This is the story that we ALL want to read. The prequel to one of the greatest royal love stories ever. An amazing insight into their love and life together. Against many odds, and with the hands of fate...
Elizabeth never wavered in her love for her Prince. Their love has stood the test of time.
I loved every single page.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. My review is my own and is in no way required by the publisher.

A great read for anyone who is as OBSESSED with the British Royal Family as I am. Reads along the same lines as 'The Gown' as like a season of 'The Crown'. The story felt authentic and the characters were true to their real life counterparts. A great read.

Those who know me are well aware of my love and interest in all things royal and especially Queen Elizabeth II. Of course I love her name but there is something about her character I have always admired. Steadfast and loyal, she has served as sovereign for 67 years now! I love learning about her and always find myself impressed with how she handles both matters of state and family.
Before the Crown gives us a glimpse into a seemingly realistic picture of the budding romance between the then Princess Elizabeth and the man who will become her consort, Prince Philip. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt much of it stayed true to the events surrounding their courtship, engagement, and wedding. Of course it is fiction, but I felt the author did a very good job of creating dialogue and emotion around historical facts.
I highly recommend for an easy yet satisfying read.

I really enjoyed this fictional story about the beginning of young princess Elizabeth and Philip's relationship. If you enjoy keeping up with the royal family you will definitely love this.

This book definitely reminds me of the television show The Crown and you feel like you have another glimpse into what it must be like behind those palace walls. Great read!

Before the Crown is a beautiful historical novel which delves deep into the romance between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece, perhaps better known as Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.

However, this is not a traditional romance and Harding does not hold back in laying out all the struggles Elizabeth and Philip faced. From the King and Queen's disapproval of the match for their daughter to the effects of public opinion on the relationship, Flora Harding covers it all.

Nor does this novel present the engagement as all hearts and flowers. Despite Elizabeth being attracted to Philip from a young age, this is initially a one-sided crush and a political arrangement for the couple. However, due to Flora Harding presenting her novel from the perspective of both Elizabeth and Philip, the reader is able to experience first hand the doubts, worries, longing and evolution of this infamous relationship.

I will be honest it is hard not to envision the Netflix series when you read this novel but it is by no means a copy cat situation. Harding provides such interesting insights into Philip's lifestyle and his family that it is hard not to pity the sacrifices that he makes in order to be with Elizabeth.
In 'The Crown' young Philip was a bit of a dirt bag and, although Harding's Prince is no angel, he is clearly fighting an uphill battle against the aristocracy's view of him. It is difficult not to sympathise.

I would have liked an author's note to know how much of the story is fact and how much is fiction or speculation. However, given the privacy of the Royal Family I imagine any factual insights are rare.

In summary, 'Before the Crown' is a captivating read, exploring the sacrifices and struggles where we often blindly see prejudice, all against the backdrop of WWII Europe.

Before The Crown. I want to begin by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I needed at this time- something short, accessible, and what I call ‘fluffy’. An easy read that took me out of the ‘now’. This piece of fiction may not be the most historically accurate, as most of the content must simply be imagined by the author; descriptions of conversations that we will simply never know the truth of, and the imagined feelings of characters who in real life purposely don’t really talk about their feelings with the general public. However, that said, I think history fans like me will really enjoy it. It’s romantic, it’s nostalgic (but without glossing over it’s post-war setting) and as I’ve already said is really a good piece of escapism. I’m really glad I picked it up and have already recommended it to family and friends!

I have tried to use the ‘post review to goodreads’ link below and it won’t work- but I have left a review over there:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3390447754

I am not a follower of royalty and know only basic information about them. I did watch the Victoria series on PBS and enjoyed it so much, so I thought I would enjoy this fiction/based on history book about Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

The story was very slow moving for approximately the first one-third of the book. I read the Kindle version and I looked at percentage when I was pushing myself to read the book. It was at 33%. I kept reading and I am glad I did. As the story progressed from there, I became more interested in what was happening and I felt the story moved along with a better pace. I think the last third of the book was the best part to me. I think the writing flowed much better and I cared more about the characters and the plot.

This book was very insightful of what life is like for nobility. It might seem like a plush, carefree life, but it certainly does not come across as that is this book or I am sure in real life either.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, but it was a bit of a struggle to get interested in it for me.

I want to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to read the advanced reader copy. My review is my own opinion not influenced by receiving the ARC.

If you’re a fan of “The Crown”, this is a must read for you! “Before the Crown” tells the tale of a Royal love story. Young Princess Elizabeth has come to the age where her future is pretty much laid out for her. Duty to the crown governs everything, including who she marries. Elizabeth has other ideas on that matter and slowly begins to bring Prince Phillip of Greece into the Royal life. This story chronicles their first meeting right thru to their wedding day. It sheds light on the first invitation to spend time with the royal family, Phillips own controversial family, and the hoops the king has them jump through before he’ll consent to the nuptials.

