Very interesting to read something from Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s perspective. The dialogue between the two was so well written, you can almost imagine this being the behind the scenes of their love affair. The author did not try to create or make them into characters in her book, she built on what we know of them from being in the public eye. Made the book an enjoyable read because you already knew and were familiar with the characters. I look forward to further books by this author.

Before the Crown was an easy book to read once I'd got over the fact that it's written in the present tense, something I personally find off-putting. I have no idea how accurate Flora Harding's fictionalised account of the romance between the Queen and Prince Philip is (I don't suppose she does either) but it was possible given the facts in the public domain. And it held together as a novel. I was sucked in and read it pretty quickly. It's not a demanding read (normally I'd be saying it was great for a holiday book but...) but it's certainly not facile.

Before the Crown is a beautifully written historical romance. Well developed plot and characters. If you enjoy historical novels you will not be disappointed. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

A few years ago, I read an advance copy of the biography Elizabeth The Queen. I enjoyed it, but I confess a novel can do things that a biography can’t. A novel can let our imagination soar with dialog that helps bring history to life. Before the Crown was much more my “cup of tea” than the biography about Elizabeth. It was fascinating to think about the responsibilities of the future queen, the rules and the difficulties in choosing a husband. I liked the way the author developed Phillip. I highly recommend to those who enjoy historical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy.

Before the Crown is a compelling read about the courtship amd relationship of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. I think the author did an excellent job of personifying the main characters. Elizabeth, dutiful and obedient, overshadowed by rambunctious Margaret. Philip, aloof, unsure, adrift. But willing to give up a title to marry Elizabeth. I've always admired Queen Elizabeth, who is very stalwart and shrewd. No matter if she and Philip really loved each other at the beginning or not, their 72 year marriage has endured.

Although this is a fictional account of the courtship between the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the author has drawn on many sources and I’d like to think it was accurate. It certainly feels real. It covers their early meeting, their gradual courtship through the latter war years and the opposition they faced over their marriage. The King is portrayed as a doting father who sees no one as being good enough for his princess.

As well as being an enjoyable read, it was fascinating to read about the royal families of Europe and their relationships with one another.

I really enjoyed this book as it imagines the story of Elizabeth and Philip before their marriage. It would definitely appeal to fans 9f the Crown and some chapters reminded me of episodes from thenseores.
It is a nice blend of fact and fiction and is a nice easy read.

Thank you, Harper Collins UK, One more Chapter and NetGalley for a copy of Before the crown by Flora Harding. This is said to be like Netflix The crown. I have not seen it so I cannot compare.
The story is centred around the relationship between seventeen-year-old Elizabeth and the courtship with Prince Philip and the years before their marriage. Elizabeth met Philip of Greece when she was thirteen and has been smitten ever since. Years later he is serving in the Navy in WW2. Elizabeth now destined to be the next queen is serving her royal duty. When the meet up again all sparks fly. Philip is different, he is daring and is fun whereas Elizabeth us more conservative. When Elizabeth invites him to stay at Windsor castle and Balmoral, the king doesn’t like Philip and thinks they are wrongly suited. But as the say opposites attract.
This is a fictional story of the Queen and Prince Philip. It was a great insight of the courtship and their lives before they got marriage and the everyday duty of a royal, different to our own. But for some part of it I found it personally went on a bit about things I didn’t much care about and because of that I gave it three stars.

If you love The Crown on Netflix, you are going to love this book. It follows the relationship between Elizabeth and Philip from their first meeting up until their wedding day. The book is extremely well written, it's so descriptive but not boring in the slightest and the dialogue is one of the best I have read as it's so engaging and realistic to the royal family. It's written in a way that is simplified so it would be great for anybody wanting to read more about the royals. One of my favourite things about this book was getting glimpses of Princess Marget, she has always been one of my favourite royals.

You do get some history throughout the book of and if you did watch The Crown recently this book is really easy to follow. And as it does follow their relationship through the years, you do get to see the characters change and grow. All of the royal family is written closely to how they are, Elizabeth is her guarded, powerful strong self and Philip has some niceness to him but also is his usual dickhead self at times.

From my knowledge of royal history and watching The Crown, this book is extremely well researched! It's similar to The Crown in that there are some real events that actually happened included and them some that are fictional.

