The Queen's Secret: A Novel of England's World War II Queen

Written by Karen Harper

Narrated by Bianca Amato

If you love Jennifer Robson or The Crown you will love New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper’s novel about Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

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.

The Elizabeth holds many powerful cards, she’s also hiding damaging secrets about her past and her provenance that could prove to be her undoing.

In this riveting novel of royal secrets and intrigue, Karen Harper lifts the veil on one of the world’s most fascinating families, and how its “secret weapon” of a matriarch maneuvered her way through one of the most dangerous chapters of the century.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: May 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062987808

Karen Harper

Karen Harper is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of romantic suspense. A former Ohio State University English instructor, she now writes full time. Harper is the winner of The Mary Higgins Clark Award for her novel, DARK ANGEL. She also writes historical novels set in Tudor England. Please visit or write her at her website at www.KarenHarperAuthor.com

Reviews for The Queen's Secret

[Sheryl Alcock · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Really important for anyone reading this to appreciate there is no foundation for the more salacious claims than rumour and gossip. It is an injustice to HM the QM to lend any credence to the more lurid (and ludicrous) details of the relationship between her and the then King Edward VII. As the latter was a proven Nazi and traitor I don’t care what people think of him or ascribe to him but I thought some of the storyline here in very poor taste especially as based on rumour. Had the story (even presented as fiction) been anywhere near documented verifiable truth I assume the author would have acknowledged her sources and research base which is the usual practice with historical fiction.

[bogopea · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

If I was not obligated to review this ARC, I would not have read this book beyond the first few chapters. I actually threw it on the floor at one point.I loved and admired "The Queen Mother" and do not believe she has been portrayed correctly. In this novel, she suffers from a severe lack of self-worth and every compliment she receives is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The fact that her husband rules during WWII is ancillary to her story which can't be shared here. However, in every chapter the “great secret” of the title was mentioned and the guilt that the Queen bore all during her married life that were her husband to find out; or, if she had the courage to tell him, would he still love her.

[Leesa Mckendrick · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was ok, but a bit repetitive with the Queen going on an on about her secrets. Absolutely loved the narrator though, and will be searching out more books she has done.

[northwestknitter · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Absolute drivel. This book caught my attention because it was described as "If you like The Crown" but apparently those are just random words and, silly me, I got the impression that the writer had something to do with the TV series.

After the first 30 pages I was forcing myself to read on in hopes that it would get better, after 160 pages my husband said "some books just don't deserve to be read". Good advice.

The book starts with the Queen Mother at 100 years old, reflecting back on 1939, but then tells the story from the perspective of the Queen in 1939 as if the author completely forgot her intentions. The story is heavy with dialogue and so there is almost no description of surroundings or people save for some forced and unnatural insertions into conversation. The dialogue itself is a terrible attempt by an American author trying to imitate British speaking and failing badly.

By biggest peeve was amateur level of research and writing done by the author. As I was reading, I could imagine that the author had pages of notes about the royal family or 1939 Britain and was crossing her notes off as she inserted them into the dialogue and then kept recycling the notes. So the Queen sees the poster "Keep Calm and Carry On" on the streets of London and then repeatedly mentions her favourite poster (nevermind that the poster was never used and any amount of real research would have informed the author). Or at some point the author heard mention that the King liked sugar in his tea so she works that into the dialogue for no apparent reason.

I stopped reading at 160 pages but up to that point I saw no character development. Everyone around the Queen was just a name from history that she could spill dialogue over. The Queen herself was rather 2 dimensional and the few traits she was given were hammered into the reader over and over. For example, every 3 pages there was a reminder that the Queen had some extra pounds and would eat sweets "even though I knew I shouldn't". This book easily could have been whittled down to a short story.

[aardvark2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

To my mind there's no plot--basically a fictionalized biography. And the writing feels a little simplistic, as if written as a young adult book.

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read other books by Ms. Harper and enjoyed them very much and The Queen's Secret can join the list. It was an engaging tale of the woman who became "the Queen Mother." But before that she was the Queen - married to George VI after his brother abdicated the throne. Neither of them expected to rule and she had a big secret. But should she share it?The book covers much of the early life of this beloved woman who showed her true strength during WWII when she was a beacon for her people. She would continue to show that strength when other difficulties would strike the royal family.But what about the girl? The young Elizabeth Bowes Lyon? Did she get what she wanted and was it her happily ever after? You'll have to read the book to find out.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Elizabeth Bowes Lyon is married to Prince Albert, the brother of the Prince of Wales. But that wasn't the brother that she originally wanted to marry. But then her life in this fictional account wasn't exactly what she expected either. This book tells a tale of her unusual start in life as well as her marriage to the man who never expected to be king. It carries us through the war years and her anxieties related to her personal life as well as those as the Queen.This was a very entertaining book with numerous alternative events and actions.

