Queen’s life and times.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very interesting, fascinating book. I enjoyed it very much. God bless Queen Elizabeth ll such an amazing woman.

Excellent read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
On extremely well research book. Very well laid out and a pleasure to listen to

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It was the most interesting book I’ve read for a long time. It was beautifully written and narrated by the author. Thank you

I feel even more proud of our beloved Queen Elizabeth II

A must read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is the best royal book ever written. It is beautifully written, with such honesty. Robert Hardman is always lovely to listen to, and he reads this book so well. I could listen to it again.

Brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews