Cover Image: Before the Crown

Before the Crown

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Member Reviews

this is one of those books i have no clue how to talk about it, let alone review it in a helpful way.

it was interesting to see snippets into the lives of this couple and how they meet and got married.

but because we only got snippets of specific moments, never got the introduction, never got the moment after the wedding or even the actual wedding which would have been interesting since it was the entire build up of the book.

on top of that the writing in this book was so over simplified that j have no idea which age group this book is targeted to.
ya? adult? on between? even younger? no clue!
if it’s adult it felt a bit too simple and i wish we could have been given more of the real struggles that elizabeth and phillip must have been going through with their decisions and how everyone around them reacted to their decision to marry.
if it’s ya i think it might have been helpful to give a bit more background infos?

i have no idea, which is why this book is confusing to rate.
it has so many middle ground moments that are hard to rate or talk about without the other person having read the book as well to understand what the “problems” are.

so to simplify:

- i liked how human and realistic the people are in this book.
elizabeth has a character, has feelings and emotions and sometimes struggles with her role that she didn’t pick but will take in because it’s what’s expected of her.
it was nice to see that a person who always seem so assured and strong be portrayed as someone struggling with self confidence sometimes.

- i didn’t like how this feels very much like an essay collection since we kept being dropped in moments that are already in full swing and while it gets explained over time would it have been easier to make it all connect better and not having to go back and explain after already starting?

- i didn’t enjoy how it’s so unclear what’s fiction and what isn’t.
is the way the queen and her husband meet real?
is the story about philips family real?
if so how come nobody ever mentioned that his sisters where married to SS officers?!?
and how the heck could he have really expected them to come to his wedding??
was that real if so dear god what kind of person is that man?!

so as someone that doesn’t know a huge amount of those two royals i wish we could have gotten a better overview of what’s actual fact and what’s fiction.


all in all?
it’s okay.
it’s not bad.

but it’s a strange type of book where i would guess that everyone that knows a lot about the royals wouldn’t find it overly interesting but if you don’t know a lot about them (the group i fall in) the book is skipping a lot that would be helpful and doesn’t give real facts to know what the author added herself.

it wasn’t a great one for me personally but i guess if you try jt and enjoy how it’s written it might be for you.

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This book follows the courtship of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth, up until their wedding day. There has been a number of novels about the early years of Elizabeth's reign published in the wake of Netflix's "The Crown', but this is one of the better ones (personally, I did not enjoy 'The Gown' by Jennifer Robson). I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of Prince Philip and the description of the sharp contrast between the Continental royalty to which he belonged, and the English aristocracy. The novel is not meant to be a critical look at royalty, but it also doesn't shy away from attributing flaws to the characters. My only criticism is that it feels a little bit like the author relies on how the historical figures have been portrayed in the Netflix series, rather than her own perspective on them.

That said, this was a thoroughly enjoyable light read and a very sweet romance - I absolutely recommend for royal watchers!

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As the title indicates, this is the story of the courtship of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip. Beginning in war torn England, the story flows and is well written, with a light hand. A good book, that’s a fast read and nice story that we know still exists today.

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I adored this book. I had no experience learning about the English monarchy before reading this book but now want to know all the things. This book is well written with beautiful language creating vivid imagery. I was immediately drawn into Elizabeth and Phillip’s story. As a reader I experienced their struggles and cheered at their growth. I really related to Elizabeth and got to know her as a woman not just as a Princess. I appreciated how this book reminds us that even royalty experience the same disappointments and triumphs that we do.

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Told alternatively between Elizabeth and Phillip, Before the Crown tells the story of these two semi-fictional characters that we're very familiar with and know (to certain extent) their history and how they ended up together. Now, as the story unfolds, you begin to discover a very complex romance that seemed detined to failed...but luckily, didn't.

First I have to say, Elizabeth's character was so well written, her pov makes you feel all the emotions she was going throught before she married and during her courting with Phillip. You can also tell every expectation that was forced upon her because of her future role in the royal family. I mean, she rocks!
As for Phillip, his perspective was a little bit mellow, but there's a certaing strenght in how he handled things.
All in all, I think this was a great historical romance that many will enjoy, espcially because of some really sweet scenes and overall, good written plot.