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed reading about the parents of Queen Elizabeth ll. I have read very little about this time period in the English monarchy. It made me want to read more about Queen Mary and others of this time period. I received a copy of this book from edelweiss and Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[pinklady60 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Based on a rumor that has been around for a while of the Queen Mum’s birth, this is a very fictionalized story of her life during World War II and her relationship with the King, her daughters, and whether or not she should share her secrets with them.Although this book would be considered historical fiction because of its true life characters, in my opinion the reader must keep in mind that it is mostly fiction and is based on National-Enquirer-type unsubstantiated gossip and should be read just for the fun of it.

[yukon92 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was looking forward to finding out more about the life of Queen Elizabeth - the Queen Mother. However, I was highly disappointed by the overall gossipy telling of the story. It seemed like the author was trying to sell this in the vein of "The Crown", "Downton Abbey" and even "Dynasty", etc.The constant repetitions of the Queens dislike of her brother-in-law and his wife (aka Wallis Simpson) and all the mentioning of the horrible secrets that supposedly shaped her life was VERY annoying. Was the author paid by the word and therefore kept repeating the same things over and over? Sure seemed like it!

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*For all the WWII-era historical fiction I've read, I'm not certain why I hadn't read more about Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, the British queen during WWII. Other than seeing her in the movie The King's Speech and as a minor character in books about Wallis Simpson, I really didn't know that much about this royal woman. This novel certainly peaked my interest, partly because she's so relatable in comparison to her sometime rival Wallis Simpson. Elizabeth loved sweets, definitely wasn't thin, and worked to be a good mother and queen in trying times. She also had a steel will, which likely earned her praise and criticism from friends and enemies. Overall, a good read and definitely one that will be appreciated by WWII historical fiction fans.

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Karen Harper's historical novel, The Queen's Secret, begins with Elizabeth the Queen Mother about to attend one of the many celebrations for her one-hundredth birthday, but it focuses on the World War II years when she and her husband King George VI were the public faces of Great Britain. Their home was bombed; they, too, were trying to keep their children safe; they lived with the same rationing as their people; and as they visited devastated areas of London and spoke to the residents, they epitomized "Keep Calm and Carry On." They boosted their people's spirits and helped them endure untold grief and hardship.I had to read this novel because of my English husband's fondness for "the Queen Mum." (He'd also had the opportunity to meet her more than once.) In reading The Queen's Secret, I wasn't the slightest bit surprised by the information Harper shared about Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. Great Britain was fortunate to dodge the lethal bullet that would have been their reign. What surprised me was the number of secrets that Elizabeth had to keep, and almost all of them were substantiated when I did a little research. The story unfolds steadily and really gives readers an insider's feel for life in the royal household during World War II. Each character has his or her own distinct personality, but-- as it should be-- Elizabeth the Queen Mother shines the brightest, this plump, rather dowdy-looking woman whom Hitler called the most dangerous woman in Europe. She had a backbone of steel, a loving heart, and a sharp mind. King George VI and Winston Churchill appreciated this woman's gifts, and now I understand why she was so beloved. What a woman!

[cats57_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a riveting tale about the behind the scenes life of the Queen Mother Elizabeth and her husband King George VI, their children and World War II.Mostly this is a look as to how England fought and the difficulty they had in persuading America to join in. As far as I was concerned, the whole issue of the Queen's secret -while vital, took a back seat to the lead up of the War and how the country and the Royalty reacted to the devastation. The author spent so much time hinting around at the 'really big' secret that when finally revealed, it was just meh! I'm not up on the history of the Royals, and I don't know what the ramifications would have been if the secret of Elizabeth's birth had gotten out.This book is a work of historical fiction, so I'm not sure if all I read was true, and I don't feel compelled to look up the facts. I did love this book, and it did an excellent job of keeping me turning the pages. So much so that I am now looking for similar books.I would highly recommend this book to those who love reading about WWII and what may be some interesting behind the scenes look at the Royals and what they went through.*ARC supplied to me by the publisher.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Queen’s Secret: A Novel of England’s World War II Queen by Karen Harper is a 2020 William Morrow Paperbacks publication.Interesting piece of historical fiction, examining various rumors and theories about the private life of Elizabeth, The Queen Mother….This book piqued my curiosity because it was about the Queen Mother, a member of the royal family I don’t know much about.I loved ‘The King’s Speech’, but Elizabeth’s personal life is not the focus of that story. I also enjoy ‘The Crown’ on Netflix, but once again, the Queen Mother’s personal life is not the primary focus of that series, either. I’m also not really a ‘royal watcher’, despite my recent interest in the history of the monarchy.So, despite the oversaturation of world war II novels, which I’ve been avoiding for a long while now, I decided to give this book a try.Although the book got off to a bit of a rocky start for me, the more I read, the more invested I became in the story. I found myself ‘Googling’ certain topics about Elizabeth I had never heard before, and was surprised to see some of these rumors have been floating around for ages.As it turns out the queen is holding onto a couple of bombshell secrets, in this novel, secrets that have shaped her life, her marriage, and role as a mother and as a queen.The story also highlights Elizabeth’s relationship with Churchill, her admiration for Eleanor Roosevelt, and her utter distaste for Wallis Simpson and the continual scandal she and the king’s brother wrought down upon them.The book is fully narrated by Elizabeth so that the reader is privy to her private fears, her thoughts about the war, and how heavily her secrets weighed upon her as she lived in constant fear of having them exposed.This is an interesting, and enlightening portrait of the queen mother and I did gain some insights into what she might have been like on a personal level. However, I must remind everyone that this is a work of fiction. Some of the scenarios explored in this book have never been proven. They are only rumors and so this book is highly speculative, in my opinion.That said, it was an interesting take on the life of the queen and was not at all what I had been expecting.If you enjoy historical fiction, are a fan of the royals, or like reading world war II fiction, this book might be of interest to you.*RIP Karen Harper

