Elizabeth & Margaret

March 1, 2021

Celebrity biographer Morton (Diana: Her True Story--In Her Own Words) returns with another fascinating biography of the royal family, this time shedding light on the interpersonal dynamics between Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926) and Princess Margaret (1930-2002). Following the two sisters throughout the years, Morton eschews the familiar tendency to categorize their relationship as one always living in the shadow of the other. Instead, the author illustrates the difficulties of their relationship, especially as Margaret was publicly expected to be loyal to the queen while privately struggling with being defined as the queen's sister. Though much of the material will be familiar to viewers of The Crown, Morton offers more details of the sisters' shared history and how it affected their relationship, both positively and negatively, throughout the years. He also pinpoints some scenarios in The Crown, such as the handling of the Townsend affair, that were made to appear more dramatic than the reality. VERDICT Morton's insightful analysis of the complex relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret succeeds in humanizing two extremely public figures and the myths surrounding them. It will engage history buffs, biography readers, and especially fans of The Crown.--Stacy Shaw, Denver

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February 1, 2021
The British celebrity biographer and dogged royal watcher examines the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926) and her only sister, Princess Margaret (1930-2002). At the risk of stating the obvious, fans of the Netflix series The Crown will be keen to devour Morton's latest portrait of the royal family, following his 2018 book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. (The author has also written unauthorized biographies of Madonna, Tom Cruise, and Angelina Jolie.) Here, Morton focuses on the close relationship of the queen and her only sibling, who was both her closest supporter and sometime rival. From their earliest years, the two were rare peas in a royal pod. With their father's unexpected accession to the throne as George VI, following Edward VIII's scandalous abdication in 1936, the daughters became second and third in line to the throne. As in previous books on the royal family, the author captures their dramatic differences in temperament and character. Elizabeth was dutiful, shy, retiring, imperturbable, and content to embrace tradition and protocol; Margaret was theatrical, extroverted, individualistic, and self-indulgent. Their differences grew more pronounced over the years, even perilously so. Elizabeth dug into her role as queen with a dour sense of fatality while Margaret flaunted the royal boundaries at every turn. Morton focuses much attention on Margaret's unraveling, as she continually fought against her sister's staid public image and conventional marriage by capturing tabloid headlines in pursuit of "unsuitable" men--from the divorced, older Group Capt. Peter Townsend to the much younger Roddy Llewelyn. The author points out the double standard used against Margaret at the time, when "older women dating younger men had not yet been accepted by the mainstream." Morton cruises through the events of the decades to create a smooth, composite portrait of the messy yet indissoluble bond between sisters. A fairly evenhanded portrait sure to please fans of the royal-family genre.

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Starred review from February 15, 2021
In this latest take on the British royal family, veteran correspondent Morton (Wallis in Love, 2018) zeros in on the relationship between sisters Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. He covers aspects of their upbringing from infancy to adulthood, closely documenting their celebrated but ultimately lonely lives. Throughout, Morton carefully distinguishes between the media versions of events compared to the carefully worded press releases put forth by palace officials, and actual, often complicated personal experiences. Much of this history is familiar, but some tidbits seem fresh (personal friend John Lennon's nickname for Margaret was ""Priceless Margarine""). Morton explores how the siblings were assigned personalities at a young age: Elizabeth obedient, serious, and steady; Margaret wild, dramatic, and spoiled. Time and time again, Morton shows how the sisters were absolutely loyal to each other throughout their entire lives, defending and supporting each other at every turn (despite shows like The Crown indicating otherwise). Morton denies rumors of jealousy and attempts at one-upmanship, providing multiple examples to the contrary. The writing can be clich�-ridden, and archaic expressions abound, but loyal royalists (whose numbers are legion) won't care. Deliciously detailed, sometimes gossipy, often moving, this in-depth examination of royal siblings is sure to be in demand.

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