There Once is a Queen

Written by Michael Morpurgo

Narrated by Michael Morpurgo

“There once is a Queen ever constant to her people…”

From the Nation’s Favourite Storyteller Sir Michael Morpurgo comes a poetic celebration of our Queen and longest reigning monarch. Created in partnership with the Jubilee Pageant Committee.

There once was a little girl, born a princess. While she was still a young woman, she became a queen, our Queen Elizabeth II. Her reign of seventy years, making her the longest serving female monarch in history, saw her stand steadfast through triumph and tribulation, and through the monumental changes that have shaped our world. This remarkable queen remained devoted to crown, to country . . . and a corgi or two!

Beginning with the late queen as a little girl, planting an oak tree with her father, There Once is a Queen follows her incredible story in a way that will bring this historic reign vividly to life for readers, big and small, around the globe. An exquisite gift book and commemoration of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee, it marks a unique moment in our shared history and will be a treasured keepsake for generations to come.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: May 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9780008552756

Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo is one of Britain’s best-loved writers for children. He has written over 130 books including War Horse, which was adapted for a hugely successful stage production by the National Theatre and then, in 2011, for a film directed by Steven Spielberg. Michael was Children’s Laureate from 2003 to 2005. The charity Farms for City Children, which he founded thirty years ago with his wife Clare, has now enabled over 70,000 children to spend a week living and working down on the farm. His enormous success has continued with his most recent novels Flamingo Boy and The Snowman, inspired by the classic story by Raymond Briggs. He was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity.