Robert Hardman

As daughter, wife, mother and Sovereign, Elizabeth II lived fascinating parallel lives, both in private and in public. But she remained something of a mystery – beloved, even revered, modest yet daunting, naturally shy but globally recognizable, inscrutable and also authentic. She was grand but so familiar that we felt we knew her. Yet we would always be left asking the same question: ‘What’s she really like?’ No one has written more authoritatively on Elizabeth II than Robert Hardman. Who better to answer that question? The only biographer to have interviewed all the senior members of the Royal Family, some of them several times, Hardman has crafted a gripping story of drama, devotion, triumph, tragedy, humour and conflict; of an outwardly stoical, inwardly complex woman whose love of family, love of country and duty to the Crown might pull her in different directions but never derailed her; a global stateswoman who wielded her great authority with charm and understatement. Elizabeth II will explain why she was not merely the most famous woman in the world. She was one of history’s all-time greats.

The instant No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, updated with exclusive new material on the tests and triumphs of 2025'Scoops aplenty are here . . . An irresistible insider account of momentous royal events' – Melanie Reid, The Times'Fascinating . . . the book everyone is talking about' – Daily MailBy the acclaimed royal biographer and commentator Robert Hardman, Charles III is an intimate portrait of the monarch that draws on unrivalled access to the Royal Family, their close friends and staff, plus previously unseen papers from the Royal Archives. With damaging headlines unleashed by the Sussexes, political crises and questions about the future of the monarchy, Charles III had no shortage of challenges when he came to the throne. The Royal Family then faced a double blow in early 2024 when the King and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, were diagnosed with cancer. By the end of the year, the King had returned to regular duties, dealing with a new government at home and diplomatic turmoil abroad. As head of state of fifteen nations, he would soon find himself caught up in the new and uncertain world order taking shape following the election of President Trump. The dramatic story is uncovered here, along with the vital role played by Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and others. From the emotional days following the death of Elizabeth II and the truth about the King’s relationship with Prince William and Prince Harry to his handling of Prince Andrew, Hardman takes us behind the pomp and ceremony to reveal Charles the man as well as the monarch. Authoritative and richly insightful, Charles III is the definitive account of a king determined to maximize ‘the time God grants me’ – and enjoy it. 'This glorious book reveals the real Charles III. Hardman’s magisterial biography, full of detail about the King, the Queen and the Sussexes alike, will become a historical document' – Simon Heffer, The Telegraph

The definitive new biography of Her Majesty The Queen by one of Britain's leading royal authorities. With original insights from those who know her best, new interviews with world leaders and access to unseen papers, bestselling author Robert Hardman explores the full, astonishing life of our longest reigning monarch in this compellingly authoritative yet intimate biography. Elizabeth II was not born to be queen. Yet from her accession as a young mother of two in 1952 to the age of COVID-19, she has proved an astute and quietly determined figure, leading her family and her people through more than seventy years of unprecedented social change. She has faced constitutional crises, confronted threats against her life, rescued the Commonwealth, seen her prime ministers come and go, charmed world leaders, been criticised as well as feted by the media, and steered her family through a lifetime in the public eye. Queen of Our Times is a must-read study of dynastic survival and renewal, spanning abdication, war, romance, danger and tragedy. It is a compelling portrait of a leader who remains as intriguing today as the day she came to the throne aged twenty-five.

Written by the renowned royal biographer, Robert Hardman, and with privileged access to the Royal Family and the Royal Household, a brilliant new portrait of the most famous woman in the world and her place in it. On today's world stage, one leader stands apart. Queen Elizabeth II has seen more of the planet and its people than any other head of state, and has engaged with them like no other monarch in British history. Since her coronation, she has visited over 130 countries across the ever-changing globe, acting as diplomat, stateswoman, pioneer and peace-broker. She has transformed her father's old empire into the Commonwealth, her 'family of nations', and has come to know its leaders better than anyone. In 2018, they would gather in her own home to endorse her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, as her successor. With extensive access to the Queen's family and staff, Hardman tells a true story full of drama, intrigue, exotic and even dangerous situations, heroes, rogues, pomp and glamour - and, at the centre of it all, the woman who has genuinely won the hearts of the world.

Written by the renowned royal biographer, Robert Hardman, and with privileged access to the Royal Family and the Royal Household, a brilliant new portrait of the most famous woman in the world and her place in it. On today's world stage, one leader stands apart. Queen Elizabeth II has seen more of the planet and its people than any other head of state, and has engaged with them like no other monarch in British history.Since her coronation, she has visited over 130 countries across the ever-changing globe, acting as diplomat, stateswoman, pioneer and peace-broker. She has transformed her father's old empire into the Commonwealth, her 'family of nations', and has come to know its leaders better than anyone. In 2018, they would gather in her own home to endorse her eldest son as her successor. With unprecedented access to the Queen's family and staff, Hardman tells a true story full of drama, intrigue, exotic and even dangerous situations, heroes, rogues, pomp and glamour - and, at the centre of it all, the woman who has genuinely won the hearts of the world.