True rating: 3.5

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book to read and give an unbiased review of.

What a delightful read! As someone who hasn't read much in the genre of fictionalized historical events, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was so interesting to experience the origin story of Queen Elizabeth’s relationship with her husband, Prince Philip. The writing of this novel was wonderfully rendered and the language and narration style very accessible, which I loved. The profanity was limited and there was nothing else untoward in the content, which was appreciated (and not something you see often these days, even in YA). Being able to see into the minds of both Elizabeth and Philip as narrators was perhaps my favorite part of the reading experience, as it added so much to the emotion of the story for me. I wish more stories had dual POV like this!

Some parts were a bit slow, though, and while I understand the inclusion of those sections for the sake of character development or even plot development, I found myself skimming here and there to move things along.

Overall, while not something I'd choose to read again and again, this was still quite an enjoyable read for me. I highly recommend for those interested in the British royals, historical romances that are heavy on characterization, and in stories of political intrigue/court politics. People who love THE CROWN would likely enjoy this!

I absolutely loved reading this! I am also a fan of the "The Crown" on Netflix, so reading this book made it very easy to picture! I love reading about Princess Elizabeth and Phillip- before they were who they are today. I have to remember that the figure we see in real life did have a past, was a young 17 year old girl and Phillip did have to court Princess Elizabeth.

I highly suggest this book, especially if you are fan of the Royal Family! Thanks Netgalley for a chance to read this book!

I was very excited to read a book about the young Queen Elizabeth II, whose life has been so interesting. However, I couldn't really get into this book. I didn't really like the narrative style, and the plot didn't seem very complex. It felt more like the author was just telling us what happened and how the characters felt about it, rather than showing us events and feelings through the scenes. 2/5 stars

Even though I have read more about Elizabeth l , I seem to be reading more and more about this Elizabeth, our present day Queen.

The story starts in 1943 and the Princess Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle; she meets Philip a young Navel officer.
I have been binging the TV series 'The Crown' hence, I was really in the mood for this book.
I just love this cover, as it shows Elizabeth all dressed up and ready to enter a party ( from behind) which sparks for me, interest and wondering, what was she thinking?
Each chapter is dedicated to either Elizabeth or Phillip and I like that format.

I did enjoy this book and read well, It was a page turner, but it did lack in places, for example, we did not'see' them meet and we did not 'see' the wedding, which is such a shame, I would have loved to have read it.
We know very little of what goes on 'behind closed doors' but this does gives us a glimpse of what possibilty happened, it is clear that this is a work of fiction, but takes nothing away from the readability.
I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth and how she took responsibility onto her young shoulders, but Phillip was fun too.

I was not able to get in to this book enough to finish it and review it honestly. I would like to try reading it again at another time and see if I can get it to it.

3.5 stars.

This read like an early episode of The Crown, so that alone made this an enjoyable read. As always with historical fiction, it was a fun game to pick apart the fact from fiction. It was, however, at several points very slow and dull. I kept hoping for a bit of intrigue or a juicy bit of gossip.

A beautiful compelling story of the courtship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip in the wake of the Second World War and in a stringent class society.
Well researched and thorough detail it made for a very informative read.
My thanks go to the author, publishers and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.

I have read a few books recently on the subject of The Queen and Margaret growing up and have found them reasonable enjoyable. This one I felt read more like a novel and although well written unfortunately felt a little flat for me. I felt as if it was stuck in-between being one thing or another and therefore not being either. Not much going on in a fiction story as it was also keeping true to its subject. This is just my opinion only and have seen many others who have enjoyed it.

SO GOOD! Definitely for fans of The Crown or the royal family. LOVED LOVED LOVED it.

I've had a great respect for Her Majesty, knowing how she served in WWII and how her children were....let's call them interesting. She's struck me as a very reserved and intelligent person who was put into a position she may not have wanted, but has done well in. This book reinforced that.