One thing that I noticed and I notice this whenever I see the royal family in interviews...they are very dry and almost seem without emotion. I found that to be true with this book as well. It didn’t deter me enjoying it because that’s how I’ve always perceived the Royals. I did think this would be an excellent companion to “The Crown”, should they ever decide to create a series that followed Elizabeth through the war and up to her wedding.

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me the chance to read this early! It was fascinating! My only major disappointment was the lack of Authors Notes at the end. I love reading what the author has to say about the creation of their work!

I don't really know much about the royal family, but the history behind this book is what intrigued me. It started off slowly, and took a while to get into, but quickly turned into a fun learning experience. I feel like I've ingested so much biographical history (yes...it's a fiction novel based on history, so not all true) from this. The storyline was sweet with a beautiful ending.

This book is polished. The writing is neat and tidy, familiar but still formal in feeling. Actually, it's a lot like the love story it portrays. There's no scandal, no messes, nothing to fix. It just fits, quietly and steadily moving ahead.
Before The Crown's Elizabeth is shy but dutiful, true and unbending. It's hard to dislike her, but at the same time, it's a chore to like her as well. She's as unreachable in the literary format as she seems on so many of our televisions.
This book focuses on Phillip and Elizabeth from the time she is leaving her teens up to their marriage. I think it missed an opportunity not flowing on to the point where her father died, she became regent, and Phillip had to swear fealty to her. That, I imagine, would have given us some of the emotion that the book is sometimes lacking.

Before the Crown is a delightful peek into a royal courtship. One feels like a fly on the wall being given privy to the private conversations of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip as they maneuver the complexities of a royal marriage. While this is a work of fiction, it does give one the enjoyment of feeling like you are “on the inside.” Being there when the couple discover that even though the royal marriage was sort of a contract, they do eventually find out that they love each other. Knowing how the love story will proceed through the years does not diminish the joy in pretending that you were there when it all started and wishing the couple a long happy marriage. A genuinely nice read. Enjoyed this book it very much.

BEFORE THE CROWN
BY FLORA HARDING

This historical novel tells the story of Queen Elizabeth of England beginning when she was Princess Elizabeth at fourteen years old. Princess Elizabeth spots Philip while he was in the Royal Air Force visiting Windsor Castle watching a play being acted out consisting of Princess Elizabeth and her younger sister Princess Margaret. Princess Elizabeth is aware of Philip's presence and it seems that it was her nervousness upon acting with him watching is where this author chose to introduce the two into the timeline.

Most of the book is a narrative on their pre-courtship days. Philip came from royal blood in Greece and her family thought that Philip was not a good candidate for Princess Elizabeth romantically. Princess Margaret was the prettier and most outgoing of the two sister's. Princess Elizabeth who was destined to inherit the throne was more reserved but had a virtue that Philip admired. The book states that Philip was related to Queen Victoria so I didn't understand why Princess Elizabeth's father and mother who were then the King and Queen of England thought that any romance between the two when they grew older was inappropriate. Her parents invited Philip to the Windsor Castle often enough but didn't think Philip was good enough for Princess Elizabeth.

Some of Philip's sister's were married to SS Officers during and after the war and his mother spent time in a sanatorium so I am assuming those circumstances plus Philip was not a English citizen yet were a few but not all of their objections. This book states that Philip was often a guest but when Princess Elizabeth at 20 years old was thinking of proposing marriage to Philip and vice versa the King and Queen of England weren't happy about the two of them being seen romantically. I didn't know that Princess Elizabeth proposed marriage to Philip only for him to answer her by proposing back to her. It wasn't to be a marriage with love or the messiness of feelings at first for the two of them. That came later.

When Princess Elizabeth proposed to Philip and then him countering his own proposal of marriage the King and Queen didn't allow it. The King told them they had to put off their engagement for six month's before they could publicly disclose it. The King turned around and whisked the four of the Windsors abroad for a total of 9 months before they could become engaged by arranging a 3 month visit to South Africa.

This book was not an enjoyable historical novel or biography of Princess Elizabeth and Philip to read. I thought it was slow going and just to be honest not very interesting to read for me personally. It could be just me but it failed to be the kind of book that drew me in. It did educate me and I learned things that I didn't know which I am happy about. I can't say that I would highly recommend it or buy it for friend's and family unless you are okay with reading dry textbook like subject matter. I would rate this a 2.5 star reading experience rounded up. It mostly covers seven years during which Princess Elizabeth took an interest in Philip as well as him taking notice of her. So more or less than seven years and it ends the day of their wedding right before the ceremony took place.

