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    Mrs Queen Takes the Train: A Novel
    Mrs Queen Takes the Train: A Novel
    Mrs Queen Takes the Train: A Novel
    Ebook371 pages5 hours

    Mrs Queen Takes the Train: A Novel

    By William Kuhn

    3.5/5

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    “A witty, contemporary story of the Downton Abbey-esque tensions between servants and employers, the young and the old, and tradition and modernity.” — Glamour

    An absolute delight of a debut novel by William Kuhn—author of Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books—Mrs Queen Takes the Train wittily imagines the kerfuffle that transpires when a bored Queen Elizabeth strolls out of the palace in search of a little fun, leaving behind a desperate team of courtiers who must find the missing Windsor before a national scandal erupts.

    After decades of service and years of watching her family's troubles splashed across the tabloids, Britain's Queen is beginning to feel her age. An unexpected opportunity offers her relief: an impromptu visit to a place that holds happy memories—the former royal yacht, Britannia, now moored near Edinburgh. Hidden beneath a skull-emblazoned hoodie, the limber Elizabeth (thank goodness for yoga) walks out of Buckingham Palace and heads for King's Cross to catch a train to Scotland. But a colorful cast of royal attendants has discovered her missing. In uneasy alliance a lady-in-waiting, a butler, an equerry, a girl from the stables, a dresser, and a clerk from the shop that supplies Her Majesty's cheese set out to bring her back before her absence becomes a national scandal.

    Comic and poignant, fast-paced and clever, Mrs Queen Takes the Train tweaks the pomp of the monarchy, going beneath its rigid formality to reveal the human heart of the woman at its center.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateOct 16, 2012
    ISBN9780062208309
    Mrs Queen Takes the Train: A Novel
    Author

    William Kuhn

    William Kuhn is a biographer and historian, and the author of Reading Jackie, Democratic Royalism, Henry & Mary Ponsonby, and The Politics of Pleasure. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts. This is his first novel. His next book, a work of historical fiction, explores the friendship over nearly forty years of Isabella Stewart Gardner and John Singer Sargent.

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    Reviews for Mrs Queen Takes the Train