[kimkimkim-7 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was a narrow-minded, stilted long drawn out rehashing of why Queen Elizabeth Bowes Lyon detested Edward, known as David to the Royal Family, the Duke of Windsor and his wife, Wallis Simpson. I slogged through; Poor Bertie, hateful David, oh me, oh shall I ever share the truth of what happened, or shall I keep it all to my poor brave self? Oh, what a trial, of what a slog.There are far better books regarding the events of World War II during the reign of King George and Queen Elizabeth. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for a copy.

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was looking forward to reading this book, until I discovered what the secrets were. Since I am interested in the British royal family and know a good deal about them, I had to go immediately to the computer and research the claims made in the book. I found that the source is a book that proposed these secrets based on some random gossip that is not well researched at all. It was basically a gossip book written by someone who only has a title because she married into it for all of 18 months. I did enjoy the history portions and did get a sense of how it might have been for her during WWII. I think that the slander to family members of the reigning queen was unnecessary and didn't make for a good novel. I was given a free copy of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.

[mpmills · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have read quite a few novels set during WWII and was looking forward to reading this book, but I struggled to get through it. I had my own favorable opinion of the “Queen Mum” who always seemed to be by her daughter’s (Queen Elizabeth II) side. The woman presented in this was cold and calculating. Every bit of rumor and gossip against her was presented and became quite tiring. I’ll stay with my image of the sweet smiling women who helped the king guide England through the war.

[chrisac_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to love this book. I have read several books on Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother. When it opened on her 100th birthday I expected the story to unfold in person over her long life, with concentration on the WWII years.Instead, we get references to and revelations of some secrets that could be problematic if revealed. Mostly, it's negative feelings toward her brother in law The Duke of Windsor and his American born wife, Wallis. The other secrets the character of Queen Elizabeth reveals are , in my opinion, gossip conjecture, or rumors I have read elsewhere. One in particular could simply be a plot device. Sometimes I felt the character of Queen Elizabeth was a fearful, insecure person, and at other times she seemed resolute. I have always felt that the real Queen Elizabeth was an iron butterfly who didn't like to face confrontation and avoided it at all costs. While she was a rock for her husband and family during his reign, she softened and floated through her golden years in a royal cloud of luxury.I think my biggest problem with the book is that it was difficult to reconcile the fictional Queen Elizabeth with the real woman, who still looms large in her country's history and her family's legacy.

[barbaras2016 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Usually I like books by author, especially "The Royal Nanny", "The American Duchess", and my favorite "The First Princess." However, this book fell flat. I felt like I was reading the Nation Enquirer. I felt like I had to choose either Team Duke and Duchess of Windsor or Team King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. I felt the author was Team David and Wallis. Every lurid and sensational rumor or scandal. that could be brought up about the Royal family and the Queen Mother was written about here. Furthermore, there was no authors note to address some of these more sensastionlal speculations. There is also no bibliography to read more about the subjects in this novel. This story begins at the public celebration of the Queen Mother's 100th birthday. The Queen Mother begins reminiscing over her long life beginning in Scotland with her large happy family and doting parents and so the the speculations and "secrets" begin. She grows into a beautiful and accomplished young woman and her problems with David, the Prince of Wales begin. Hence my problem with the novel. I understood the first ten times the author brought it up, the next fifty times were not needed. The Queen Mother was a busy woman with a war on. I doubt she spent every minute obsessing over the Windsors raising a family and helping in the war effort and standing by her husband. There was so much to write about Queen Elizabeth for the book to be so repetitive. The author could have trusted the reader not to forget all the "secrets" without being reminded repeatedly. There were parts of the book that showed real promise and I wish they had been expanded on. The scene between Prince Charles and the Queen Mother. The author was able to show the very real love and affection between them. The scenes of Queen Elizabeth comforting the wounded and her subjects that had been bombed in the East End. These scenes showed her humanity and why her subjects loved her so much. Also, the scenes of the Princess Elizabeth in love and also eager to serve her country. Very good reading. More of this kind of writing would have made this book a more enjoyable read. At least for me. Maybe I am more Team Bertie and Elizabeth.

