Before the Crown

Written by Flora Harding

Narrated by Edward Killingback and Imogen Wilde

Before the crown there was a love story…

‘If you’re a fan of The Crown, you’ll love this’ Woman’s Weekly

‘Fascinating…a beautiful love story’ Woman

Windsor Castle, 1943

As war rages across the world, Princess Elizabeth comes face to face with the dashing naval officer she first met in London nine years before.

One of the youngest first lieutenants in the Royal Navy, Philip represents everything she has always been taught to avoid. Instability. Audacity. Adventure.

But when the king learns of their relationship, the suitability of the foreign prince is questioned by all at court.

He is the risk she has never been allowed to take. The risk not even the shadow of the crown will stop her from taking…

Step through the palace gates and discover a captivating historical novel of royal secrets and forbidden love exploring the tempestuous courtship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the wake of WWII.

Readers are LOVING Before the Crown:

‘Magnificent. It carries so much depth and warmness, and closeness to the characters that you do not want to part from them…a page-turner’ Best Historical Fiction Reviews

‘To say that I adored this book is an absolute understatement. Beautifully written, well crafted and researched. A must read for fans of The Crown’ Kim

‘Any fans of The Crown will adore this read…the story is well researched and written so beautifully I didn't want it to end’ Lucy

‘What a pleasure it was to read this charming and heartfelt historical romance… never have I felt so romantically moved’ Jena

‘Magnificent… It carries so much depth and warmness, and closeness to the characters that you do not want to part from them’ Annette

‘I really enjoyed this book… Anyone who loved The Crown series will love this book!’ Pat

‘Perfect for fans of Netflix’s The Crown’ Elizabeth

‘This is the story that we ALL want to read…I loved every single page’ Vicki

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Release date: Sep 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9780008412074

Flora Harding

Flora Harding began writing over 30 years ago to fund a PhD on the disposal of waste in Elizabethan York, and has juggled fact and fiction ever since. Under various pseudonyms she has written more than 75 novels, histories and other forms of non-fiction and continues to be fascinated by the relationship between the past and the present, whatever she happens to be writing.

Reviews for Before the Crown

[Caroline Wilson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well-written account of the courtship of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

[Brooke Savoie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you're like me, you came across Flora Harding's debut novel Before the Crown by way of Netflix's hit show The Crown. As the title suggests, Before the Crown takes readers into the lives of a then Princess Elizabeth Windsor and her future husband Philip Mountbatten before Elizabeth is ever crowned Queen of England. Fans of the television show The Crown will appreciate this journey back in time to the events preceding the series (The first episode of The Crown details Elizabeth and Philip's wedding, which is where Before the Crown ends.) If you have ever wondered how the royal marriage came to be, don't miss Flora Harding's Before the Crown.

Theirs is the longest marriage of any British sovereign, surpassing 70 years - Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip married in 1947 when she was still a Princess and he was a foreign Prince who renounced all of his titles and took up British citizenry just to have her hand. You may already be familiar with the ups and downs that have taken place during the pair's union throughout the years, but you may not know the story of Elizabeth and Philip's courtship. That's where Harding's Before the Crown comes into play.

Before the Crown opens in the nascent days of Elizabeth and Philip's relationship, showing how their feelings grew for each other over time, and detailing the obstacles they went through just to make it to the altar. While their story isn't as scintillating as say one about Princess Margaret, Elizabeth's daring younger sister, would be, it is grounded and realistic, showing the difficulties that come with marrying the future heir to the throne of Britain.

Harding's novel is informative and evenly paced, if not a bit dry and tedious, but again, readers should remember that this is a story about Queen Elizabeth, a women not only married to Prince Philip, but also to England and the duty that her role as sovereign carries. Elizabeth and Philip so often seem like an odd match, that people can't help but wonder how their romance found its start. Look no further than Before the Crown, which pulls back the curtain on the early days of the royal marriage and is worth a read by any fans of the British royal family.

[Becky · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very pleased, and feasible story. An interesting look into the Queen’s early life.

[knittinkitties · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Thank you Netgalley for the Advanced Copy.

I have to say. I didn't particularly love this. I was a bit disappointed by the title--one could get the impression that this would cover the time of their courtship to when Elizabeth become Queen. But the book really just covered the courtship and stopped at the wedding. I was curious about their first few years in Malta too.

Unfortunately this book didn't add anything to what I already knew about the couple.

[cats57_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was an interesting look into the meeting, relationship, and engagement that might have been between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. It would be best if you remembered, though, that this is historical *fiction*, and we can never honestly know what happened between them word for word. I imagine most of their relationship logistics are correct since there have been many other works devoted to the couple.Unfortunately, unlike many others, I found this an arid and unemotional look into what might have been. I didn't expect to connect with the couple because they are so far out of my league. However, I did expect to be somewhat entertained. I was not. After a while, because of the repetitiveness, I found myself skimming the pages looking for something that piqued my curiosity.This is a perfectly lovely read and underlines that this was a coldly political marriage that turned into something a little bit more.*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.

[lorikboyd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 Stars for this light historical fiction of what it could have been like when Elizabeth was a princess and Philip renounced his title for her. Quite a few historical facts thrown in for all history buffs. This book gave a lighter side to the formidable Queen we all see today on TV. I would love to think there was a little spark between these two, and not just what was best for the Commonwealth as an arranged marriage. For once, Margaret is in the background and Elizabeth shines front and center. Quick read giving a ‘human’ side to the royal family and life in Buckingham Palace and England during a tumultuous time. Thanks to Ms. Harding, Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.