Before the crown there was a love story… first met in London nine years before.
One of the youngest first lieutenants in the Royal Navy, Philip represents everything she has always been taught to avoid. Instability. Audacity. Adventure.
But when the king learns of their relationship, the suitability of the foreign prince is questioned by all at court.
He is the risk she has never been allowed to take. The risk not even the shadow of the crown will stop her from taking…
Step through the palace gates and discover a captivating historical novel of royal secrets and forbidden love exploring the tempestuous courtship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the wake of WWII.
Readers are LOVING Before the Crown:
‘Magnificent. It carries so much depth and warmness, and closeness to the characters that you do not want to part from them…a page-turner’ Best Historical Fiction Reviews
‘To say that I adored this book is an absolute understatement. Beautifully written, well crafted and researched. A must read for fans of The Crown’ Kim
‘Any fans of The Crown will adore this read…the story is well researched and written so beautifully I didn’t want it to end’ Lucy
‘What a pleasure it was to read this charming and heartfelt historical romance… never have I felt so romantically moved’ Jena
‘Magnificent… It carries so much depth and warmness, and closeness to the characters that you do not want to part from them’ Annette
‘I really enjoyed this book… Anyone who loved The Crown series will love this book!’ Pat
‘Perfect for fans of Netflix’s The Crown’ Elizabeth
‘This is the story that we ALL want to read…I loved every single page’ Vicki
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I want to start off by saying that when I put this book on my TBR list. I wanted to know very little when listening to this book. I love reading books that are about the Queen Elisabeth and Prince Philip.
This book was cute and interesting. I highly recommend the audiobook. It does go by quickly. This also the first book that I have read from this author. I will be reading more book from her. I wasn’t disappointed at all. The narrators did amazing job. I highly recommend this book if your into the royals.
About Book: I wont give to much away I think the reader should go into this book really knowing very little.
But this book is about Princess Elisabeth and Prince Philip and how they met. Philip trying to adjust to all the rules. In order to marry a future Queen.
overall I liked before the crown! but that was about it. it didn’t really draw me in, but I liked it enough to finish. it’s a very calming book… I read a couple chapters at night before bed. it’s a perfect book for a rainy day! it’s a must-read if you liked the crown on netflix
sometimes it felt very emotionless, but maybe that’s because elizabeth was the princess and the pinnacle of regality? I loved how philip seemed very…. real. like he was just a dude who lucked out by marrying the most eligible bachelorette in the world
I didn’t particularly like any of the characters except philip. everyone felt underdeveloped, like I finished the book and still didn’t really know them, ya feel?
a family tree at the beginning would have been hella helpful… there were so many people mentioned once or twice that I had no clue who they were. maybe I’m just not british enough to know of everyone and all the background that went into this
susan was my fav
While we all enjoy scrolling People magazine and British publications to see the latest news about the Queen or what Kate Middleton is wearing now, we truly forget that at the heart of it all they are real people. With real wants and needs. This is the fictional account of the love story of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth. Beginning from their first meeting all the way up to their wedding day, this book gives you an inside peak into just how they were probably feeling and what they had to go through to be married. Philip came from a family that had titles but no riches and Elizabeth was devoted to a life of service to her country. While these things could have stood in the way of their Happily Ever After, they persevered and were married for over seventy years before Philip’s recent passing. This book takes you inside their hearts and minds and gives you an insiders view on what they may have honestly had to endure to be able to walk down the aisle.
Five big stars. With the recent passing of Philip, this book couldn’t come at a better time. The story is rich and you truly feel for both of them and you truly feel happy when you get to the end and she’s walking down the aisle to him. Beautiful story of a beautiful marriage. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and Flora Harding for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Flora Harding’s Before the Crown gives an inside’s view into the courtship of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Beautifully written and researched, Harding’s book shows the two in a surprising and realistic light. Just lovely! I highly recommend if you are a fan of the Royal Family and The Crown. I look forward to Flora Harding’s next book.
A lovely look into the young Elizabeth before she became queen.
Great book.
Great book
This is a beautifully written and well-researched book that brought to life a romance that we know must have happened. Written from both Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s points of view it brought their romance magically to life. I loved this book. This is the perfect addition to The Crown series and I’d love to see this book brought to life on TV.
Before The Crown
By Flora Harding
Before the Crown is a wonderful fictional story about the love story between HRH Elizabeth and Phillip – the dashing naval officer when they first met in London 9 years prior. This love story is such a beautifully written ode to their relationship that stood the test of time now 70 plus years later. I thought that the research that went to writing this book was incredible and Harding did a great job in making this amazing story a beautiful read.
I recommend this book for those who love a wonderful love story and if you follow the royals, this is a must read.
I know very little of British history. I enjoyed “getting to know” the future queen of England
I loved the way it made history real! Ver well written.
Even though it is fictional, it seems to capture the personalities of the royals and makes lot of sense. It was enjoyable.
Felt like the author was right there through Queen Elizabeth’s years before her marriage. Was very entertaining. We traveled to my grandparents home to watch their wedding on TV. I was a little girl.
Great intro to the Crown TV series!
As a fan of The Crown, I hung on every word of this novel. It restored my hope in real life love and romance.
Before Crown is historical fiction about the engagement of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.
You begin to admire their characters and how hard it would be to live in a glass bowl.
Elizabeth and Phillip are determined for different reasons to be engaged and have a good marriage
They face much opposition including her parents.
Its a great read that sheds some light on what they were both like as a young couple.
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.
I loved this book. It made me laugh at a time when I needed a good laugh.One always think of Phillip as so straight and staid and it was nice t picture him as human like the rest of us. It was also interesting to learn some of the historical facts. I do think that Phillip and Elizabeth do love each other, don’t know if they started out that way or if it grew on them, but would like to think it was as depicted in this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.characters portrayed beautifully I couldn’t put it down
Sorry when I finished it
I loved this book and would highly recommend it. The characterizations were excellent, and though it was fiction, it could have happened much as the author described it.