The first-ever biography of the most powerful woman of tenth-century England.

Known in 'The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles' simply as 'the Lady', Emma was a wife, mother and widow as well as a queen. Standing at the meeting point of the three cultures of the early Middle Ages - Saxon, Viking and Norman - Emma and her queenship provide a captivating picture of a still-misperceived age.

On 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth succeeded to the throne on the untimely death of her father, King George VI. Her Coronation in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 represented a day of historic pomp and ritual for the dignitaries at the ceremony, and the excitement of colourful pageantry and national rejoicing for the crowds who lined the streets of London in the rain to see their new sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Sixty years on, Pitkin Publishing is proud to publish this facsimile edition of the original Pitkin Pictorial record of this historic event, a poignant and personal account seen through the eyes of the late Beverly Nichols.

The official companion to the Emmy-winning Netflix drama chronicling the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, and starring Claire Foy and John Lithgow, The Crown by Peter Morgan, featuring additional historical background and beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills Elizabeth Mountbatten never expected her father to die so suddenly, so young, leaving her with a throne to fill and a global institution to govern. Crowned at twenty-five, she was already a wife and mother as she began her journey towards becoming a queen. As Britain lifted itself out of the shadow of war, the new monarch faced her own challenges. Her mother doubted her marriage; her uncle-in-exile derided her abilities; her husband resented the sacrifice of his career and family name; and her rebellious sister embarked on a love affair that threatened the centuries-old links between the Church and the Crown. This is the story of how Elizabeth II drew on every ounce of resolve to ensure that the Crown always came out on top. Written by the show’s historical consultant, royal biographer Robert Lacey, and filled with beautifully reproduced archival photos and show stills, The Crown: The Official Companion: Volume 1 adds expert and in-depth detail to the events of the series, painting an intimate portrait of life inside Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street. Here is Elizabeth II as we’ve never seen her before.