Includes bibliographical references (page 349) and index.

Preface -- The accidental queen -- The wayward sister -- Royal family values -- A feud behind the throne -- "The monarchy will not survive..." -- Enter Tony stage left -- The shock of change -- A rival called Camelot -- Mocking their Britannic majesties -- The trouble with Philip -- Money trouble -- Beware the kingmakers -- The slumber of centuries -- The man who knew far too much -- A titan passes, a tragedy strikes -- How much promiscuity can a marriage take? -- A great pageant and a disappeared documentary -- A king takes his secrets to the grave -- A year of disgrace -- The long and scandalous legacy of Dickie Mountbatten -- The radiant one -- A last lunch with Tony -- Two women at the top -- The most famous person in the world -- Where is the Queen? -- The next king -- Diana's boys -- The Sussexes say goodbye -- The monarchy in the time of apocalypse -- Afterword.

A timely and revelatory new biography of Queen Elizabeth (and her family) exploring how the Windsors have evolved and thrived, as the modern world has changed around them, and probing the question of the British monarchy's longevity. In 2021, the Queen Elizabeth II finally appears to be at ease in the modern world, helped by the new generation of Windsors. But through Irving's unique insight there emerges a more fragile institution, whose extraordinarily dutiful matriarch has managed to persevere with dignity, yet in doing so made a Faustian pact with the media. This is not a conventional biography--and the book is therefore not limited by the traditions of that genre. Instead, it follows Elizabeth and her family's struggle to survive in the face of unprecedented changes in our attitudes towards the royal family, with the critical eye of an investigative reporter who is present and involved on a highly personal level.