    3.5/5

    225 ratings30 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book, probably beause it reminds me of An Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.
    • 4/5
      This is a perfectly charming book about Queen Elizabeth II who is having a bad day & decides that she just needs to get away for a while, and the ensuing panic she induces in the Royal household.The Queen has been depressed and feeling irrelevant since the death of Princess Diana. The world seems to be moving away from the steady values she was raised to believe were eternal. And even worse, the government is examining her expenses. The Royal Yacht has been decommissioned, and now there is talk of taking her train away. One day she wanders to the Windsor stables to feed carrots to her favorite horse and it starts to sleet. The young woman working in the stables loans the Queen her hoodie to walk back to the castle. But the Queen doesn’t walk to the castle. Instead she walks to a cheese shop in town to buy th4 horse the cheese it loves. There she starts a conversation with the Indian shopkeeper and well…one thing leads to another and the queen decides she needs to go to Edinburgh and visit her old yacht, Britannia, that is now docked there as a museum.This sets off a comedic chase with the Queen, not being recognized by anyone in her strange outfit, mingles with normal people and begins to enjoy herself. Meanwhile, her members of her Household madly chase after her, and in doing so, learn more about themselves.This book was a marvelous antidote to our actual real world.
    • 4/5
      Queen Elizabeth takes off for Scotland solo, pursued by the attendants who care for her. Funny, well written. Great read for Anglophiles or for the beach this summer.
    • 3/5
      3.5 This is a charming book with quirky characters and a quirky plot line. I think that the author could have given us more character development; it felt like he was rushed in trying to fit in the back stories and motivation for each. Still, I recommend the book. It was a fun read and something a little different--it's not every day Queen Elizabeth walks out of the palace incognito in a black hoodie and then proceeds to travel to Scotland on her own.
    • 4/5
      Extremely enjoyable quick read. Republican or monarchist this is a great little story about so much more than the queen having an existential crisis. Both enjoyable and understandable this is a genuinely good read.
    • 3/5
      3.5 stars -- would've given it 4 but it dragged a bit in the middle. Still, the last 75 pages made up for that. Overall, a fun read from an author who's obviously done his homework.
    • 1/5
      A nice book. It has a '50s feel to it. If you want 'nice' and no violence and a tale that is in no way gripping, this is the book for you. I was sick at the time and needed a book to kill time; it succeeded.
    • 3/5
      It was a fun enough storyline, with interesting characters with different backgrounds. It really bugged me that the action kept jumping backward when the book switched persepctives though, to overlap with what had already been covered, at varying lengths (sometimes the same day was covered, sometimes the same hour). Also, there was jumping back years at a time with no indication. Finally, the ending was rather too nicely sewn up, with everyone going away in a pair. But I did appreciate the historical detail and local color. Oh, and there were small pictures randomly inserted. Different. Not sure how I feel about them. Not distracting, really, but not needed. An attempt to help the modern reader? If so, a bit patronizing.
    • 5/5
      This book was an absolute delight - highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      A delightfully entertaining audiobook that imagines what would happen if Queen Elizabeth were to wander off on her own without informing her household where she was going.
    • 5/5
      This book was an absolute delight. My husband, who usually doesn't care about this "royalty stuff", also read it and demanded an instant sequel to be written. I concur with that assessment.It was a nice way to look into the inner workings of a usually hidden way of running the royal household!
    • 3/5
      It was a fun enough storyline, with interesting characters with different backgrounds. It really bugged me that the action kept jumping backward when the book switched persepctives though, to overlap with what had already been covered, at varying lengths (sometimes the same day was covered, sometimes the same hour). Also, there was jumping back years at a time with no indication. Finally, the ending was rather too nicely sewn up, with everyone going away in a pair. But I did appreciate the historical detail and local color. Oh, and there were small pictures randomly inserted. Different. Not sure how I feel about them. Not distracting, really, but not needed. An attempt to help the modern reader? If so, a bit patronizing.
    • 4/5
      A good read that gives plausible pictures into certain staff members of Buckingham Palace - although fictional, the author has put enough details so that it could be real people. (although you know they're not, minus Queen Elizabeth II.)
    • 4/5
