George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy

Biographer Smith (Prince Charles) spotlights the partnership between Queen Elizabeth II’s parents in this exhaustive yet intimate chronicle. In addition to his “lifelong struggle” with a stutter, Prince Albert, called Bertie by his family, endured an abusive father, a sadistic governess, and his “pampered and careless” older brother, Edward. The romance between Bertie and Elizabeth Bowes Lyon began at the 1920 Royal Air Force ball, when the 24-year-old prince asked the 19-year-old Scottish debutante to dance. (Bertie was smitten; Elizabeth initially treated his interest “as a lark.”) The couple married in 1923 and had two daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, before the family’s “cosseted life” came to an end in 1936 when Edward abdicated and Bertie became King George VI. Smith sheds light on how Elizabeth’s support and advice helped Bertie cope with his fear of public speaking and forge an “enduring partnership” with Winston Churchill, and she sprinkles the narrative with choice quotes: “I’m glad we’ve been bombed,” Elizabeth said after Buckingham Palace was hit during the Blitz. “It makes me feel I can look the East End in the Face.” It adds up to a stirring portrait of grace under pressure. Photos. Agent: Amanda Urban, ICM Partners. (Apr.)