I loved this book! I felt that the author told the story of the romance between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip very well. I enjoyed reading this story in the present tense, as it made their story seem more personal. I felt that she captured the essence of their personalities during that stage of their lives and that this was an insightful look into their younger days before their marriage. Both had many things to consider before their marriage, and the great changes that would be coming for both of them when Elizabeth became Queen. This story stayed true to the historical facts about their lives. The scene in the book that I especially enjoyed was the celebration scene at the end of the war, and the responses of both the people of England and the Royal family. This is not a “tell all” book, but a respectful look at a romance between two special people. This story is clean with no foul language.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Before the Crown by Flora Harding is a historical fiction novel set between 1943 and 1947 that imagines how the courtship between Elizabeth and Philip may have played out. The book alternates between their perspectives and is based largely on historical accounts but naturally fictionalizes many of their private meetings and more intimate moments.

The book opens in 1943 with a 17-year-old Elizabeth seeing Philip again for the first time after many years. Having been taken with him as a young girl, Elizabeth is keen to show Philip how much she has grown up over the intervening years. Philip, for his part, is being pressured by his uncle Lord Mountbatten to court Elizabeth who offers his family an unparalleled opportunity to restore some of its lost prestige. Initially unwilling to be maneuvered into a union for strategic reasons, Philip is surprised to find himself immediately impressed by Elizabeth and the two agree to write to one another often.

As the war progresses, the pair occasionally meet and become close friends, and gradually a more intimate relationship begins to emerge. However, the course of their courtship doesn’t run smoothly. Elizabeth is perhaps the world’s most eligible girl and it is vital to her parents that a suitable husband is found. Philip’s family is far from ideal in their eyes. His mother previously resided in a sanatorium and is now a nun in Athens, his father lives with his mistress in Monaco, and his sisters are married to former SS officers in Germany. Add to this Philip’s refusal to bow to court protocol, and his lack of knowledge regarding royal activities, and they are determined to keep the pair from marrying—even after they become betrothed.

We all know how this story played out in the end with Philip and Elizabeth’s wedding in November 1947, but reading about it through the eyes of its two most key players really brings it to life. It’s sometimes hard to feel sympathy for the characters in their low moments given that they live in castles surrounded by gold and diamonds while the people around them struggle through the aftermath of the war, but the story humanizes them and reminds us that they are real people with real feelings that were often ignored or pushed to the side in deference to protocol.

If you love The Crown, this is probably the closest you will get to it in book form.

I found this book to be ok. I love stories about the royals and this was no exception. However, I found I was hoping for life after the crown which is not at all what the title suggests. This is entirely my problem and not the authors. Flora Harding weaves a beautiful story and builds lovely characters in her book. She offers an exquisite look behind the curtains to get to know Prince Phillip and the Queen before they were who they are today.

Reading this book, I feel like I am watching never before seen episodes of the Netflix show and it is absolutely perfect! I have long been fascinated with British history, and even though this is fictional, I loved getting a glimpse into that world. It is wonderful to read about the Queen and Prince Philip in a way that makes them human. It is easy to root for them in real life, and this book makes them all the more lovable. This book is an exploration of what it means to be royal and still be a person. It flows beautifully and I couldn't put it down!

Not seen the series on Netflix but enjoyed this account of what it was possibly like when Philip met the future queen. A good read

This book is simply FANTASTIC. Gorgeously written, beautiful cover, engaging story, and simply un-put-down-able. I LOVED this and can't stop recommending it to others! Thank you SO much for the opportunity to review this book!

Before the Crown by Flora Harding

It is 1943 in Windsor Castle when the young Princess Elizabeth meets dashing Royal Navy officer Philip, a near penniless prince of the exiled Greek royal family. Elizabeth falls in love at first sight and, as the years and the war pass, Elizabeth and Philip must prove to her parents, the King and Queen, that they will make a suitable match despite the obstacles. And there are plenty of those, not least of which are Philip’s sisters with their Nazi husbands. Philip himself faces other hurdles. As a man about town, does he really want to tie himself down at such a young age and to a woman who would always be his superior and who, to be honest to himself, he hardly knows? And how far is Elizabeth prepared to go against her beloved father’s wishes and against her overriding motivation – her sense of duty?

