I’ve chatted about my thoughts on royal-ish fiction before (find them here!). You might think that I would love them, but I find quite often, the royal’s name is used as a marketing ploy, and they are barely in the novel. However, I’m glad to see that there has been a shift in the subgenre. Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother) is right in the centre of The Queen’s Secret by Karen Harper, and I knew I had to share it for a Book Bite!
The Queen’s Secret: A Novel of England’s World War II Queen, Karen Harper
1939. As the wife of the King George VI and the mother of the future queen, Elizabeth—“the queen mother”—shows a warm, smiling face to the world. But it’s no surprise that Hitler himself calls her the “Most Dangerous Woman in Europe.” For behind that soft voice and kindly demeanor is a will of steel.
Two years earlier, George was thrust onto the throne when his brother Edward abdicated, determined to marry his divorced, American mistress Mrs. Simpson. Vowing to do whatever it takes to make her husband’s reign a success, Elizabeth endears herself to the British people, and prevents the former king and his brazen bride from ever again setting foot in Buckingham Palace.
Elizabeth holds many powerful cards, she’s also hiding damaging secrets about her past and her provenance that could prove to be her undoing.
Why You Should Read It….
FINALLY. A novel in this subgenre entirely from a royal perspective. We spend the entire novel with Elizabeth, in her voice. We do see her relationships with Bertie, and Lilibet and Margot, but only from her perspective. Dare I say, this is royal fiction, and not royal-ish fiction? Sadly, Harper passed away in April 2020 of cancer, but I hope that authors continue to learn from her and follow her lead.
I am not a huge WWII fiction reader. I find that they all tend to run together, and the First and Second World Wars simply don’t “grab me”. However, I was interested to know what the war would have been like for the people who had to remain calm and brave at all times. This is absolutely fictional- we cannot take this as fact. It gives you an idea of what might have happened, though, and what Elizabeth (and Bertie) might have felt. It also gives you a suggestion of why Elizabeth disliked the Duke of Windsor so much. (again, not fact but a fascinating proposition.) Also, as a Canadian, I loved that Mackenzie King is included, and Canadian troops come up frequently!
All in all, The Queen’s Secret is a wonderful read and should be on your summer reading list!
Cheers,
The Historian
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