BEFORE THE CROWN
BY FLORA HARDING

This historical novel tells the story of Queen Elizabeth of England beginning when she was Princess Elizabeth at fourteen years old. Princess Elizabeth spots Philip while he was in the Royal Air Force visiting Windsor Castle watching a play being acted out consisting of Princess Elizabeth and her younger sister Princess Margaret. Princess Elizabeth is aware of Philip's presence and it seems that it was her nervousness upon acting with him watching is where this author chose to introduce the two into the timeline.

Most of the book is a narrative on their pre-courtship days. Philip came from royal blood in Greece and her family thought that Philip was not a good candidate for Princess Elizabeth romantically. Princess Margaret was the prettier and most outgoing of the two sister's. Princess Elizabeth who was destined to inherit the throne was more reserved but had a virtue that Philip admired. The book states that Philip was related to Queen Victoria so I didn't understand why Princess Elizabeth's father and mother who were then the King and Queen of England thought that any romance between the two when they grew older was inappropriate. Her parents invited Philip to the Windsor Castle often enough but didn't think Philip was good enough for Princess Elizabeth.

Some of Philip's sister's were married to SS Officers during and after the war and his mother spent time in a sanatorium so I am assuming those circumstances plus Philip was not a English citizen yet were a few but not all of their objections. This book states that Philip was often a guest but when Princess Elizabeth at 20 years old was thinking of proposing marriage to Philip and vice versa the King and Queen of England weren't happy about the two of them being seen romantically. I didn't know that Princess Elizabeth proposed marriage to Philip only for him to answer her by proposing back to her. It wasn't to be a marriage with love or the messiness of feelings at first for the two of them. That came later.

When Princess Elizabeth proposed to Philip and then him countering his own proposal of marriage the King and Queen didn't allow it. The King told them they had to put off their engagement for six month's before they could publicly disclose it. The King turned around and whisked the four of the Windsors abroad for a total of 9 months before they could become engaged by arranging a 3 month visit to South Africa.

This book was not an enjoyable historical novel or biography of Princess Elizabeth and Philip to read. I thought it was slow going and just to be honest not very interesting to read for me personally. It could be just me but it failed to be the kind of book that drew me in. It did educate me and I learned things that I didn't know which I am happy about. I can't say that I would highly recommend it or buy it for friend's and family unless you are okay with reading dry textbook like subject matter. I would rate this a 2.5 star reading experience rounded up. It mostly covers seven years during which Princess Elizabeth took an interest in Philip as well as him taking notice of her. So more or less than seven years and it ends the day of their wedding right before the ceremony took place.

Publication Date: September 18, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Flora Harding and HarperCollins UK Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#BeforetheCrown #FloraHarding #HarperCollinsUKPublishing #NetGalley

Loved this rendition of the classic love story of two people who have been a big part of many people's lives across the world. To me it felt like how they may have really felt throughout the entire process of re-meeting one another. Little schoolgirl crush turn into maddening love of a man who just is not ready to settle down yet and has many commitment issues due to his family history of everyone being broke apart. Great story.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Before The Crown
By: Flora Harding


REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
Historical fiction, particularly of the royal, regent or romantic variety, seems to be catching lately. I have always loved this genre, and I am glad to see others appreciating it, too. Before The Crown tells the tale of Queen Elizabeth and her husband of 70 years, Phillip, with a mix of historical fact and fiction. Told from their alternating perspectives, Elizabeth and Phillip were not an ideal match, and her family were, in fact, against it. Phillip was penniless, exiled from Greece, abandoned by his parents, and his sisters had Nazi husbands. Despite all of this, Elizabeth loved Phillip and stood by her decision. I wonder if her love was borne of infatuation and adoration rather than an abiding feeling. Phillip did not exactly feel the same. He saw Elizabeth as a means to an end for a title. I just despised Phillip for this mindset of using a woman to gain wealth and power and social standing. He didn't strike me as prince charming. Elizabeth is a strong woman, but she seemed weak in this story. Because of shyness, I see why certain characteristics were attributed to her. Phillip diminished her somehow, at least, in my opinion. As we know, they were married despite all obstacles, and that marriage has lasted a very long time. I always wonder if it's out of love or obligation? This story is well written and obviously researched in a thorough manner. It's a fascinating insightful behind the scenes look at a royal "event" many of us knew nothing about prior to reading this book. Very interesting indeed!

