April 21 marks 100 years since the late Queen Elizabeth II was born.
To honour her memory and this historic milestone, her trusted biographer Robert Hardman, who was granted unprecedented access, reveals what the sovereign was really like behind palace walls in his new book, Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story.
Did you ever see the Queen angry?
She had a kind of “Queen speak”.
If one eyebrow was raised that meant, “Hmm, not sure,” two eyebrows, “I’m really not sure”– leading to, “Are you sure?” which meant, “No.”
The dreaded silent signal of displeasure was for those who crossed an invisible line.
Staff would call it, “The Look”.
What are your favourite anecdotes about Her Majesty?
She didn’t like pretence.
When given a speech about a visit to Birmingham, which said, “I am very glad to be back in Birmingham,” she crossed out the word, “very”.
She was bracingly frank in private.
A cabinet minister made small talk with her at Windsor Castle and looking out of the window at the view, said, “I spent many years living in Slough,” to which she replied, “Oh, you poor thing.”
What did she really think about Harry and Meghan?
She adored Harry – there was a genuine closeness.
She was definitely much less fond of Meghan.
There was real exasperation when he announced he was going his own way and she was appalled by the Oprah interview.
By the end, there was a feeling Harry had been led.
Was the Queen offended when Paul Keating put his arm around her in 1992?
No, she wasn’t remotely upset.
She regarded him as being rather gentlemanly.
She was in a crowded reception and [the Australian prime minister at the time] was steering her through.
He was being protective and she saw it as such.
Did the Queen know she was going to die at Balmoral?
It was extraordinary, in that last year she was very, very weak and was doing very little publicly and yet, her authority was completely undimmed.
No one was saying, “It’s time for the Queen to stand aside.”
There was no abdication narrative.
She was very keen to make the transition as smooth as possible.
She wanted all her great-grandchildren to come up to Balmoral over that summer and while I don’t think she wanted to die in Balmoral, while she was there, it became clear she wasn’t going to leave.
What would the Queen think about Andrew’s arrest?
She’d be heartbroken.
I’m really glad she’s not around to process that.
But she would certainly not be expecting any kind of special treatment.
She wouldn’t be saying, ‘Oh, I’m sure someone’s made a mistake.’
Did she spoil him?
It was more a case of he was the one she worried about most.
Andrew was always a bit of a lost cause.
She realised he was vulnerable to people who wanted to befriend him.
I think there’s a slight sense of looking at the whole thing as though Andrew is aged eight and his mum was directing everything – he’s a grown man.
I don’t think the full picture was always presented to her, but she was much more switched on than people think.
She could be utterly exasperated by him.
Did he really hit a member of staff?
People didn’t want her to know about an incident when Andrew hit the Master of the Household, Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, with a “kinetic blow” – but she found out and, as I write in the book, said, “Oh, I’m sure he did it. That’s the sort of thing he does.”
Prince Philip actually wrote and apologised and she didn’t take Andrew’s side at all.
What’s next for the royal family?
It’s going to take a lot to usher in another golden era for the monarchy.
The King’s state visit to America [for the 250th anniversary of US Independence] will be followed, I’m fully confident, in the summer, with a trip to the US by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
These things can change the general outlook.
Will King Charles step down?
No, I don’t think so, unless there were compelling health reasons.
But never say never.
There’s a lot on his plate, but he’s clearly loving it.