This is essentially a prequel to the first series of The Crown and, as such it’s quite enjoyable in a fluffy sort of way. The “characters” are, of course familiar, although at times I felt the author had the protagonists as they appear in The Crown in mind rather than the real-life people when writing. Various characters appeared in the book for no real reason, it would appear, other than that they are in The Crown.

Having said this, I did rattle through it and enjoyed it for its fluffiness, which we all need at times!

Anyone who is a diehard fan of the Crown is going to adore this book, but anyone who hasn’t seen the series might be left slightly confused in places.

Thanks so much for my review copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a fictional version of the early relationship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. The author has put her own spin on the feelings of the 2 young people and it was a real joy to read. It fascinates me to think of our Queen as a young girl in love, wondering if the handsome Philip could really love her, or does he just want a secure lifestyle. If you've enjoyed the TV series 'The Crown' you will certainly enjoy this book. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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I LOVED this book. The story flowed beautifully and I loved seeing Elizabeth and Phillip come into their own as a couple. I’d love to see the author write more about them and continue their story!

I picked up a book earlier this year called The Queen’s Secret, which was billed as “a novel of England’s WWII queen” and was super disappointed in it. THIS was the book I was hoping to read.

We follow Elizabeth and Philip through their earliest meetings to their wedding at Westminster Abbey. I was hoping for a little more plot after the wedding and before Elizabeth became queen, but the wedding made a great end to this story.

This book is a sweet love story and a quick read.

This historical fiction book had me at the word "crown" in the title! I loved this story of the courtship of Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth. I kept wondering if it really happened this way. Did he really say that? Did she feel that way? I guess Elizabeth will keep the details to herself. This was a very entertaining book that I enjoyed very much.

I could not put this book down. It was a mix of drama, love, and all the feelings. I flew through this book, I just wanted to keep reading!

I grabbed BEFORE THE CROWN because of the sumptuous cover (so like Queen Claire Foy). And the story of Elizabeth and Philip’s early courtship ... swoon!

I’m a royal junkie and this fictional retelling was everything I hoped for and more.

It’s 1943 at Windsor Castle. The gorgeous duo are falling in love. But he’s foreign and deemed unfit as a future prince as war threatens Britain’s existence. How do they overcome the thorny obstacles to marriage?

Suggest you take this entrancing book, berry scones, clotted cream, and a steaming cuppa to your fave comfy spot and dig in. Bliss!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 17 Sep 2020

Thanks to the author, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#BeforetheCrown #NetGalley

‘Before the Crown’ is a novel based on the lives of Prince Phillip and the Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) in the years leading up to their wedding. This is definitely a book that fans of ‘The Crown’ on Netflix and the film ‘A Royal Night Out’ will love. It shows the royal family not so much as just figures of state as we know them but as humans who are expected to take on a certain role which has its ups and it’s downs.
I found reading this really interesting and learned a lot about Prince Philip that I had no idea about it, it definitely did a good job of telling his story.
This was well researched and written in an extremely readable way that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed how Harding explored the ideas of duty versus personal feelings, expectations versus reality and what it must be like to be royal.
A fantastic book.

It's tough to write a version of this story that we haven't heard before, but for the most part, 'Before the Crown' succeeds. The title of the book says it all: we follow the youthful relationship between then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, years before their story is typically covered. It's an intriguing concept, and the book flips back and forth between their perspectives to give us insights into what each is feeling.
The only problem? The infamous emotional repression of the royal family. Even when we're in the middle of reading about Elizabeth and Philip's emotions, those emotions are largely muted and uncertain. It's clear this is meant to be a story about two people slowly falling in love after choosing each other out of duty, but the spark doesn't always ignite. I found myself rooting for them to be together more because of information I brought from outside the book, rather than how they were portrayed on the page. Still, it's a charming and enjoyable read and definitely worth another look!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

If you’re a fanof The Crown, then this is a book for you.

It’s set from the year 1943 sees, following the love story of Princess Elizabeth and Phillip, giving an insight before she became Queen.

I felt like I was at Windsor Castle, a place I’d love to visit.

A story that was so beautifully written and the author had researched well too. Another book you don’t wish to end.

Recommend it.

This is an incredible piece. So beautifully written and stunning in every way. I absolutely loved it.