      The publisher says: An absolute delight of a debut novel by William Kuhn...Mrs Queen Takes the Train wittily imagines the kerfuffle that transpires when a bored Queen Elizabeth strolls out of the palace in search of a little fun, leaving behind a desperate team of courtiers who must find the missing Windsor before a national scandal erupts. Reminiscent of Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader, this lively, wonderfully inventive romp takes readers into the mind of the grand matriarch of Britain’s Royal Family, bringing us an endearing runaway Queen Elizabeth on the town—and leading us behind the Buckingham Palace walls and into the upstairs/downstairs spaces of England’s monarchy. My impression: What a fun book! This light, cheery, and surprisingly introspective work looks at the burdens of isolation, old age, and changing mores not just in Merry Olde England, but with enough panache to allow us to apply it anywhere. Some might see it merely as a somewhat pedantic view of the value of maintaining a monarchy. Kuhn chooses to portray a Queen who is struggling to do her duty as she has been taught and to be human with all the fatigue, self-doubt, and anxiety that goes with growing old, watching loved ones die, worrying about children, and trying to figure out what life is all about before it's over.Just imagine Her Majesty traipsing through the streets of rainy London with no umbrella, wearing her trademark head scarf and a borrowed hoody with a skull and crossbones on the back. It can only get better from there. This one is a short read, but is not one to be brushed aside. For me it was a perfect palate cleanser from a steady diet of ponderous, dark, and often pompous literary fiction. Books like this one make reading fun, and at the same time give us a glimpse of what might be ahead.I got this one in audio because it was right there for the picking. It was a great choice. Definitely recommended.
    • 4/5
      Reading this was a lot of fun. Maybe it is not as good as Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader, but still it very enjoyable, with a cast of characters who are entertaining and appealing. The character of the Queen is beautifully done and the whole book is both funny and mildly thought provoking about the usually very ordinary lives other people live.
    • 4/5
      It must be difficult being famous. To be so surrounded by others for security and so tightly scheduled that you can't deviate from the usual and have no chance to do things on the spur of the moment could certainly become chafing, especially after years of living this way. It must be a bit like when you're young and you have to wait for mommy all the time before you could do the most intriguing things, simple things like crossing the street and other great adventures of that ilk. In William Kuhn's new novel, Mrs. Queen Takes the Train, Queen Elizabeth defies the strictures under which she's lived most of her life, leaves Buckingham Palace incognito, and takes a train north all because she wants to visit the moored Britannia, the decommissioned royal yacht where she once spent many happy hours. Her disappearance brings together very disparate members of her household in the effort to locate her and keep her safe without alerting the press and her subjects to her absence. The Queen is having one of those days we all face, a day where she is vaguely down and can't decide what she wants to do with herself so she chooses to start with her horses, visiting the royal Mews and speaking with a stable hand, Rebecca, who notices that Her Majesty is not dressed for the weather and subsequently gives the Queen her own hoodie, emblazoned with a skull on the back. It is in this completely out of character clothing that the Queen is not recognized by some workers, giving her the idea that she could take a small trip to other spots that have given her pleasure long ago. And so she heads out without so much as a by your leave to anyone at the palace. Interspersed with the Queen's unusual peregrinations, are woven the stories of several of her staff, those who will form a tense and worried alliance as they set out to find HRH. These include Rebecca, the stable hand in the Mews whose hoodie the Queen is wearing on her walkabout and who, like some of her charges, is spooked by people and only at ease with animals; Rajiv, a clerk at a local cheese shop who has hired on occasionally for events at the Palace and who has snapped undercover photos of the Queen to later sell to the tabloids; the Queen's equerry Luke, who is a decorated young veteran still grappling with a terrible loss in the war; William, one of the butlers to the Queen, a man to whom his job is a calling and who takes immense pride in doing it well even if it means that his life outside his work is a lonely one; the Queen's dresser, Shirley, who followed her mother and grandmother into service at the palace and who harbors a real affection for the Queen, and Lady Anne, one of the Queen's ladies in waiting who accepts these opportunities at the palace in order to supplement her very meager widow's income and whose son has long been estranged from her. The stories of each of these very different people come out in flashbacks and ruminations as the story progresses and they follow the Queen to Edinburgh, learning more about each other and delving beneath the surface impressions to the real core of the person beneath. And the Queen on her walkabout has the chance to interact with regular British people from all walks of life beyond the well-scripted engagements, openings, and events on her social calendar. She learns some uncomfortable truths about the monarchy and the vision of what it means to a modern day Britain, leading her to wonder if she can fit into the modern world, one of baffling computers and technology, or if she's as much a relic of times past as the royal train (now on the chopping block) and the Britannia (simply a tourist attraction). In addition to the question of the place of the monarchy in today's world, the varied people in the Queen's employ and those she encounters during her incognito journey highlight many other prevalent social issues as well: racism, gay rights and homophobia, poverty--genteel and otherwise, animal rights, etc. Kuhn has done a marvelous job weaving all of these together into a delightful and charming read without negating their import. There's a real depth of heart here in this lovely novel. Anglophiles will love it as much for the look into upper and working class realities as for the humanizing view of one of the world's longest reigning monarchs.
    • 5/5
