Before the Crown
It is 1943, and the future Queen Elizabeth II of England is cooped up in Windsor Castle. She is frustrated at her inability to make a meaningful contribution to the war effort, bored with her enforced inactivity, and uncomfortably aware that she is shielded from the dangers that face the rest of the country. So she awaits the arrival of her cousin Philip – exotic, unconventional and not quite approved of by her parents – with excitement. Before the Crown is the story of the developing relationship between Elizabeth and Philip, leading to their marriage in 1947.
The book alternates between the viewpoints of the two protagonists, trying to uncover the private people beneath the public personas. It cannot be easy to ascribe thoughts and feelings to real people who are still living, but Flora Harding manages to make the story credible, showing how few choices were available to her characters. Elizabeth has her future mapped out for her: a suitable marriage and eventual succession to the throne. Whereas Philip is a displaced member of the Greek royal family with no inheritance to look forward to, and he may be unable to continue his naval career if he cannot become a British citizen. As others continue to remind him, marrying Elizabeth is his best – perhaps his only – option.
I enjoyed the contrast between Philip’s world (for instance the exoticism of wartime Egypt) and the stultifying dullness of Elizabeth’s life. I was also struck by the theme of duty. Elizabeth is haunted by the image of her Uncle David (King Edward VIII), who “chose love over duty”. She has no such choice, and must put aside any dreams of her own. A very interesting read.
