Before the Crown

Name: Before the Crown
Rating: 4.5 (8 reviews)

Flora Harding

Sep 2020 · HarperCollins UK

4.5

8 reviews

Ebook

400

Pages

Eligible

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About this ebook

Before the crown there was a love story... ‘If you’re a fan of The Crown, you’ll love this’ Woman’s Weekly

‘Fascinating...a beautiful love story’ Woman

Windsor Castle, 1943

As war rages across the world, Princess Elizabeth comes face to face with the dashing naval officer she first met in London nine years before.

One of the youngest first lieutenants in the Royal Navy, Philip represents everything she has always been taught to avoid. Instability. Audacity. Adventure.

But when the king learns of their relationship, the suitability of the foreign prince is questioned by all at court.

He is the risk she has never been allowed to take. The risk not even the shadow of the crown will stop her from taking...

Step through the palace gates and discover a captivating historical novel of royal secrets and forbidden love exploring the tempestuous courtship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the wake of WWII.

Readers are LOVING Before the Crown:

‘Magnificent. It carries so much depth and warmness, and closeness to the characters that you do not want to part from them...a page-turner’ Best Historical Fiction Reviews

‘To say that I adored this book is an absolute understatement. Beautifully written, well crafted and researched. A must read for fans of The Crown’ Kim

‘Any fans of The Crown will adore this read...the story is well researched and written so beautifully I didn't want it to end’ Lucy

‘What a pleasure it was to read this charming and heartfelt historical romance... never have I felt so romantically moved’ Jena

‘Magnificent... It carries so much depth and warmness, and closeness to the characters that you do not want to part from them’ Annette

‘I really enjoyed this book... Anyone who loved The Crown series will love this book!’ Pat

‘Perfect for fans of Netflix’s The Crown’ Elizabeth

‘This is the story that we ALL want to read...I loved every single page’ Vicki

Ratings and reviews

4.5

8 reviews

Kristina Anderson

September 22, 2020

Before the Crown by Flora Harding allows readers to get a behind the scenes look at the courtship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. I found the book easy to read, but I did feel it had slow pacing and it lacked depth. Before the Crown seemed to be aimed at a younger audience. The point-of-view alternates between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. We get to see what each one thought and how they felt as the relationship progressed. We get to see different moments of their relationship. It is small snippets of time. I was disappointed that their original meeting was not included. The story builds up to the wedding, but the actual event is not included. I found the ending to be dissatisfying. I like how it made Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and the other members of the royal family seem like real people. Queen Elizabeth is so confident and poised, but she was not always this way. I liked seeing how she felt about being queen and dealing with her shyness. There is some mild foul language in the book. It is wise to remember that this is a fictionalized account of events. It would have been helpful if the author had added an afterward on what was fact and what was fiction. Before the Crown is a book that will appeal to those who are fascinated by the royal family and enjoy watching “The Crown”.

Viper Spaulding

October 17, 2020

Must-read for any fan of the Queen This was a wonderful look at the woman who would become such a worldwide inspirational icon for so many years. Starting at the beginning of Elizabeth's romance with Phillip, it's everything I was hoping for: all the intimacy that shows us their ordinary, private lives, plus all the pomp and circumstance inherent in their public lives. It's obviously well-researched and exquisitely detailed, even though it's largely a fictional account. It's a love story like no other, and I was thrilled to experience it through this book. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Chelsea Taylor

May 1, 2021

While we all enjoy scrolling People magazine and British publications to see the latest news about the Queen or what Kate Middleton is wearing now, we truly forget that at the heart of it all they are real people. With real wants and needs. This is the fictional account of the love story of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth. Beginning from their first meeting all the way up to their wedding day, this book gives you an inside peak into just how they were probably feeling and what they had to go through to be married. Philip came from a family that had titles but no riches and Elizabeth was devoted to a life of service to her country. While these things could have stood in the way of their Happily Ever After, they persevered and were married for over seventy years before Philip's recent passing. This book takes you inside their hearts and minds and gives you an insiders view on what they may have honestly had to endure to be able to walk down the aisle. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five big stars. With the recent passing of Philip, this book couldn't come at a better time. The story is rich and you truly feel for both of them and you truly feel happy when you get to the end and she's walking down the aisle to him. Beautiful story of a beautiful marriage. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and Flora Harding for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

About the author

Flora Harding began writing over 30 years ago to fund a PhD on the disposal of waste in Elizabethan York, and has juggled fact and fiction ever since. Under various pseudonyms she has written more than 75 novels, histories, and other forms of non-fiction and continues to be fascinated by the relationship between the past and the present, whatever she happens to be writing.

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