A Queen for All Seasons: A Celebration of Queen Elizabe… (2024)

In 2022, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will have reigned over us for 70 years. Joanna Lumley, actress, author and political activist, has written this celebration of a woman she admires, in time for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It is not a warts and all exposé.

It’s a tribute that includes contributions from the young, the middle-aged and the elderly. Nine-year-old Judith Foy remembers the Queen’s visit in the early 1950s to New Zealand; Norman Hartnell with the help of his diary-notes recalls the scenes when he and his staff were preparing the coronation gown; Cecil Beaton, the photographer, without the need of any notes, gossips about times he took photos of the Royal family and his friendship with Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. There are others: the Duke of Norfolk; the fair, good-looking (Joanna’s assessment) 15th Duke of Hamilton; Margaret Thatcher; Noel Coward, Dirk Bogarde; Margaret Whitlam; and Adrienne Clarkson, the newly appointed Governor-General of Canada, who left the bath-water running when she was staying at Windsor. The Master of the Household came to inspect the damage. “Never mind, Your Excellency, Prince George of Hanover does it every time he visits.”

A Queen for All Seasons written in Joanna’s easy-going chatty style allows us to read the opinions of many people. When these fragments are pieced together a remarkable person emerges. A woman with stamina and determination who is sincere, courageous and kind. She’s a servant of many nations … who just happens to wear a crown. She was and is someone extraordinary.

King George VI died on 6th February 1952 at the age of 56. Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, were overseas. They were staying at Treetops in Kenya. Treetops was a guest house with two rooms built on stilts in the Aberdare National Park close to a series of water holes where wild animals came to drink. Two extra rooms were added when it was known the Royal couple were to visit; one room was for an experienced marksman. The princess who climbed up the ladder at Treetops, came down the next day as Queen.

The Queen has a seemingly innate ability to put people at their ease. Pietro Annigoni, the Italian painter, has painted the Queen’s portrait twice. In his diary, he recalls his first visit to Buckingham Palace and the advice of Martin Charteris, the Queen’s assistant private secretary: “When I come here with Her Majesty to introduce you, just shake her hand that she will hold out to you and make a slight bow. That’s all. Don’t worry about the rest, because Her Majesty will put you at your ease immediately.

Whether it’s a visit by a Head of State, or a luncheon at Buckingham Palace for a dozen or so, the Queen is known for her diligent preparation. State Visits to Britain are ‘produced’ by the Lord Chamberlain’s office. It is said Hollywood scene designers have expressed envy with the lavishness of the ‘production’. Two State Visits to Britain are mentioned in the book. When President Urho Kekkonen of Finland visited, a programme of 70 pages was printed listing names and details of all people the Queen was to meet, the time everything was to happen, the ceremonial parades that were to take place, and the alternative arrangements for wet weather.

David Knott, a frontline trauma surgeon, flew in from the town of Aleppo in Syria for a bit of rest and recuperation from the horrors of the civil war. His wife met him at the airport with a surprise: an invitation for lunch with the Queen at Buckingham Palace. He was surprised even further when he discovered he was to sit immediately to the left of the Queen at the lunch table and alerted that it was tradition for the Queen to speak to the guest on her right for half the meal and the guest on her left once the main is taken away.
He was so nervous, he was unable to eat a thing. The Queen noticed this as she turned to her left to ask about Aleppo. He went to answer but became emotional remembering the scenes at the front line. Tears welled up and his mind went blank. His diary entry of the encounter is enlightening: Her Majesty looked at me quizzically and touched my hand. I watched as she opened a silver box in front of her, brought out and broke a biscuit in two, giving me half and suggested I feed one of the corgis under the table at her feet. I spent the rest of the time petting and feeding them. My anxiety and stress drained away. ‘That’s so much better than talking, isn’t it?’ said the Queen.

At the age of 21, Princess Elizabeth made a radio broadcast from Cape Town, South Africa to Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.” Elizabeth has kept her vow.

A lovely portrait of Queen Elizabeth II through the eyes of her subjects, selected by Joanna Lumley.

It's difficult to fathom that Queen Elizabeth II has been a ruler for longer than most of our lives. She ascended to the throne in 1952 and has held the job since then. She's been working, every day of her life, since before my parents were born. It's a nearly unfathomable concept.