Historical fiction at its best.Characters that come alive a story that drew me in keeping me reading late past my bedtime.Will be recommending this engrossing novel.#netgalley#harpercollins uk

I loved this book! I started it thinking it could be rather dry and factual but the way it is so personally written, giving voices to Elizabeth and Philip and stepping into their shoes to tell their story is so compelling and engaging. Yes, I understand that we cannot be privy to the actual words shared between them, but alongside the factual information shared, this pulls together to be an informative and delightful read. I learnt a lot more about Philip's family and am amazed at how the young couple were able to make it through. No wonder they have stuck it out for the long haul. Highly recommended for those who love the British Royals AND those who are just plain romantics!

If you enjoyed the series The Crown on Netflix, you'll enjoy Before the Crown by Flora Harding. It tells the story of Elizabeth before her marriage to Phillip. It offers interesting insight to the politics involved in their marriage.

Before the Crown by Flora Harding is a great historical fiction that focuses on the courtship and beginnings of the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh.

I loved following along as we see how they both met, learned about one another, developed feelings for each other, overcame obstacles, and finally were able to wed. The author wrote the book in alternating points of view between the young duo. It was so enjoyable to feel as if you were actually there inside each of their heads and could imagine their thoughts and feelings.

The author did a great job at making the story realistic through research of real occurrences and matching her storyline with true actions, dates, and times. I felt everything flowed easily from one person to another, and time flew by while I devoured this gem. Nothing was cheesy or unrealistic and that is what made it so enjoyable to an English monarchy fan such as myself. I love anything depicting Queen Elizabeth II (and her family), but I also expect the subject matter to be respectful and honor Her Royal Majesty The Queen, and I feel that this fits the bill.

I loved the ending, but I was actually sad to see it end as I would have loved to just keep reading to no end! I truly, truly enjoyed this book.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter Books for this wonderful ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately( all links are added below) and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Before the Crown is a beautifully written and exceptionally well researched look at the courtship of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth. The characters are crafted so they are easy to relate to and you really connect with them. An absolutely fantastic read.

An imaginative look behind-the-scenes at Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip when they were young. It’s always been fascinating to me to think about what their lives must have been like when they first met, and this novel captures that period of time and makes you feel like a fly on the wall in Buckingham Palace. Perfect escapist reading for royal family fans! The author really captures some of the personality quirks of Elizabeth and Phillip as well as some of the other people in their orbit when they were young, her father, the King, the Queen, Margaret and some of the famous friends and courtiers. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy and the opportunity to review this book.

COVID-19 has enabled me to do a lot of extra reading at this time and I am thankful to have the opportunity to catch up on books on my “TBR” list. Always fascinated with The Royals, the Netflix series “The Crown” had me captivated as it was a very delightful and entertaining portrayal of the British monarchy.

Now on to Before the Crown by Flora Harding. This book is a fictional story of the courtship of Princess Elizabeth of England and Prince Philip of Greece. Prince Philip is from a family that has been exiled, however he has been raised by the Mountbatten family, specifically his uncle. Seeing an opportunity of marriage to the heir to the British throne, he is pressed by his uncle into pursuing Princess Elizabeth, who later is entrusted to the role as Queen due to the abdication of her uncle, Edward VIII.

Truly enamored with regency type love stories, it was nice reading the makings of a romance between Elizabeth and Phillip, which I hope was one of love leading up to their marriage and not one because of duty or last alternative. As young adults, Elizabeth was deeply attracted to Philip early on in their courtship, but did he have the same attraction for her? One can only speculate and hope, in my opinion as it was hard to see that in his character in the story. Philip having come from a family plagued with everything that deemed him not a good prospect for marriage to Elizabeth, manages to get through the war as a penniless naval officer. Regardless of his shortcomings, he starts to deliberate on his future after war. He believes that Elizabeth is best for his circumstances and successfully captures her heart. I also love women in regency who exhibit independence and having a mind of their own. Although Elizabeth is meek, shy and a lover of horses and dogs, she is serious about her station as a young woman of nobility and headstrong in her role as Queen.