      What a strange but wonderful little book. Set nowishly, Mrs Queen Takes the Train follows Queen Elizabeth through a day when she's feeling a little down and decides the solution is to visit some of her favorite things (yep, like the song). She starts with a little wander to the Royal Mews but ends up straying further afield to a cheese shop in London that sells to the Palace and then all the way to Edinburgh to visit the decommissioned royal yacht, Britannia. Naturally, this causes a bit of a panic among her staff, who scramble to find her and to keep the news of The Queen's going "walkabout" away from the press. The novel is really the story of her staff (a young woman who works in the Mews, a young man from the cheese shop, a young vet currently serving as her equerry, one of the Palace senior butlers, her dresser, and one of her ladies in waiting) as much as it is the story of The Queen's Day Out. And somehow Kuhn manages to pull it all together and tell a satisfying story, one that does justice to all of his characters.The novel is not perfect, however. The question (brought up repeatedly) of whether The Queen hasn't gone just a little peculiar is never really resolved. (Though the suggestion that she might be depressed is handled well.) It's clear in the end that The Queen knows what she's about and feels a renewed sense of how she can serve her country through her position, but one never fully understands whether The Queen has come round to her senses or was simply more sensible than everyone else all along. And the failure to answer that question rankles a bit, especially since this is a novel about a real person, still living. Is Kuhn making some sort of statement about The (real) Queen? Is it even possible to read the book without assuming he is, given his subject matter? If he is, what was the statement? If he's not, what does that mean? You write a novel about a sitting monarch, you can't pretend you haven't written a novel about a sitting monarch. What do you mean by it, Will? You can't escape the question by not answering it, dang it. (I had pretty much the same problem with Allan Bennett's wonderful The Uncommon Reader--brilliant novella, but it doesn't fully account for itself, somehow.) So there's that little niggle twitching away the whole time one's reading, and it can't help but detract a bit from the experience. But the novel manages to be lovely anyway, so. My only other quibble is Kuhn's use of pictures. Every so often, the text includes a black and white reproduction of a real photograph--sometimes of The Queen, sometimes of people she knew or places referenced in the story. Why? I ask you. Why? It doesn't rise to an experiment with form, but neither does it sit comfortably in the tradition of illustrated classics or the like. It seems only to underline the fact that the novel is about a Real Person, which, honestly, who could have missed that? These complaints aside, this was one fun, engaging, satisfying read. (I can imagine myself just flipping through and rereading some bits just for the joy of returning to them--especially the scenes with Luke, the equerry, who should have his own book.) It will almost surely be in my top five reads for the year. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      I received this book via LibraryThing. It took a little while to set up and explain the context of all the characters but that was very interesting in itself. The story was very charming throughout and very believable, probably because it was obviously that the author has done a lot of research into this subject. I loved this book and did not want it to end.
    • 5/5
      The Queen borrows a skull hoodie and hops a train. How could it not be a good book? Great narrator.
    • 4/5
      this story was at times quite charming, in a similar vein to the Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader. Against the backdrop of today's modern technology world, Kuhn paints an interesting portrait of Britian through a changing - or unchanging - social, political and generational lens. Kuhn takes the living monarch and presents her as an elderly woman struggling with the possibility that she may be a relic of the past. The story doesn't get bogged down with examining the Queen' troubling thoughts, but it does get a bit bogged down in setting the stage and explaining all of the characters. The plot really only takes off around the half-way mark so some patience while reading - or listening - this this one is required. The story is just as much about the royal attendants as it is about the Queen and I found it a little frustrating how the story would jump around from character to character and back and forth through time, which made it a bit challenging to follow as an audiobook that I was only listening to in half hour intervals. The characters are a very nice cross section of the population and their situations provide the social and generational examination that Kuhn appears to be focusing his story on. While some sections of the book were a bit 'cheesy' but they do help brighten the story. There are enough modern history references to provide some readers with a nostalgic feel while reading this one. I did enjoy the Queen's incognito interactions with the British populous, sans handlers, although it was a bit far-fetched that no one recognized who they were having a conversation with.... although some did think they recognized the voice from somewhere. I also felt that the book carried on past what I thought was the logical conclusion. The narration by Simon Pebble was good but didn't add a great deal to my enjoyment of the story beyond the voice he provided for the character Rajiv. Overall, an entertaining, if somewhat rambling story but not something I would recommend unless you enjoyed The Uncommon Reader and don't mind reading a book that builds upon vignette moments of modern history of the royal family interspersed with the stories of the other characters.
    • 4/5
      I picked this up after reading a positive review from one of my friends here on Goodreads (Yes, Melinda, you) and am pleased to say I enjoyed it quite a lot.

