I really enjoyed this fictional look into the life of QE II! The royals are a popular topic for fiction this year and I'm game for it!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

If you enjoy The Crown on Netflix you will enjoy the book about the how Queen Elizabeth II becomes in engaged to the dashing Naval Officer, Lieutenant Philip Prince of Greece. The story tells of the uphill battle Philip had to overcome to become engaged to Elizabeth because of the monarchy’s disapproval of him. Elisabeth fell in love with Phillip when she was quite young and he was the only man she would accept. The story shows that Philip wasn’t really interested in Elizabeth and the marriage was more of convenience for him, but for Elizabeth it was love at first sight.

I wondered as I read the book, how much of the story was based on actual facts and what was the author’s imagination. Overall, I enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and OMC for the copy of ‘Before the Crown’.

I have always gravitated towards anything related to the Royal Family. This book naturally drew me in like a moth to a flame. This book is based on Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip leading up to their marriage and gives insight to both points of view. If you have watched The Crown on Netflix you may already know some of the back story of Queen Elizabeth and her days before the crown, however this gives a different insight to the relationship between the two. I did learn new things about Phillip’s history and just how Elizabeth’s family (except Princess Margaret) did not want her to marry Phillip. Phillip went through so much from such a young age throughout his life to get where he was as a young man who then goes on to marry Princess Elizabeth. What starts as more of a convenient arrangement between two ‘friends’ turns into a loving relationship, although not perfect and definitely prone to the scrutiny of the spotlight. I can’t imagine how tense this would make life day in and day out, and yet they are still are together today. I loved the detail Ms. Harding provides when describing scenery or the details leading up to the royal wedding. I am always eager for more back story surrounding Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip and Ms. Harding did not disappoint. Overall I found this an easy and enjoyable read that fed my cravings for all things Royal Family.

This was an enjoyable book. It gives you some insight to Elizabeth’s life before she was married or became Queen.
I’m not sure how much is true or just fiction but I couldn’t help but think Phillip would understand how anyone would feel marrying into the royal family. I think historical fiction fans will enjoy this book
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fictionalization of the real life romance between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. I would really recommend this book for people who are fans of the tv show The Crown. This book takes place prior to the beginning of the series and gives glimpses into the romance and courtship between one of the world's most famous couple's.

It is dual POV, switching between Elizabeth and Phillip. I really enjoyed Phillip's story who I feel like less is known about. His journey to find a home, the pressure of his family, and his own internal struggles to find his path in the world. This is a slow burn with no steam, it's all about the subtle glances. The romance is a bit more behind the scenes, but history fans will enjoy this one.

Before the Crown is a new historical fiction novel from Flora Harding. It is a beautifully written work that tells the story of the courtship of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.
It was interesting to have a book about them since this is about a couple who is still within constant reach of news outlets and social media. That immediate presence in our daily lives is what I see as a liability with this book. We have up to date news stories of their lives along with countless biographies written about them. While I understand the fascination (I have read many of those biographies), I feel it is too early to have a historical fiction book published about their lives. Personally, as a fan of both the British royal history and historical fiction, I think this book would have been better to wait for a few years.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't finish it. Although it appears that the author has done her research, I just wasn't comfortable with the way she wrote the main characters. And I admit this is a personal preference, but I generally don't enjoy novels written in present tense. I do appreciate the opportunity to read this title, and I am sorry that I am unable to give it a better review.

Before the Crown is not a book I would normally gravitate towards but I was interesting is reading this fictionalisation of the courtship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. I honestly didn't know too much about this. This book explored the love story before they get married, I loved that even though this is a fictionalisation Flora has clearly done extensive research and it all feels very authentic.


I would have loved to have had more of the story after the wedding and the build up to Elizabeth becoming queen, as the title of the book is "Before the Crown" it felt very abrupt ending at the wedding. As someone that hasn't got much knowledge on the royal family I felt I could enjoy this more, I'm not sure it would add much to the story for someone that is very clued up on the royal family.

I found the book really interesting, I loved how it was written. It felt so genuine and charming, it was a very easy read that I could pick up anytime. I would recommend this to anyone that loves the Royal Family.

I really loved this story about how Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip met and got engaged before she became the Queen of England. I do not know a ton about the English Royals, but I have always been fascinated and this was a great take on Elizabeth when she was young. It made her seem very different from how she is perceived today, to see her as a young woman during the war. Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the ARC.

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 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.

Thank you Netgalley for the Advanced Copy.

I have to say. I didn't particularly love this. I was a bit disappointed by the title--one could get the impression that this would cover the time of their courtship to when Elizabeth become Queen. But the book really just covered the courtship and stopped at the wedding. I was curious about their first few years in Malta too.

Unfortunately this book didn't add anything to what I already knew about the couple.

When I first saw the cover of this book it took my breath away with its beautiful rendering of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) as a young woman, dressed to the nines in a formal gown and sash, viewed from behind. It carried an air of mystery, glamour, and expectation. She married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in 1947 when she was 21 years old, so that means they've been married for over 70 years! I've watched documentaries and read biographies over the years where it's often said that "Lilibet" fell in love with Philip on first sight as a teenager, and it never wavered. This is a historical fiction novel that navigates their growing relationship from Princess Elizabeth's teenage years until their wedding day.