Publication Date: September 18, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Flora Harding and HarperCollins UK Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#BeforetheCrown #FloraHarding #HarperCollinsUKPublishing #NetGalley

Loved this rendition of the classic love story of two people who have been a big part of many people's lives across the world. To me it felt like how they may have really felt throughout the entire process of re-meeting one another. Little schoolgirl crush turn into maddening love of a man who just is not ready to settle down yet and has many commitment issues due to his family history of everyone being broke apart. Great story.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Before The Crown
By: Flora Harding


REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
Historical fiction, particularly of the royal, regent or romantic variety, seems to be catching lately. I have always loved this genre, and I am glad to see others appreciating it, too. Before The Crown tells the tale of Queen Elizabeth and her husband of 70 years, Phillip, with a mix of historical fact and fiction. Told from their alternating perspectives, Elizabeth and Phillip were not an ideal match, and her family were, in fact, against it. Phillip was penniless, exiled from Greece, abandoned by his parents, and his sisters had Nazi husbands. Despite all of this, Elizabeth loved Phillip and stood by her decision. I wonder if her love was borne of infatuation and adoration rather than an abiding feeling. Phillip did not exactly feel the same. He saw Elizabeth as a means to an end for a title. I just despised Phillip for this mindset of using a woman to gain wealth and power and social standing. He didn't strike me as prince charming. Elizabeth is a strong woman, but she seemed weak in this story. Because of shyness, I see why certain characteristics were attributed to her. Phillip diminished her somehow, at least, in my opinion. As we know, they were married despite all obstacles, and that marriage has lasted a very long time. I always wonder if it's out of love or obligation? This story is well written and obviously researched in a thorough manner. It's a fascinating insightful behind the scenes look at a royal "event" many of us knew nothing about prior to reading this book. Very interesting indeed!

In terms of Historical Fiction this book was truly interesting and detailed. In terms of romance I was not a fan of this particular novel.

This book is about the courtship of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth). I’ll be honest what got me interested in this book is that I’ve been contemplating watching The Crown. Well now my mind is made up and I will definitely be starting it. I really loved all the historical references through out the whole novel. Which makes sense since this is historical fiction.

A lot of this book is in Prince Philips perspective, explaining his time in the war and his life after. While I loved his perspective and his relationship with his family. I didn’t love his relationship with Elizabeth. I thought he was cruel honestly and using her. She was madly in love with him and he just wanted the title.

I love Elizabeth, for the most part. I loved how she carried herself throughout the entire novel. I did not love how she let Philip treat her or how she swooned over him. She (at the time) was the future Queen and could have gotten anyone she wanted. I wish the author would have painted her in a more confidant light.

Overall I enjoyed Before the Crown and it appeased all my historical fiction needs. While I was not a fan of the romance it was an interesting take on a marriage that is still together today.

Thank you for my arc Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Historical fiction at its best.Characters that come alive a story that drew me in keeping me reading late past my bedtime.Will be recommending this engrossing novel.#netgalley#harpercollins uk

I loved this book! I started it thinking it could be rather dry and factual but the way it is so personally written, giving voices to Elizabeth and Philip and stepping into their shoes to tell their story is so compelling and engaging. Yes, I understand that we cannot be privy to the actual words shared between them, but alongside the factual information shared, this pulls together to be an informative and delightful read. I learnt a lot more about Philip's family and am amazed at how the young couple were able to make it through. No wonder they have stuck it out for the long haul. Highly recommended for those who love the British Royals AND those who are just plain romantics!

If you enjoyed the series The Crown on Netflix, you'll enjoy Before the Crown by Flora Harding. It tells the story of Elizabeth before her marriage to Phillip. It offers interesting insight to the politics involved in their marriage.

This book! It’s this perfect combination one of of my favorite movies (A Royal Night Out), a favorite tv show (The Crown) and another book I adored this year (And They Called it Camelot) with a hint of The Gown. It’s not your typical love story, it’s gradual and cozy, and have you rooting for Philip and Elizabeth.

ARC provided by #NetGalley in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Before the Crown by Flora Harding is a great historical fiction that focuses on the courtship and beginnings of the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh.

I loved following along as we see how they both met, learned about one another, developed feelings for each other, overcame obstacles, and finally were able to wed. The author wrote the book in alternating points of view between the young duo. It was so enjoyable to feel as if you were actually there inside each of their heads and could imagine their thoughts and feelings.

The author did a great job at making the story realistic through research of real occurrences and matching her storyline with true actions, dates, and times. I felt everything flowed easily from one person to another, and time flew by while I devoured this gem. Nothing was cheesy or unrealistic and that is what made it so enjoyable to an English monarchy fan such as myself. I love anything depicting Queen Elizabeth II (and her family), but I also expect the subject matter to be respectful and honor Her Royal Majesty The Queen, and I feel that this fits the bill.

I loved the ending, but I was actually sad to see it end as I would have loved to just keep reading to no end! I truly, truly enjoyed this book.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter Books for this wonderful ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately( all links are added below) and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.