And this is a lovely portrait of the queen, from her first address pledging her loyalty to the Empire as a girl, through her ascension to the throne, to her moment as a Bond Girl in the London Olympics.

Lumley selects anecdotes that show how awed and adored the queen is. From gamekeepers in Kenya, to Heavy Metal singers, to peers of the realm, all are awed by her in various little moments.

And all remember these moments years later. Stories from elderly citizens recalling meeting the queen as children. From celebrities, artists, and other influential figures, to everyday people, all seen to have a deep respect for the woman who has been on the job for seventy years.

It also gives real insight into what true servant leadership is. Here's a woman who is the head of state, was the head of state of an empire and led said empire's conversion in a generally peaceable manner into a commonwealth that's stronger and larger than the empire. A woman who has had 15 prime ministers stretching back to Winston Churchill. She's watched the world change and all the while has been a steadfast beacon for her people.

I highly recommend this in light of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations this year.

[Of note is the discussion of Rev. Billy Graham, who the author repeatedly refers to as living in Canada. He lived in a place called Montreat in North Carolina in the United States. I assume the author assumed it was an error and should be Montreal, Canada. It should not.]

Books about the Queen are not few and far between (that’s all the rhyming you’ll get from me), especially in this jubilee year, but there’s something special about this one. I mean, for starters, it is written by Dame Joanna Lumley who is a Queen in her own right, but it’s so sensitively, lyrically, beautifully, romantically written. The description of everything from joy (coronations, marriages, births) to sadness (death, funerals and grief) is so touching and well researched.

There’s an honesty to this book, almost like a friend is just talking to another friend about another friend.

We might think we know all there is to know at the Queen - her every move is photographed and catalogued after all - but these personal insights show us a side to the Queen very few have got to meet.

In hindsight, I think I would have liked a bit more of Joanna’s own views and experiences of the Queens, rather than just a paragraph or two introducing someone else’s notes. However, this is a nice balance between anecdotes by royals, dignitaries, and meme of the public. It gives a more human element to the Queen and Prince Phillip; it gives a new poignancy in the wake of Phillip’s death.

I know there are some people who don’t see the point of a Royal family or of the Queen, and I respect that; but I personally adore her, and think the country - and the world - will be a lesser place when she is no longer in it.

I had started listening to this as a reflection on the Platinum Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II and have finished it after her death. What a lifetime of achievement and service was recorded here. Although I have always enjoyed the author and she is a great narrator, there were times I was a bit confused whether I was hearing a quote or her own memories and thoughts. Perhaps I will search for an ebook edition before I do a reread. And I fully intend to reread this book after some time has passed and I finish processing the fact that this remarkable woman who ruled longer than I have lived has now passed into history. Ms. Lumley, thank you for compiling these memories and bringing them to us so that we might feel something of the magic that was the Queen.

I bought the ebook and audio of this book, intending to use whisper sync to read it.
Joanne Lumley's enthusiasm and delivery though, meant that I stayed with the audio all the way through.
There were a few bits where I struggled to know who's memory was being talked about, which at times made it slightly harder to follow, but I'm unsure if that was writing style or the narration (or maybe the fact I was listening a faster speed).

A pleasant collection of anecdotes about the Queen and various people's treasured memories of meeting her. A lovely way to celebrate her jubilee, and remember her as a person not just the crown.

I read this book in a week. It was a beautiful portrayal of the Queens life and everything she has gone through; her fathers death, a fire, princess Margaret’s death,her mothers and more recently her beloved husband. Although I am young I still think I’m one of the biggest fans of the queen. She has reigned the longest and the most eventful period of time. Wars, protests, justice, pandemics and many more things. The only reason I haven’t given this book a 5 star rating is because it slightly drags on for too long. That is my one and only complain. Xx

Lovely and touching. Ms Lumley gathers the tales of the queen like little dishes, perfectly arranged and in just the right portion. I like the style of selected anecdotes, all perfectly flowing from one section to the next, with the lushness of Lumley's own memories and words connecting them through the narrative. A nice celebratory book of a wonderful and inspiring woman, and done with care and tenderness.

The Queen watched Bonanza every Sunday. My life is better for this knowledge.

