Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters

Can not recommend this book highly enough. I started the year reading 'The little Princesses' by Marion Crawford and then went on to a Princess Margaret Biography by Christopher Warwick (both books I can highly recommend). On the back of those reads I ordered this book and it hasn't disappointed. Very well researched and easy to read. I am not a fast reader, however even I managed to clock up 70 pages per day. A wealth of detail. You really get to know the psyche of the subjects. Our Queen and Princess Margaret couldn't have been more different. One uncomplicated, eager to fulfil her duties and reliable the other complicated, wanted to fulfil her duties but in a way hindered herself. With all the events of the last few years with Royalty now being allowed to marry divorced persons, I do wonder if the Queen looks at Margarets sacrifices differently. This book sheds more light on the Peter Townsend/Margaret affair. She didn't have to give up as much as what was suggested in 'The Crown'. In the end the first sister had a purpose and chose the right man to help her achieve the hand that fate had dealt her. The second sister felt she had no purpose and was hopeless in love. It goes to show that being royal doesn't secure happiness.

The worst format on Kindle. Almost unable to read it!

The author gives readers an in-depth understanding of the personal and internal struggles suffered by Princess Margaret; he carefully avoids making judgements about Queen Elizabeth or Margaret, instead describing how the upbringing they had laid the foundation for the lives they were expected to live.

This is a wonderfully detailed and well documented account of the lives and the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. Andrew Morton is a well respected writer regarding the Royal Family and his account gives great insight into the life of Margaret, a woman who was admired but often misunderstood. Morton also makes it clear that she and her sister, the Queen were very loyal to each other but because of their stations in life they saw things quite differently. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the the history and family dynamics of the Royal Family.

Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters, a collective biography that covers more than 75 years, opened my eyes to many English traditions and customs, especially relating to royalty. Elizabeth, born in 1926 was four years older than her sister, Margaret. As a young child, Elizabeth was very aware she was in line of succession to the throne. In 1936, when her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry a divorced woman, her father became king. Now Elizabeth, at the age of ten, was heir presumptive to the throne. King George VI was a reluctant king, had a well-known stammer and other disabilities, but out of duty accepted the position thrust upon him. He was a loving father, happiest when with his family. Their mother was fiercely protective of her husband and children, always striving to keep a happy home. Elizabeth and Margaret’s childhood alternated between great attention and great isolation. Their education was conducted at home, usually at Buckingham Palace, a structure of 775 rooms with a staff of more than 700. Their lives were strictly protected and governed by royal tradition. The two girls rarely played with other children, but the sisters were very close. Elizabeth was a serious child, acutely aware that one day she would be Queen of the United Kingdom. Margaret was affectionate, pretty, playful and had the ability to play off one parent against the other. When King George VI died in 1952, Elizabeth became Queen at the age of 26. However, by then she was a married woman and the mother of two children. This biography of the two sisters shows their closeness and fierce protection of one another. Elizabeth was sedate, methodical, and always strove to conduct herself as befitting a queen. She loved horses and dogs and had high regard for the people who cared for them. On the other hand, as an adult Margaret was a party-goer, flamboyant, and often an embarrassment to her sister. She had affairs with married men and had an unhappy marriage. However, the two sisters remained loyal to one another, talking on the phone nearly every day. Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, plays an important role in this collective biography, but the book mostly concentrates on Elizabeth and Margaret and their relationship to one another. I very much enjoyed Elizabeth & Margaret. It gave me a clearer understanding of British royalty, and an awareness of the courage it takes to live up to the expectations of their preeminent positions.