Before the Crown by Flora Harding

 This is a story of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece, perhaps better known as Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. It brings a time when Philip is courting Elizabeth and fighting an uphill battle of monarchy’s disapproval of him.

Windsor Castle, 1943. Seventeen-year-old Princess Elizabeth is eager to see Prince Philip. They’ve met a few years earlier in London and she’s been smitten with him ever since. Philip is a handsome lieutenant in the Royal Navy.

Elizabeth is ready for a change in her life. Philip has that rough-edged charm which is very attractive to her. She doesn’t want safe. It’s too stagnant. To Philip’s surprise, there is something about Elizabeth that he likes. His restless spirit actually enjoys her serious side and being reserved.

His cousin, David, objects to his current love interest, announcing that Philip would “rub everyone up the wrong way.”

Elizabeth is patient, dutiful, “careful not to rock the boat,” but now she is ready to act, to change her life.

I enjoyed very much those two young characters of royal bloodline, who are different, but they align on their understanding and finding balance between what is expected of them and what they wish for in life.

Elizabeth is stoic. A good mediator between her father and Philip. Skillful in being calmly persistent: listens, nods and asks again – wearing another person down. She likes to do something, instead of just talking about it. She wants to make a difference.

Despite being penniless, without proper wardrobe, no skill in shooting, having German relatives, Philip is very comfortable in his own skin. When needed he is capable of eloquent conversation. But I enjoyed his “rougher” side, his honest thoughts without a need of polished talk.

I especially relished Philip’s character, but I think it’s because more thoughts were given to him and we get to know him a bit more than Elizabeth. I delighted in the layers revealing Philip's childhood and how it made him a very self-reliant child. Her restful restrain “only makes him want to tell her more about his unsettled childhood. (…) It is as if some quality in her absorbs some of his restlessness and smooths down his rough edges.”

The historical background in respect to WWII and post-war is very light. There are some details in regards to royal protocols and traditions, which are interesting. But above-all, this story is character driven, which is magnificent. It carries so much depth and warmness, and closeness to the characters that you do not want to part from them.

The prose is beautiful with engaging dialogue and interestingly believable characters, making it a page-turner.

Release date: 17 September 2020 (ebook); 18 May 2021 (paperback)

Source: One More Chapter, HarperCollins Publisher