You can't possibly have missed it. The year 2022 marks the Platinum Jubilee, or 70 years on the throne, for Queen Elizabeth II, and many celebrations are planned. In addition, there are several new books but also several new prints of older books. Joanna Lumley has written one of those new books, and it's described as "A sparkling celebration of our much-loved Queen Elizabeth II for her Platinum Jubilee, including special writings and illuminating insights around key moments in her 70-year reign, introduced and edited by her biggest fan, Joanna Lumley."

Now, I am not one to give up on books quickly, and I was rather surprised to see so many good reviews for this book. The book highlights moments in The Queen's life, but the author not only adds her own personal experiences from that time but also makes wide use of quotes from other books. Unfortunately, the reader can only tell the difference by a slightly different font, making it hard to pick up the book again and immediately get back into the flow. This lack of flow was very frustrating and confusing for me, and after about 60 pages, I gave up. This book was meant to be a celebration of The Queen, but I am not seeing anything to celebrate here. There are and will be better books out there about The Queen and her Platinum Jubilee.

*2.5 stars*

I expected much more from this than what it delivered. It is basically a collection of different people's accounts of the Queen and, in its presentation, is rather disjointed. I also found parts of it rather boring: copies of speeches she made, for example, got a bit dry, especially if you've heard those speeches before.

I understand the book is a celebration but I found the constant adoration a bit sickening and I thought very highly of the Queen (well, I still do). I would much have preferred a typical biography of her life. Instead it is just a collection of kiss arse recollections, the worst one being an account of someone dreaming about the Queen. I get that it was to represent how much of a presence she has been in our country, even within our subconscious, but what the hell - no thanks ma'am!

If you are looking to start reading more about the Queen, don't start with this one.

This is Lumley’s love letter to the Queen - a love that is so obviously shared by many, the world over. I feel that I have a little more appreciation for our monarch’s humanity and thoughtful and caring execution of her duties. The significance of finishing this book on Canada Day, in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, has also just occurred to me. Despite all of the tensions of our current reality, it is comforting to know that the Queen is still there, having weathered so many storms of the past. Perhaps we’ll all be ok, after all.

I must admit: I was hoping for more. I thought I might be getting lots of Joanna Lumley's personal reflections, but it's mostly other people's memories being presented. A few of them are fascinating, but other read as very repetitive and old hat, and there's certainly nothing even approaching controversial or negative. Several of the recollections go on for far too long. It's a pleasant enough experience, but there's no bite.

And then the Queen passed close to...I passed my eyes over her as a cannibal views his dinner, my gaze sharp enough to pick the meat off her bones

'I may be the only person...who met the Queen while desperately concealing a half eaten sausage

Loved this audiobook with Joanna Lumley’s lovely voice and style of narration. The book is full of interesting, funny and surprising moments people have experienced with the Queen over the past decades. Loved it!

I don't know what I expected from this boo, but it was different and I appreciated that! This book is practically a devotional to the queen in the words of various contributors via journals and letters and speeches throughout the many years of the Queen's reign. Very interesting!

I listened to Joanna Lumley read her own book about QEII & it was delightful. If you don't mind a bit of over the top adoration, & if your feel a bit inexplicable sentimental over her passing, this is the right time to listen to this audio book. You MUST hear Lumley's buttery voice reading it!

An interesting read and a different format. The book is filled with quotes and paragraphs from other books bringing the stories to life.

This was engaging and enjoyable and offered little snippets of different aspects of the Queen's life

Interesting but also uses a lot of material that royal watchers have probably already read.

Heerlijke propaganda

Interesting book detailing different people’s experiences of meeting the queen and how lovely she was

A lovely collection of memories of the late Queen, brought together by Joanna Lumley. A very interesting collection, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Highly recommended read.

I listened to this collection of anecdotes from some of the thousands of people who have met our Queen over her long reign read by Joanne Lumley with her relaxing voice and thoroughly enjoyed it.

A truly heartwarming collection of personal stories of people from all walks of life and across the globe who have met the queen. Showing the warmth, humour, shyness and statesmanship of HM The Queen.

Throughly enjoyable.

Very happy to add this to my collection. I always enjoy looking through pictures of the Queen and reading little tidbits I might not have known before.

Make sure you have the tissues for the final chapter, a beautiful tribute to our wonderful Queen