Customer Reviews
Egotistical but fascinating - By: chill, 23 Jun 2007 
The Queen is just about my most admired living person, her dedication is amazing.
Brandreth quotes what makes them happy which I think is very true:
1) Dont be introspective
2) Live a full busy useful life.
He drops a lot of names - a lot - but so what, it is a really good insight into a wonderful couple.
Prince Philip was born on a kitchen table on the island of Corfu - By: Diane Lindenberger, 13 Apr 2006 
And other irresistible tidbits make this book an honest & enchanting look at the Royal Family. For me, it was a real page turner. I could not put it down. As an American, perhaps I am naive, & more interestedin the mystique of British royalty rather than looking for some prurient expose. This book gave me insight into some of the more charming aspects of palace life. Particulary endearing was the young "Princess Elizabeth's" relationship to her grandfather, King George V, who with his own two sons was gruff & angry, but with his grandbaby "Lillibet" was soft & yielding. She was the apple of his eye. Brandreth's description of Elizabeth pulling King George V by his beard as they played "horse & groom" is priceless, as well as his getting down on all fours to play with her. I highly recommend this book for anyone interestedin British history & the British Royal Family.
Ego Trip - By: Daniel Rampton, 16 Sep 2005 
Gyles Brandreth claimes to know the real Philip & Elizabeth, Well this book just shows one what an ego trip these so called royal insiders are on. If he were a FRIEND of prince Philip, would he have written about it, & he is none to flattering about the Queen, which would have hurt is FRIEND Philip, & of course the Queen cannot Answer back. A lot of what he has to say has been heard before,through interviews with such as Countess Mountbatten, who is always ready to tell all it seems. but those of use who saw the tv film of this book could see that those like Countess Mountbatten said very little indeed. It is a trite book like all the others. The only people to really know Philip & Elizabeth, are their children & grandchildren & close relatives, & the Late Bobo MacDonald who was with the Queen for 60 years & never said a word. This is a boring rehashe of countless other books & interviews about the Royal Couple.
Is this about the author or the Queen and her consort? - By: Klaus Meyer, 05 Nov 2004 
The two previous reviews have already clearly indicated that this double biography is rather a disappointment. I do share these views.
May I add a few remarks of my own: It was rather off-putting that the author constantly refers to theb fact how close he is to the Duke. What does he wants us to tell with that? That he had exclusive access to information otherwise not available or does he wants to boost his own standing? He is pretty clear about how he admires the Duke & well that does it say all: all is great about him. Actually no need to explore the life of the Duke further because he can do no wrong. Furthermore, why does the author states that certain thingsin the lives of the Queen & the Duke is not the reader's /public's business to deal with as it is private? Well what is the sense of investigating their lives if one is suppose to know only what they are willing to give away. Then just read the Queen's website!
Allin all, I feel that the author is far to close to his subjectsin order to give the reader an objective or even an interesting new insidein their lives, backgrounds etc.. It is a bit like the last books by Andrew Morton who writesin the style "I & Princess Di": this is "I & the Duke".
Philip and Elizabeth - By: Robin Fox, 07 Oct 2004 I was pleasantly surprised by this after ploughing through the opening prologue. There are a number of mistakesin there, which grated with me. Page 16, Brandreth refers to the memorial service for the terror attacks of Sept. 11 2001 as being at Westminster Abbey - it was at St Paul's Cathedral. He also refers to the re-sheduled date of Edward VII's coronation as 9 Aug 1902, which is before the date he first mentions as the propsed date on 26 June 1903. As it was postponed because of illness, this cannot be right.
Once I was past that point, however, the book became very readable. Brandreth clearly has had access to Philip & Elizabeth, (though there is perhaps a touch more reference to Philip than Elizabeth) & a number of family & friends. The book seeks to put right a number of myths & rumours about them, he is fiercely loyal to both of them, & through the book, he offers the wit & light-hearted yet serious style of writing for which he is well-known.
A difficult start, but a pleasure to read