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I love reading about the royal family. I very much enjoyed learning more about the relationship between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the years before they held those titles.

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This book is about the courtship and love story of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. It is a fairly straight forward story about how the two go from being distant acquaintances to something more.
It is not easy to be royalty and find a partner. Marriage is not about love, so much a finding a partner who can handle the spotlight, not to mention the political ramifications. Philip is a penniless prince who needs to marry for money or be disowned. He likes Elizabeth but is not sure he wants to give up his bachelor lifestyle. Elizabeth, on the other hand, wants someone to marry her for who she is, not just the position she holds.
I really enjoyed this book. I think it was well-written and researched. There is not much show of emotion between the couple, but it is still a beautiful relationship. I am fascinated by the British monarchy and really enjoyed this glimpse into their lives.

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What a fun journey! I knew Elizabeth met Phillip as a child, but I didn't know much else so it was nice to see what might have happened during their courtship, betrothal, and wedding. I can imagine that the scenes are true because of the accuracy of Elizabeth's shyness and the hesitation Phillip probably felt about giving up everything to be a consort of the crown. While reading this I kind of felt Phillip was the star, which is odd because I never considered myself a Phillip fan, but I could feel the emotion he felt when choosing between "fun" and "duty".

There was also an immense pressure from his uncle to "get it done", meaning he wanted him to shore up this romance with Elizabeth and turn it into a wedding with no further delays. Philip would experience doubt and hesitation, I mean who wouldn't when you have to give up a "normal" life for one of constant photographs, public appearances, and little to no privacy? Elizabeth, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what she wanted and was ready for a life of love with the guy she was smitten with at 13 and to give her best towards her duty to her country.

I believe that anyone that loved season 1 of The Crown will be absolutely thrilled with this story. I enjoyed the writing and the scenes between the lovers.

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Could I love this book more? It's highly unlikely. If you love watching The Crown this fills in all the details of the time just before the show began.
I read a lot of books about the Royal Family and there were details in this that I haven't read anywhere else.

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"Before the Crown" is a delightful historical novel of the courtship of Elizabeth and the later Prince Philip. As the title promises, it is meant to fulfill a gap for fans of the Netflix series--what happened in the time before the show started? Harding imagines the story of Philip and Elizabeth's romance and does so in a very sweet way. What makes the book particularly of interest is that the author does a very good job of mimicking the vocabulary and characterizations from the Netflix series. It's so very easy to hear in one's mind Claire Foy and Matt Smith speaking here, and that's why I particularly enjoyed it.

What's good: If you like "The Crown" and you want a sweet modern historical fiction work, you've got it here. The dialogue is dead-on.

What's iffier: It is just a short and sweet book, not really an in-depth portrait. If you're looking for a deep psychological study, you'll want to move on.

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Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to read this book. I absolutely loved this book based on the early life and love story of Elizabeth and Philip. I struggled to put this book down as it was engaging and made the characters very likeable. I enjoyed watching "The Crown" series, so moments of this book would be a great prequel to that. Audiences who enjoyed that series will enjoy this book.

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This book will certainly be quickly picked up and read by those who love stories about Elizabeth and Phillip, and/or by those who enjoyed the Netflix series, The Crown.  This story starts as one of youth; readers observe as Elizabeth and Phillip get to know each other, beginning when the future queen was just a girl.  There is an early vivid scene of a Christmas pantomime at the castle during WWII.  Elizabeth is an Aladdin who eagerly looks for a certain dashing naval officer in the audience.  She is clearly interested in him.  But, what does he think of or want from her?  Even if you know how history played out, the author manages to create some suspense.


Phillip is portrayed as interested in this young Elizabeth but also as a man who is not fully ready to settle down.  The influence of his family history (royalty without a country) and his uncle Mountbatten's pressure to become the future monarch's husband are realistically portrayed. 


Another section of the book, at the end of the war, shows Elizabeth as the young girl she is.  This has been the subject of a movie, A Royal Night Out. and very much comes to life in the novel.  It was one time when Elizabeth was able to shed her persona and be part of a crowd in a celebration.


From these beginning chapters, the author crafts a well told accounting of one of the longest and most famous marriages in the Western world, one that Elizabeth's father did not initially endorse.  Readers are swept along as this couple moves toward one another and their eventual wedding.  Be there with them on this journey as the pages turn.