      It's a unique story that's for sure - Queen Elizabeth II impulsively sets off on a train journey across the United Kingdom whilst feeling sombre and during the journey reflects upon her life and comes to a few realisations.

      It's good to see more books touching on mental illness (specially depression in this case) which don't typecast the sufferer as "crazy".

      Overall, I found Mrs Queen Takes the Train to be a nice easy going read, light and enjoyable with a mix of history throughout which kept it both interesting and entertaining.

    • 3/5
      Started off charming, but I got a bit bogged down with all the characters (except Rajiv--he was great all the way through). I felt at the end The Queen was sort of channeling Diana, but then, I guess she was meant to have learned from her. A fun read.
    • 4/5
      This might be my sole venture in 2013 outside of the crime fiction genre. It proved to be a delightful romp, witty and at the same time poignant. The Queen, in an effective although unwitting disguise, sees herself as her subjects see her. Worried that she is "not quite herself" members of her household set out in search for her to prevent scandal erupting.Meanwhile "Little Bit" is enjoying herself buying cheese and making new friends. Her personal skills stand her in good stead, making conversations with strangers, many of whom think she reminds them on "someone", but can't quite put a finger on it. Perhaps Helen Mirren? one thinks.The central story is surrounded by insights into the royal household and the problems they face as the Queen ages.
    • 3/5
      The novel had some charming moments but mostly I found it a bit boring. I found myself speed reading pages and skipping paragraphs in order to finish. Maybe I didn't devote the amount of attention that this novel needs in order to enjoy it.
    • 4/5
      The Queen of England has gone rogue!Not so much Sarah Palin-style, but she has slipped her handlers. It started innocuously enough. Elizabeth (or “Little Bit” as she addresses herself) has been feeling rather blue. The monarchy has taken more than a few hits in the last several years. After a visit to her favorite horse, the stable girl loans The Queen a “hoodie,” as it has begun sleeting outside. This unusual attire, adorned with skull and crossbones, lends her instant anonymity, and she simply can’t resist embarking upon a small adventure. A jaunt to the local cheese shop segues into an impromptu trip to Scotland.Back at the palace, panic ensues. A small band of The Queen’s most loyal staff brainstorm about where she could have gone. They’re determined to corral her back home before the press and public get wind of the fact that she’s missing and unattended.This is non-fiction writer William Kuhn’s debut novel, and he’s off to a winning start. There have been many comparisons between Mrs. Queen Takes the Train and Alan Bennett’s perennial favorite, The Uncommon Reader. The comparisons are somewhat apt, and not even Kuhn is dodging them:“’Did you read the one about The Queen becoming a reader?’ said the woman in spectacles to the young man at her side. ‘I did enjoy that one. So funny. And of course, being a reader myself, I liked that side of it.’”That’s the sort of awkward subject that can crop up when you’re a queen conversing with commoners in mufti. But actually, The Queen’s interactions with her subjects are gentle and surely eye-opening.Kuhn’s story is told not only from the monarch’s POV, but also from that of the staff pursuing her. These are likeable and only slightly damaged individuals. Their pursuit becomes a bonding experience, giving Kuhn a canvas on which to paint several different shades of relationship forming. He spends a fair amount of time at the top of the book introducing his cast, developing the characters, and establishing the workings of the palace. It’s all rather sweet. But Kuhn isn’t ignoring the real world as he spins his tale. There is social commentary on subjects that include racism, homelessness, terrorism, animal rights, and mental illness, making Kuhn’s novel slightly less twee than Bennett’s novella. I’m not one of those Americans infatuated with royalty, but I found it all rather charming. And who couldn’t find it in their heart to empathize with a queen?
    • 3/5
      This book tells the story of a day when Her Majesty Queen Elizabath II decides she would like to take a break from the many responsibilities she has. On a whim, she leaves the palace grounds, headed to Edinburgh, to visit her retired yacht now attached to a shopping mall there. The yacht was the site of some of her most peaceful days, and she has decided she could use a little peace. The story follows the Queen, and a group of people who are trying to bring her home without the media realizing she has been gone. This book would especially appeal to royalty-lovers, but I am not sure if the general reader would find it entertaining.
    • 5/5
