Before the Crown by Flora Harding

Set in the time of WW2 and the end of the war that has been dreamed of by many, stands a love story between two people. One brought up with duty and with the constant public eye always looking up to her as a figurehead. The other, a man who was born into a royal family no longer existent with no true home to go to and a family scattered across the globe.

Elizabeth is a princess who has always known that duty is one of the most important things that she must hold in the highest regard in her life, especially knowing that she will one day be queen. This can be seen as being a blessing and a curse. However, this has created her in the character that she must always be on her guard and in the constant eye of her mother and father, so that she doesn't stray too far away.

Philip can be seen as being fairly opposite in his character and those that have surrounded him throughout this part of his life. Described as being more of a person who acts before he thinks of the consequences, this has allowed for him to live a more freeing life than Elizabeth. This is most likely why Elizabeth can be seen to be attracted to Philip, as he is regarded as being risky, when her life must be safe from any possible unpredictability.

The great thing about this book is the dialogue. The dialogue between Elizabeth and Philip can be seen as something else entirely. It shows how it can slowly reveal how important and beautiful this relationship is between them both, as it is shown to be more than just a relationship but a long-standing team always looking out for each other. However, it shows that a relationship such as this cannot be without faults, especially one which can be seen to show how different these people are and the backgrounds they have come from. Thus, highlighting that this is not a traditional relationship that other people may have, but it is certainly an interesting one watching their journey.

I actually enjoyed the writing style as it was simplistic enough to feel as though we are actually reading through what both these people were thinking at the moment in time, regardless of how this is actually a historical piece of fiction. In some ways it is able to bring us closer to them, even though in real life, we are all so far away from being in the same room that we know what they are truly thinking of.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, the British monarchy or even Netflix's The Crown this is definitely one for you. It can be resembled as being a prequel to Netflix's The Crown and I believe there will be many new fans of this time period from the book in the very near future. Thus, I have decided to give it a four star.

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