This was a well-written story of a love match and I say love match because of the longevity of their marriage…now +70 years that can’t be anything but love. Once I started my read of this book, I had a hard time putting it down as it captured my attention from start to end. It is always nice to read the different author’s views of notable individuals. I believe Flora Harding, a new author to this reader, has done a somewhat remarkable job, through her research, of presenting a credible account of the budding to continued romance between these two individuals of a purportedly HEA.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is one of my favorite reads of 2020, and because of the COVID-19 Stay at Home, I've had a lot of extra time to read. I read it in one sitting, about 4 hours. I offer this honest review in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley.

I'm fascinated by the British Royal family,especially with the Netflix series The Crown telling the story of Elizabeth II. This book tells the story of the romance between Elizabeth and Phillip. She is the heir to the British throne, thrust into this role by the abdication of her uncle Edward VIII so he can marry the women he loves. Phillip actually has more royal blood flowing in his veins, he's Queen Victoria's great-great-grandson and also a member of the Danish and Greek royal families, and related to the Russian Romanovs. Elizabeth is serious, quiet, shy and loves animals, especially horses and dogs. They have met before, but in 1939 the 13 year old Elizabeth met the movie star handsome 18 year old Phillip when her family was visiting Portsmouth Naval Base and a correspondence began.

During the war Phillip visited Windsor Castle a few times and had dinner with Elizabeth and her family. The King and Queen did not think Phillip was a good prospect for marriage. He was not wealthy, his family was exiled from Greece, his mother suffered from a mental breakdown and was devoted to the poor in Athens and refused to leave when the German invaded Greece. Most damning of all, his 4 elder sisters were all married to Nazis. Not something you want to publicize when your country is at war with Germany. Both Phillip's mother and father more or less abandoned him when he was a child. His father to live in the south of France with his mistress, his mother absorbed in her charity work in Greece to such a extent she became a nun. Phillip hadn't grown up with much affection, Elizabeth on the other hand had a loving family, with parents that were devoted to each other and a vivacious sister.

As the story unfolds, Elizabeth has really fallen for Phillip, he on the other hand has to carefully think about what a possible marriage with her will mean for him. He's penniless and only has his Naval career, but after the war that will end because he's not a British citizen. He comes to realize that even though Elizabeth is not nearly as glamorous or outgoing as her sister Margaret, she has many wonderful qualities and even though not beautiful, she has lovely skin and a nice figure. But when she smiles she is transformed. Phillip slowly decides that she is a good option for him as he contemplates what he will do after the war is over, he has found success in the Navy. Elizabeth stretches herself as well, joining the ATS and learning how to be a mechanic. She loves him, but has not told him, he likes her and decides they can make a successful marriage and give him a family and stability. The King and Queen are reluctant, but Elizabeth makes it clear that only Phillip will do and they eventually relent, but they can't announce an engagement for 6 months, and Elizabeth will go on a Royal Tour to South Africa before any possible announcement, meaning Phillip and Elizabeth will be separated for months. The couple agrees and Phillip shows sensitivity with his gift for Elizabeth's birthday, celebrated during the Royal Tour.

Finally, they are able to announce their engagement, Phillip even has a beautiful ring with diamonds froma tiara his Mother had held back for him when she sold all her other jewels to raise money for her charity work. The wedding is a huge undertaking, with the added complications of the ravaged British economy and people after the end of the war. Rationing and deprivation are still dire, but a Royal Wedding is something that the entire country can enjoy and celebrate. Phillip still struggles with what his life will be like after he marries Elizabeth, and he has conflicted feelings. Things come to a turning point and the couple have to come to an understanding. It's at this point that Phillip realizes just what Elizabeth means to him.

