HERS is an extraordinary balancing act. Elizabeth II is simultaneously the most famous woman in the world and among the least well-known. Her portrait by Arnold Machin, based on black-and-white photographs taken by John Hedgecoe in June 1966 and used on every British stamp since 1967, has become the most reproduced work of art in history.
Millions of her subjects have dreamed about her – usually that she is visiting them at home for tea. Yet of the private thoughts of the woman behind Machin’s regal profile, we know almost nothing.
And this is precisely how it is likely to remain.
Alone in her immediate family, the Queen has never given an interview, never spoken to a journalist or biographer, never appeared on a chat show – and never, unlike the Duke of Sussex, aired her views in a podcast.
OVER her record-breaking seven decades on the throne, Elizabeth II has worked successfully to maintain both the monarchy’s dignity and its widespread support.
She has promoted the Royal Family’s work in aid of good causes and her role as head of the nation, and she has made clear the enjoyment she gains from rewarding good work on other people’s parts, especially voluntary sector workers, through the honours system and Palace investiture ceremonies.
Through a number of innovations she has made the Crown more accessible than ever. The royal walkabout, tried out first in Wellington, New Zealand, in March 1970, then in Coventry and Manchester later that year, made informal contact between monarch and subjects the norm.
Conversations on those occasions are often surprising, like the moment in Sheffield in 1982, when the Queen told a group of housewives she, too, had difficulty keeping her floors clean.
This story is from the June 12, 2021 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 12, 2021 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Jack's alright after Munich rain break
JACK DRAPER made the most of a rain delay to defeat wild card Rudolf Molleker and reach the BMW Open last eight in Munich.
GUNNERS FAIL TO FIRE AGAIN
Arteta's men go out of Europe with a whimper
KEEPER LUNIN BREAKS CITY'S HEART
Real stopper proves shoot-out hero
Mousinho proves he is special one
HIS surname is only one letter out but what John Mousinho has done for Portsmouth means just as much to their fans as anything Jose Mourinho ever did at any club for his.
If we fail, let's do it beautifully urges Klopp
JURGEN REVIVES FAMOUS BARCA MIRACLE MESSAGE
Let's hope Leverkusen heroes got hammered
MOYES BELIEVES BAYER PARTY MAY HELP HOSTS
Jealous stalker led a 'champagne lifestyle on lemonade budget'
Husband followed former wife around millionaires’ enclave
40 years on, I WILL bring Yvonne's killers to justice
THE retired police officer who cradled his shot colleague Yvonne Fletcher as she died is launching a private prosecution for conspiracy to murder against the Libyan official who plotted her shooting 40 years ago.
Dubai deluged by heaviest rain in 75 years
A MAN wades through chestdeep water as Dubai is hit by the worst rain storm in generations.
Smoking levels soaring for middle-class women
SMOKING is on the rise among middle and upper-class women under the age of 45, a study has revealed.