Before the Crown

Historical fiction often addresses figures from centuries past, allowing us to imagine what life was like in King Henry VIII’s court or what would happen if a modern woman traveled back centuries into a sweeping love story. TV shows like Downton Abbey, Victoria, and The Crown capture our imaginations with their tales of British royalty and upper class.

In Before the Crown, Flora Harding tells the story of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s courtship. Since they’re both in their 90’s, it’s a refreshing take to meet a teenaged Elizabeth with a crush on Philip, an exiled Greek prince serving in the British navy. They seem like total opposites - a shy, reserved girl and a young man eagerly sowing his wild oats. But each has their show more own reasons for making a match.

For those two royals, their lives - and future prospects - changed drastically while they were children. Elizabeth suddenly became the heir presumptive when her uncle abdicated and her father unexpectedly ascended to the throne. Philip was born into the line of succession for both Greece and Denmark. He and his family were exiled from Greece when he was an infant.

Philip’s uncle, Lord Mountbatten, knew that marriage to Elizabeth would return Philip to a royal future that had been taken away when he was an infant. Mountbatten was also politically savvy enough to recognize the obstacles that lay in Philip’s path to the throne. Although Philip was a Naval hero, he held Greek and Danish citizenship, not British. Philip fought for Britain, but his much-loved sisters married and were living in Nazi Germany. He was also a young man who enjoyed drinking with his friends and spending time with beautiful women. Could he overcome these obstacles and convince King George VI he was a worthy consort for his daughter?

A royal wedding is never as simple as boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl get married. The prospective spouse is put under a microscope, and any flaws are magnified. Their family is scrutinized. Even politics are examined, since a foreigner from the wrong country could lead to disaster. The closer to the throne, the higher the expectations. Love is not a requirement for a royal coupling but is an unexpected treat if it’s part of the transaction. The fairy tale is not the priority. The expectation is that the heir to the throne marries and tolerates an adequate consort.

A challenge in historical fiction is presenting a story where the reader already knows before opening the book. Philip and Elizabeth get married, so there’s no surprise that they were going to overcome any differences or challenges they faced. Here’s where Before the Crown shines.

The question isn’t whether a royal marriage will happen, but what kind of marriage it will be. How do they really feel about each other? Do their feelings matter? Will they talk about their relationship or just make assumptions? Harding does an excellent job getting into the heads of the couple as they each wrestle with what a marriage would mean to them. She brings her main characters alive by examining their assumptions and insecurities. At times, I wanted to scream “just talk to each other!” A book is frustrating - in the best way - when the reader is invested to that deep of a level.

Historical fiction novels and series like The Crown are popular because they offer a fly-on-the-wall view inside the cocoon of royal life. Before the Crown is an excellent addition for royal watchers.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review. show less

The story of how our late Queen met her husband to be is well-known but Flora Harding really brings it to life in Before the Crown, a fictionalised but well-researched version of the events that led up to Elizabeth and Philip's wedding in 1947.

Against the odds, the couple were allowed to marry. Princess Elizabeth was the heir to the British throne whereas Prince Philip was a penniless naval officer from the exiled Greek royal family. Not many people were in favour of the match but the princess was determined. This was her man, and this is ultimately a story of romance versus duty and finding a way to combine the two successfully.

I love fictionalised stories of real events and none more so than when they are around royal events and the show more royal family. Earlier this year I read Harding's second royal novel, The People's Princess, which I thought was a fantastic read. I actually had Before the Crown on my shelves already and with recent events it seemed like the perfect time to pick it up and remember the Queen in happier, more carefree times, when she thought she had plenty of time ahead of her before she ascended to the throne.

Before the Crown is such an enjoyable read. I thought the characters were written perfectly and felt true to their real-life counterparts, and I was so taken with the portrayal of two young people with their whole lives ahead of them, especially knowing now what a long and happy marriage they went on to have. It's a lovely work of historical fiction that was absolutely right up my street, with one or two 'aah' moments that warmed the cockles of my heart. Charming and so engaging, I absolutely loved it. show less

3.5 Stars for this light historical fiction of what it could have been like when Elizabeth was a princess and Philip renounced his title for her. Quite a few historical facts thrown in for all history buffs. This book gave a lighter side to the formidable Queen we all see today on TV. I would love to think there was a little spark between these two, and not just what was best for the Commonwealth as an arranged marriage. For once, Margaret is in the background and Elizabeth shines front and center.

