The Crown Official Companion Volume 1 by Robert Lacey

The Crown: The Official Companion #1

After Downton Abbey ended, I began a search for a new favorite historical British show, and, lucky me, The Crown came along! When I found out that the Queen’s biographer was writing a companion nonfiction account, I knew I had to treat myself to it!

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Synopsis

Elizabeth Mountbatten never expected her father to die so suddenly, so young, leaving her with a throne to fill and a global institution to govern. Crowned at twenty-five, she was already a wife and mother as she began her journey towards becoming a queen.

As Britain lifted itself out of the shadow of war, the new monarch faced her own challenges. Her mother doubted her marriage; her uncle-in-exile derided her abilities; her husband resented the sacrifice of his career and family name; and her rebellious sister embarked on a love affair that threatened the centuries-old links between the Church and the Crown. This is the story of how Elizabeth II drew on every ounce of resolve to ensure that the Crown always came out on top.

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Review

This is my favorite book of the year, after Notorious RBG and It’s What I Do.  Apparently this is a year marked by nonfiction works for me.

Broken up by episodes, The Crown The Official Companion Volume 1, calls out, in the first few pages, the viewers of the show who, like me, watched each episode for a second time while scrolling through various Windsor related Wikipedia pages. Interspersed within and between the chapters are character and event profiles providing further insight into how certain decisions, such as televising the coronation of the Queen, were determined. Pictures include both stills from the show alongside real photographs of Elizabeth and Philip.

With a budget of $5 million per episode, Netflix’s The Crown is a sweeping historical drama that blows all others out of the water with it’s focus on historical events and attempts to remain true to the personalities of the real-life people portrayed on the silver screen. And while the show is fictionalized in some regards, the official companion book makes it quite clear that Peter Morgan, the show’s creator, did not have to deviate too far from real life to make his show so compelling.

The most fascinating biographies are those that are of people who have lived far from ordinary lives. Americans have always had a certain fascination with the royal family and “how the other half lives.” The Crown The Official Companion is as much a detailed biography of Elizabeth II as it is companion to a popular show.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

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