In her new biography, ELIZABETH THE QUEEN: The Life of a Modern Monarch (Random
House Hardcover; on sale date: January 10, 2012). New York Times bestselling author Sally Bedell
Smith brings to life one of the world’s most fascinating and enigmatic women: Queen Elizabeth II.

As the first American author to have special access to the Queen’s closest advisers and friends,
acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith draws on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed
documents. She pulls back the curtain to show in intimate detail the public and private lives of Queen
Elizabeth II, who, from the moment of her ascension to the throne in 1952 at the age of twenty-five, has
been the object of unparalleled scrutiny. With new information and fresh insights, Smith explains how
the Queen has led her country and Commonwealth through the wars and upheavals of the last sixty
years with unparalleled composure, intelligence, and grace.

ELIZABETH THE QUEEN is a close-up view of a woman we’ve known only from a distance,
illuminating the lively personality, sense of humor, and canny intelligence with which she meets the
most demanding work and family obligations. It is also a fascinating window into life at the center of
the last great monarchy.

 Reviews

“After 60 years on the throne, the monarch of Britain is better known for her poker face than for sly wit
or easy charm. Yet in biographer Sally Bedell Smith’s ELIZABETH THE QUEEN, Her Majesty
sparkles with both. Via interviews with a legion of royal watchers, from horse trainers to lords and
ladies, Smith teases out a woman both austere and animated, duty-bound yet undeniable authentic.”

—MORE Magazine

“All the details are here for the reader to gather a comprehensive picture of a life so rarefied
none of us could imagine it.”

—Booklist

“A compelling, deeply human portrait of the remarkable Elizabeth II.
This is a biography not to be missed.

”—Lynne Olson

“In an era plagued by flawed public figures, the world’s most famous woman has graced her realm
impeccably for sixty years. She does so by being both mysterious and grounded. Sally Bedell Smith, with
great reporting and insightful writing, provides a revealing look inside the palace to show how the
Queen balances being both modern and traditional. Our celebrity-saturated world her –and from this book.”                        

—Walter Isaacson

About the Author

Sally Bedell Smith is the author of bestselling biographies of William S. Paley; Pamela Harriman;
Diana, Princess of Wales; John and Jacqueline Kennedy; and Bill and Hillary Clinton. A contributing
editor at Vanity Fair since 1996, she previously worked at Time and The New York Times, where she
was a cultural news reporter.