Quick read giving a ‘human’ side to the royal family and life in Buckingham Palace and England during a tumultuous time.

Thanks to Ms. Harding, Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Historical fiction often addresses figures from centuries past, allowing us to imagine what life was like in King Henry VIII’s court or what would happen if a modern woman traveled back centuries into a sweeping love story. TV shows like Downton Abbey, Victoria, and The Crown capture our imaginations with their tales of British royalty and upper class.

In Before the Crown, Flora Harding tells the story of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s courtship. Since they’re both in their 90’s, it’s a refreshing take to meet a teenaged Elizabeth with a crush on Philip, an exiled Greek prince serving in the British navy. They seem like total opposites – a shy, reserved girl and a young man eagerly sowing his wild oats. But each has show more their own reasons for making a match.

For those two royals, their lives – and future prospects – changed drastically while they were children. Elizabeth suddenly became the heir presumptive when her uncle abdicated and her father unexpectedly ascended to the throne. Philip was born into the line of succession for both Greece and Denmark. He and his family were exiled from Greece when he was an infant.

Philip’s uncle, Lord Mountbatten, knew that marriage to Elizabeth would return Philip to a royal future that had been taken away when he was an infant. Mountbatten was also politically savvy enough to recognize the obstacles that lay in Philip’s path to the throne. Although Philip was a Naval hero, he held Greek and Danish citizenship, not British. Philip fought for Britain, but his much-loved sisters married and were living in Nazi Germany. He was also a young man who enjoyed drinking with his friends and spending time with beautiful women. Could he overcome these obstacles and convince King George VI he was a worthy consort for his daughter?

A royal wedding is never as simple as boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl get married. The prospective spouse is put under a microscope, and any flaws are magnified. Their family is scrutinized. Even politics are examined, since a foreigner from the wrong country could lead to disaster. The closer to the throne, the higher the expectations. Love is not a requirement for a royal coupling but is an unexpected treat if it’s part of the transaction. The fairy tale is not the priority. The expectation is that the heir to the throne marries and tolerates an adequate consort.

A challenge in historical fiction is presenting a story where the reader already knows before opening the book. Philip and Elizabeth get married, so there’s no surprise that they were going to overcome any differences or challenges they faced. Here’s where Before the Crown shines.

The question isn’t whether a royal marriage will happen, but what kind of marriage it will be. How do they really feel about each other? Do their feelings matter? Will they talk about their relationship or just make assumptions? Harding does an excellent job getting into the heads of the couple as they each wrestle with what a marriage would mean to them. She brings her main characters alive by examining their assumptions and insecurities. At times, I wanted to scream “just talk to each other!” A book is frustrating – in the best way – when the reader is invested to that deep of a level.

Historical fiction novels and series like The Crown are popular because they offer a fly-on-the-wall view inside the cocoon of royal life. Before the Crown is an excellent addition for royal watchers.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.


This review was initially published on NetGalley on 10/27/2020. show less

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 show more 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”. show less

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Before the Crown by Flora Harding is a fictional story of the courtship of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It encompasses the time period from their first meeting until the day of their wedding. If you are looking for dark secrets and scandal this is not the book you want to read but I did enjoy reading the story. Events and characters in the story had me searching google to find out more about them. The author does an excellent job of recreating the time period and gives life to Princess Elizabeth, Prince Phillip and to supporting characters whose names I recognized but knew nothing about. I recommend reading this book especially for people are show more interested in the royal family and stories of WW2 Britain. Publishing date: September 17, 2020. #BeforeTheCrown #FloraHarding #RoyalCourtship #HistoricalFiction #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer show less

If you have ever wondered about the courtship of Elizabeth and Phillip "before the crown," then you will enjoy this historical fiction novel about just that topic. The action takes place from the first times these two royals met, culminating with their wedding day. I learned quite a lot about Elizabeth and Phillip by reading this book. For example, I did not know Phillip was such a wild and adventuresome man in his young days. I also liked learning about his family and his sisters, and what he had to give up to become Elizabeth's husband. It is also interesting to note the opposition to the marriage by her family.

One thing I disliked was the writing in present tense, which to me made this book seem like a movie script. That is personal show more preference on my part.

This is a great gossipy sort of book, and the author has done her research well. The viewpoints switch between Elizabeth and Phillip to keep the readers interest and balance the story. She creates a realistic and believable picture of the courtship of these two well-known royal individuals.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. show less