First of all, the dialogue rings very true with what I already know about the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. I can definitely imagine these conversations actually taking place between them. One kernel of information that sparked my interest was how as next in line to the throne, Elizabeth had to be the one to propose marriage. It's just one of many things that set Elizabeth apart from the average young lady hoping to get engaged. Elizabeth always had a steadfastness and a solid sense of duty to The Crown. She knew she had to get married one day and continue the Windsor line, but unlike some previous sovereigns, she was very much in love with her intended husband. However, with the inbred reserve learned as a future Queen, it wasn't "the thing" to blurt such things out. This standoff between them was a slow and delicious unraveling with a beautiful and emotional payoff towards the end of the book. Elizabeth's father King George did not want his Lilibet to get married so young, but she couldn't marry without his approval unless she was 25 years old. She had been in love with Philip for years and did not want to wait any longer. She also was a very dutiful and obedient daughter, but stood firm on her desire to marry Philip. King George loved his daughter so much that he hated letting her go. Their little family consisting of his beloved wife Queen Elizabeth, and their two daughters Elizabeth and Margaret were tenderly called "us four". He didn't want that happy family situation to change so soon. Also, Lilibet had never entertained any other suitors, so he wanted her to be sure. So, they went on an official trip by boat and train to tour South Africa, which lasted three months. The King and Queen hoped that their Lilibet would have time to think apart from Philip, and also hoped to enjoy one last trip as "us four". But Lilibet's devotion to Philip stood firm.

Philip was a Prince of the Royal Family in Greece, but their lives had been fractured by World War II. Philip's mother Princess Alice was deaf, had mental problems for which she spent some time in hospital, and eventually became a nun. She sold off her royal jewelry to help the needy in her care, but retained one prized royal heirloom with Philip in mind. She gave Philip her diamond tiara so he could use those jewels for Elizabeth's engagement ring.

I loved reading about Princess Elizabeth's beloved dog Susan who regularly accompanied Elizabeth and Philip when they could steal away for walks. I also was riveted reading about Elizabeth waking up on her wedding day, pinching herself, and going through the stages of dressing for the big day. I've heard this story many times, but she wore her grandmother Queen Mary's "fringe" tiara as something borrowed (Princess Beatrice recently borrowed this from The Queen to wear for her wedding). As it was being placed upon her head, it cracked in two. This was just a couple of hours before her wedding and the royal jewelers had to be summoned to repair it. Her mother suggested wearing a different tiara, but Elizabeth insisted on wearing this one for the emotional impact it would make on her grandmother.

I could go on and on, but just know that this is a very special book written with great care, since it rings so true. It brought me close to tears on several occasions, and I love when that happens. It also sent me off periodically to perform internet searches when certain news reports or iconic gowns and tiaras were mentioned. I've read a lot of books about The Windsors, but this one was very unique and touching.

Although I’m a huge fan of anything royal and I love The Crown, this book never grabbed me. This just never lived up to its potential. Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc of this book.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of the show The Crown and find the real life stories of the English Royalty to be so interesting. I was very excited for a change to read this title and luckily it did not disappoint. It was well written and very easy to read. I quickly became immersed in story and loved the glimpse into Elizabeth before she married Phillip and took over the crown. The book did a great job of portraying the realities of life for the Royal family as well as showing Elizabeth as herself, with her personality, dreams, fears. Great read

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Flora Harding for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I am a royal junkie and I devoured this book. Thanks to recent shows and movies, we've gotten a glimpse in to the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip but Before the Crown dives in to their love story before marriage. It is a beautiful fictional story of two individuals who must reconcile their emotions with their familial duties. It is a sweet love story that could be enjoyed by a readers of any age. While it is a fictionalized story, Flora Harding lists her biographical sources at the end of the book.

Prince Phillip is known for his tough exterior and this novel expands on his experiences growing up to explain his faults. I found myself hoping this fictionalized version of him was somehow true. He's usually not a lovable character, but Flora Harding does a great job of showing his character arc. I loved getting a glimpse in to a young Queen Elizabeth II's mind during such an emotional time in her life.

I recommend this book to any fellow royal junkie who needs a light read.

This was a real treat. I hadn't realised quite how difficult Prince Philip's life had been. And he has gone on to be the most brilliant consort for Queen Elizabeth.
The situation Elizabeth was in, was that she needed someone to be a secondary support to her role as monarch. Many men would struggle with this, but fortunately Philip was a Royal Prince - albeit foreign. Without going into too much detail, the novel highlighted the challenges Philip had with poverty and convincing the court that he was a suitable consort.
Whilst this is a fictional account of Philip and Elizabeth's courtship, it has a feel good aura about it and made me respect them both even more. In a contemporary world where nothing seems to be good enough for a certain Royal couple, this was a breath of fresh air.

If you are fans of The Crown and the history of the royal family like me then this will be right up your street.

A relationship that as the public we won’t ever really know the true details but I felt this was a great depiction of the love story between Princess Elizabeth and Philip. With this being fiction it allows us as the reader to use our imaginations as to what we imagine the courtship between Elizabeth and Philip to have been like. This is a well written book that allows you to indulge in this part of history.

BEFORE THE CROWN is a novel based on the courtship of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. a lot of the story and timeline is based on actual events, but much of the conversations and inner thoughts are of course imagined. I love reading and learning about the Royal Family, so I found it to be an interesting read. for fans of The Crown or other royal historical fiction. 3/5⭐️—it was fine

Interesting view of the royal couple who’s marriage and love has lasted over the decades through thick and thin. The older naval officer and our young princess who have stood fast and strong during the years and it was nice to read a view of what the courting part of their relationship may have been and the dynamic of a couple who give me faith in love and duty. This is a beautiful book.

Interesting story about a couple that is so heavily seen in the public. The perspective was an intriguing twist.