What’s Queen Elizabeth Like Behind the Scenes?

Queen Elizabeth is preparing to celebrate her record-breaking seventy years on the British throne with her Platinum Jubilee in June. Now, new revelations are coming out about who the 95-year-old monarch really is behind the scenes, and they’re sure to make you love her even more.

‘She Really Enjoys What She Does’

Royal biographer Robert Hardman talked to dozens of the Queen’s friends, courtiers, and insiders for his new book “Queen of Our Times: The Life of Queen Elizabeth II,” and he came away from it realizing that when it comes down to it, the Queen loves being Queen. 

“It’s not just about longevity or clinging on,” Hardman told People Magazine. “Yes, she’s by far the longest-lived monarch in our history. She remains very much center stage, with an appetite and enthusiasm for the job. She really enjoys what she does.”

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Hardman went on to say that “those who know her well talk about her sense of humor and how she’s a very upbeat and positive person.” For this reason, those close to the Queen do not like the dour way that she is portrayed on the Netflix series “The Crown.” 

“A lot of her friends and close staff felt that [The Crown] showed her being miserable all the time,” the biographer said. “And that’s just not how it is.”

Hardman added that another popular misconception is “that she’s largely symbolic and just signs things and goes where she’s told to and smiles. When you get behind the scenes of so many of these events, she does keep politicians on their toes.”

Queen Evolves With The Times

The Queen also realized the importance of evolving with the times.

“She lives in the present, reminiscing occasionally, when appropriate, but not as a habit,” said one senior advisor. 

“It is another key difference between Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria,” Hardman wrote in his book. “The latter loved to wallow in nostalgia, to surround herself with favorites and, in later life, to preserve the past in aspic. The present Queen prefers to move on. Whereas many of her family, including Prince Charles, are romantics at heart, the Queen is a realist.”

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The Queen is a Constant in an Ever-Changing World

In the end, the Queen is a steady constant in a world that is constantly changing. 

“I don’t think people will really realize until she’s gone the extent to which she is just part of the national landscape,” said Hardman. “She is such a reassuring figure. When you have moments of great uncertainty, there’s that sense that the wheels aren’t going to fall off, that the country will still be there tomorrow—as long as there’s still a flag flying above Buckingham Palace.”

We would like to congratulate the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee, and we hope to see her sitting on the British throne for many years to come. May God save the Queen!