As we all know, Elizabeth and Phillip have one of the longest lasting Royal marriages, 72 years and counting. What this fictional account gives is a love story, that recognizes the reality and not so much the fairytale, and from all appearances, they have a loving and strong relationship. It's nice to think "They Lived Happily Ever After" applies to them.

There seem to be a lot of books about the Windsors right now but with the Queen at 94 years old and Prince Phillip about to turn 99 years old, there is much to write about. This was a nice sweet book about this couple's courtship up to the wedding and I enjoyed it. They have been married for so long you forget how much opposition her family had for the marriage with his sisters married to German soldiers in the nazi machine, his royal but eccentric mother, royal but wastrel father, then there was always the Greek politics and he had no money. He had to basically give up everything to marry Elizabeth. Phillip gave up his title, his place in the Greek and Danish succession, his Greek citizenship, and became British with the surname Mountbatten. The story goes between Elizabeth and Philip chapter by chapter. I especially enjoyed Philip's chapters with his family. They were just tiny tidbits but I really enjoyed them especially those scenes with his sisters. They were touching. I also enjoyed Margaret. So lively. All in all an excellent read for me on a rainy afternoon with a pot of tea. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this pleasant interlude in exchange for a review.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Flora Harding for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

I absolutely loved this inside look into Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s relationship! It most definitely resonated with The Crown television series. I am a sucker for anything historical, so I was psyched to see this gorgeous cover up for requesting on NetGalley. I loved this story of friendship and courtship which then led to a royal wedding! You could tell this was incredibly well researched and I was glued to the page from start to finish. This was captivating, and the details were impeccable.

Thank you again to those above for allowing me to read and review this novel!

This book about Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip is nothing that I hadn't heard or watched on documentaries before. Honestly, there was nothing new here, yet I did read it. It was okay, just. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of The Crown on Netflix, you’ll want to check out this novel about the courtship between Elizabeth and Phillip. While some details are well-known, I did find myself Wikipedia’ing several people mentioned in Phillip’s narrative. I assume a second installment is forthcoming, as the tale left off just as Elizabeth is walking down the aisle.

I was charmed by this truly delightful, heartwarming story which humanizes the royal family and makes one realize that, despite wealth and power, love is really what matters, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Loved this historical novel. Reminded me so much of the TV programme The Crown. I love books about Royalty

This is a beautiful love story of a couple who although polar opposites to each other in their life experiences overcame many odds to be together. Princess Elizabeth first noticed the handsome blonde Greek Prince Philip when she was thirteen. She’s seventeen when she realises that there will not be any other man for her, not if she can have her way. But the prince is not, nor will he ever be the obvious choice for the husband of the heir to the British throne. However, the princess might be dutiful and perfectly mannered, but there is one thing she refuses to give up on and that is her love for Philip. Despite his unconventional background and having three sisters married to senior Nazi SS officers, she is determined to find a way for him to become her husband of choice. That is, if Philip wants to. This is a beautifully written and researched book that brought to life a romance that we know must have happened, but not in any detail. Written from both Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s points of view it brought their romance magically to life. I loved this book. This is the perfect addition to The Crown TV series and I’d love to see this book brought to life on the screen.
My thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped too. I found it a little too twee and sickly . Although I like many people have read and watched numerous items on the Queen and Prince Philip, I still found this book a little too much. I loved the series The Crown and look forward to seeing more of that series. I’m afraid this book just wasn’t for me.

It was rather odd, but just as I was finishing Karen Harper's "The Queen's Secret", a novel about the Queen Elizabeth married to Prince Albert (the current Queen Elizabeth's parents), I received an offer from "One More Chapter" and Netgalley for an ARC ebook of "Before the Crown". This book starts from the time Princess Elizabeth first meets Prince Philip at the age of 14 and tells the tale of their friendship, courtship, and eventual marriage. I was swept up in their world of protocol, parental disapproval, and young love. If you're a fan of the TV series "The Crown", you'll surely enjoy this work of historical fiction.