 I highly recommend this readable and enjoyable historical novel.  Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

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I will not be giving feedback on this as ur is not kindle enabled and I am unable to get it to download on my HP laptop

I have preordered it from Amazon and will submit a review upon reading it when published

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Phillip and Elizabeth

This was an adorable romance. I loved how it came together. The history of the different kingdoms and the different backgrounds between Elizabeth and Phillip. The descriptions of the different castles and homes and the clothes they wore were so detailed I could picture them in my mind.

I loved the romance that eventually developed between Phillip and Elizabeth and it was finally Elizabeth that asked Phillip to marry her. How they wore down the Kings resistance to Phillip. That what was once an arrangement between Phillip and Elizabeth became a romance between the two.

The insistence of Phillips uncle that he pursue Elizabeth, the reluctance at first of Phillip and the times he had doubts before the wedding. The times the King made them wait before announcing the engagement and their patience and loyalty in waiting for the King to finally allow them to announce the engagement.

There was a bit of humor in Phillip, the playboy sailor, trying to fit into the Royal picture much to the annoyance of the King. Phillip's response when he found out he had to wear a Kilt at the hunting retreat in Scotland as well as his resistance to hunt. I could just picture his face putting on the kilt..I was chuckling at that.

The grand wedding at last and the dress sounded beautiful. I loved that at the church it was just Elizabeth and Phillip taking their vows, not a prince, not a princess, between the two of them it was just them.

This was as a good historical fiction book, I really enjoyed reading it. I would highly recommend it.

Thanks to Flora Harding, Harper Collins Publishers, Australia, One Chapter Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.

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Before the Crown is a historical romance novel that details the courtship between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. I loved the way they each saw each other for who they were instead of the titles they held. This was an enjoyable, easy read.

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Thank you Netgalley for an advance release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the perfect novel to pick up on the heels of Prince Phillip celebrating a mile marker birthday and Queen Elizabeth impressing the world with her stoic in the wake of Covid-19. A novel for any fan of royally centered historical fiction, 'Before The Crown, shares with the reader the fascinating story of the early stages of Elizabeth and Phillip's relationship.

Fans of the television show, 'The Crown', will enjoy hours of reading pleasure with the tale Harding has eloquently pieced together. Princess Elizabeth might be young but she certainly is capable of knowing what she wants. Determined to marry the man of her choosing, she risks the displeasure of her father. When you're the heir to the throne of a powerful nation, politics often trumps love.

Set in the midst of World War II, the heir's father takes issue with Prince Phillip's questionable family connections and ties to the Nazis. Not to mention the deplorable state of his family's financial affairs and the lost kingdom of Greece they once held sway over.

Riveting from start to finish, Harding educates her readers in an entertaining way and draws them in to the love story that belongs to Elizabeth and Philip.

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Before the Crown by Flora Harding is a delightful novel about the courtship of then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. As much about royal life at court as it is a love story, this is a perfect summer read.

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I had been having a bad few days: washer quit, faucet leaking, and a sick cat. I decided to read for a while and try to regain my sanity. All I can say is "Thank you," This book hooked me from the very beginning. you. witty dialogue....this is it! Thank you Netgalley.

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who doesn''t want to read a love story between one the best known royal couples in the world. This books shows how Elizabeth and Phillip met, how theyfell in love , how their relationship developed and what obstacles they had to overcome to be allowed to get married. Yes I know it is fiction But I really Hope it is sprinkled with some truth. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest review

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Firstly I have to admit I am a huge fan of the British Royal Family and love any novel, movie or tv show based around them. When I saw Before the Crown as an ARC from Net Galley I knew I had to request to review it! It is a whimsical read, based on the courtship and engagement of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the 1940s. It is a very "PG" book as a lot of courting of that time would be, but particularly so for the heir to the throne of England. I liked learning the Royal Protocols of how Elizabeth needed to be the one to propose, and that she needed the King's permission to wed until the age of 25. Also the back stories of Philip's upbringing was interesting, I found myself googling some of the information - using image search a few times to get pictures of the Engagement ring and the Wedding dress.
If were a fan of the Netflix series "The Crown" you will love this book as it is in a similar vein. I really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to all my fellow royalists.

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