I’m such a massive fan of The Crown, especially the first series, and so I couldn’t resist Before the Crown by Flora Harding. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a very familiar story but, even so, it’s well worth the re-telling and I like the way that the author does it. The narrative moves between Philip and Elizabeth’s perspective and so we see both sides of the story throughout the courtship, which does not run smoothly.

Elizabeth is not an easy person to know and through this structure we can see how Philip struggles to understand her. Is this a marriage of convenience or one for love? Philip really has no idea. The same is true of Elizabeth. She doesn’t know what Philip feels about her and she can barely understand her own feelings. This is an age of innocence, despite the bombs falling, in which people like Elizabeth and Philip can barely talk about these things, let alone share a kiss. It’s a dance, watched over by a very judgmental King and Queen, and it’s very entertaining to read about.

There are some moments that really made me laugh, especially a very long-suffering Philip’s time at Balmoral, being dragged up and down mountains by the King’s gillie. It all sounds absolutely horrendous. I must admit to preferring Philip’s sections of the book. The scenes with his sisters in Germany are wonderful as are the times he spends with his mother. Philip’s family history is fascinating and that is captured very well in the novel.

I listed to the audiobook of Before the Crown. It’s very good, not least because there are two excellent narrators for Philip and Elizabeth: Edward Killingback and Imogen Wilde. They do a brilliant job.

I think my only issue with Before the Crown is its sudden ending. I wish it had taken us right up to the altar. Nevertheless, it is a very entertaining romantic tale and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Absolutely charming. Author Flora Harding did an amazing job of bringing the reader into the life and thoughts of both Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip prior to their marriage. It reminded me of the series, The Crown, but with so much more detail. Beautifully written, interesting from beginning to end. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a novel about the royal family.

Given the popularity of the Netflix series, Before the Crown should be a great success! As the title suggests, it focuses on the life of Princess Elizabeth and her growing relationship with Philip, from when they first met, through her teenage years until their wedding day in November 1947.

The book has everything you need for a good read - characters you can get behind, a cohesive plot and a romantic element. Obviously the main characteristics of the central characters are well known, but Flora Harding has managed to build on these to create dialogue and scenes that work and feel believable.

An enjoyable story, and one that gives an interesting insight (albeit a fictional one) of life inside the Royal family.

Thank you One More Chapter for a copy of Before The Crown by Flora Harding.

I really liked this book. You don't often see things from this side of the story. Before The Crown is the story of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip before they were married. It shows their courtship from both points of view and I loved the way it showed the pros and cons each of them weighed. You often hear of their marriage from the love story side but this one highlighted the business aspect that would have to go into a high profile marriage such as this one. Phillip needed a kingdom and Elizabeth needed someone who could be second fiddle without too much fuss and I think this book highlighted those parts quite well without distracting from what we all want, these two to be really in love with each other.

Was it a marriage of convenience or for love?




A shy reserved Elizabeth heir to the crown. Known as Lilibet to her family, why is she attracted to the dashing, sure of himself Prince Phillip? Is it because he is not safe; a man of adventure and intrigue. Is it because she wants to step out of the norm. Not out of duty but out of love. Elizabeth's attraction for Prince Phillip started when she was a young girl and as she matured and realized her duty to country, she had to find out how Prince Phillip felt about her. If he would be warm to the ideal of Royal life and not a life of his own.

I loved this account as it took some known facts and put the narration into a heart pulling account of what the life of a royal entails. How Elizabeth balanced her sense of duty to wanting a love. Hiding her true feelings for the crown and her people. I can see why so many people love the Queen. She is the queen of the people. The narration contemplates that balance. Duty and desire is a difficult balance and Queen Elizabeth handled the challenge with poise and dignity.

Prince Phillips narration was just as intriguing. I had somewhat of a dislike for him at times however, his honesty was refreshing and what he came to realize was revealing. They really have an amazing story to tell under all the scrutiny that goes on, misunderstanding and ultimately their duty makes their story so unique.

A Special Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.