      Though the structure makes it a bit difficult to follow, Kuhn delivers a comic and touching fabricated day in the life of Queen Elizabeth II. But this is no normal day. The Queen is feeling a bit sad and decides, quite suddenly, to travel to a place that once brought her happiness. The Queen's unusual (and alarming) absence brings together six unlikely people from all walks of life whose personal histories are revealed in stories from the past as well as the present. Paired off in uneasy alliances, they are nonetheless united by their commitment to getting "Mrs. Queen" safely back to Buckingham Palace. The Queen's physical journey (made easier by her practice of yoga) is nothing compared to her emotional one, as she copes with previous losses and new discoveries, demonstrating a warm heart beneath what is often perceived as a chilly exterior. An enjoyable read if you can stick with what appear to be divergent backstories until they eventually coalesce into a satisfying whole.
    • 5/5
      The Good Stuff Delightfully odd and uniquely refreshing Richly developed unusual characters who feel very real Makes you realize that the Queen is a living human being and not just a figure head (yes this is a fictionalized version of the Queen - but still) Discusses race & class differences but in a non preachy in your face sort of way - almost light and playful - but at the same time makes you see the absurdity of judging someone based on race or class (Hope that makes sense probably should have taken the cold medicine AFTER I finished this review) Adored the character of Rajiv and found his back story intriguing - don't want to put any spoilers but his interactions with other characters in terms of his race are funny yet sad and true The Queen's journey is that of most women dealing with mid life crisis & depression and the age old question of "Did I do any good in this life?" Found myself wondering actually how the Queen feels and what makes her happy Actually learned a few things about the inner workings of the Royal Household A wonderful healing journey Within characters various discussions they discuss frankly serious issues such as homosexuality, post-traumatic stress and depression - again never done in a preachy way, just matter of fact and out in the open The Not So Good Stuff Jumps around a lot which I found quite disconcerting -- but hey I was also very sick while reading -- so take that with a grain of salt Felt the yoga bits didn't really work - that they were just thrown in to make it even quirkier - but hey it could be that I just couldn't imagine H.R.H. actually doing a child's poseFavorite Quotes/Passages"She recalled with shame how little she'd taken it seriously when Diana Wales was suffering from depression. None of them had. In her depression was only something that soldiers returning from battle suffered, 'shell shock' yes, but everyone felt dejected every now and again. You didn't take medicine for it. You pulled up your socks. Went for a walk. The whole Diana business had taught her that depression was an illness and that there were drugs that would help if it didn't lift after a month or two of feeling unhappy." "This time it was Anne's turn to shoot Luke a resentful glance. He was after all a young man of about her nephew's age, and sometimes she wondered whether all young men weren't in league against all old ladies. Young men hadn't looked at her on the street for a long time and she still minded." "Now he'd inherited the earldom and was old enough to stand in the pulpit, he thought he could give her a lecture in how to behave. That was gratitude for you. Had she the power, she certainly would have thrown him in the Tower at that moment. But no, she was quite powerless, she had to do as she was told."Who Should/Shouldn't Read Wonderful book for a book club. Would lead to fabulous discussions on the Monarchy, Depression, public figures, fame, racism & class Would definitely appeal to those fascinated by the British Monarchy Keeping my copy for when my Mother-in-Law comes to visit as I think she would really enjoy this one4.5/5 Dewey'sI received this from HarperCollins as part of our Indigo Insiders program & am in no way required to review
    • 4/5
      What a witty and clever idea for a novel, I felt like I was a fly on the wall observing royal etiquette, duties and jealousies. Loved the beginning when the queen expresses her opinion on modern technology, Gin and Camilla. A fun romp through modern day England meshed with old England traditions and a Queen who has been Queen for a very long time and longs for a little freedom. Enjoyed many of the characters we meet on her journey as well as those who job it is to attend to this long reigning monarch. Quite enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      Queen Elizabeth...she lets me call her Little Bit when we have tea...goes on holiday and causes quite a to-do. Delightful novel that will certainly appeal to Anglophiles everywhere. Yes, it's quite funny but there are serious moments, too. And I really enjoyed the supporting cast of the Queen's staff who accompany her on her journey. Kuhn paints the Queen as a very caring, concerned and kind monarch. And it made me want to read Shakespeare's Henry V (or see a production) when I finished.

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    Mrs Queen Takes the Train - William Kuhn

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