An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

232. Queen Elizabeth II (Part 2)

September 09, 2022

Description

In February 1952, on the death of her father King George VI, the 25-year-old Elizabeth became Queen. During her long reign she was served by 15 Prime Ministers and met an extraordinary array of...
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Books Referenced

Biography of David Lloyd George

Author: John Grigg (Lord Altringham)

Context:

John Grigg is described as 'biographer of David Lloyd George' in the context of discussing early critics of the Queen in the 1950s. Grigg was mentioned as someone who wrote critically about the monarchy.

The Lion and the Unicorn

Author: George Orwell

Context:

Referenced when discussing Orwell's writing about Englishness during the Blitz, specifically his passage about national continuity and identity: 'what do you have in common with the child whose picture is on the mantelpiece? It was once you. Everything has changed and yet somehow you're still the same.'

The Leopard

Author: Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

Context:

Referenced at the end of the episode with the famous quote 'For everything to stay the same, everything has to change' - used to describe the Queen's approach to monarchy and adaptation. This is the novel Il Gattopardo by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.