[ddelmoni_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In a past life, I was a history teacher so not surprisingly I love historical fiction. That is why I requested an ARC of The Queen's Secret, though I had never heard of nor read Karen Harper. Unfortunately, I won't be reading her other novels. Based on the WWII life of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, this novel, at best is lite historical fiction akin to 'chick-lit' and I prefer more meat to my historical fiction. In addition, it's also repetitious ad nauseam both in multiple plotlines and dialog, and her great secret, actually secrets, are completely fictitious (yes I know this is fiction). One of these secrets is based on a much-maligned non-fiction book by a minor Royal and both secrets are simply not true and could have been completely left out of this book. Granted this is fiction and doesn't claim to be anything more but too many people don't seem to know the difference between truth and fiction these days. Though the 'history', timeline and characters are accurate, the real-life of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in the 1930s and 40s would have been more than sufficient for an enjoyable and informative novel without the 'secrets' .

[sue222-941906 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although I enjoyed this story of Queen Elizabeth’s mother, the royal I knew as the Queen Mother, it also made me grind my teeth with irritation. At least once a chapter the “great secret” of the title was mentioned, considered, and dismissed to be dealt with later. The only tension in the book was when and if the queen would reveal this “great secret” to her husband, King George VI. I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes details of the lives of the royal family during the War, and I appreciate the research that must have gone into this story. I just feel that the whole “secret” storyline was unnecessary and detracted from an otherwise enjoyable work of historical fiction.

[gingersnap000 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Queen in the title is Queen Elizabeth's mother, the wife of King George VI. The Queen Mother lived to be over 100 years old; this book covers mainly the years before and up to the end of World War II. The author has researched thoroughly the Queen Mother and the reader can imagine the dialogue being close to true.The Queen had several secrets which I will not reveal most but only the most shocking. The majority of her marriage did not share the bed of her husband but she declared she loved. Both Queen Elizabeth and her sister were not conceived naturally. The royals do make for interesting reading. Queen Mother did have a heavy influence over her husband and even joined him and Winston Churchill during their weekly luncheons. She was an advisor and an influencer. One point of interest, of which I was unaware, Princess Elizabeth fell in love with her future husband Prince Philip at the age of 13 and fought her Mother to stay in contact with him. Elizabeth was not forced to marry that she did not love. Strange that her son was forced to marry Princess Diana. One element of this book that I did not enjoy was the constant reference to how much Queen Mother hated the Duke of Windsor and that horrible woman. After reading this book, I do understand why but for the author to keep repeating the fact was tiresome. Regardless, this is an enjoyable and insightful book about Queen Mother.

[al6vick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Queen Elizabeth (the queen mother) struggles through the trials of WWII and secrets of her own past while trying to encourage the country and her husband, King George VI. I really didn't know much about the queen mother, and this was an eye-opening view of her life. I feel I understand more about the royal family than I did before. It also reveals things about Edward VIII, and why Britain was much better off with George VI as king during WWII.

[written-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be a very interesting read. The book takes place in England during WWII and tells the story from Queen Elizabeth's (later known as the Queen Mum) point of view. Elizabeth Bowes Lyon was first in love with David/ Edward, Prince of Wales and later king until he abdicated in order to marry Wallis Simpson. Edward was quite the playboy and we learn of his ill treatment to Elizabeth while she thought she was in love with him..he is not a very nice person. He wasn't interested in her we discover. She does, after turning him down twice, marry the brother "Bertie" second in line to the throne who becomes King George VI after his brother abdicated the throne.So many secrets we discover about the royal family. Secrets that slowly come to light. We live through the war with conversations with Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth, King George, their children Princess Elizabeth (the future queen), Princess Margaret. I knew very little about the queen only seeing her as the beloved Queen Mum, mother of the present Queen Elizabeth. So read the book to get the background story and a very interesting story it turned out to be.