I think that the late Ben Pimlott's biography of the Queen is a masterly piece of work. He was a very talented biographer, I also very much enjoyed his biography of Dalton whom as he once told me was 'an odd old cove.'
The biography has been criticised for too political an emphasis, but that is its attraction to me.
Why I am mentioning it now? There is a full page obituary in The Times today about Lady Elizabeth Cavendish who was the lover of John Betjeman and a close companion of Princess Margaret (Craig Brown's biography of her is a hoot). It says that Lady Elizabeth was given royal approval to talk to Pimlott.
This confirms my view is that it was a semi-authorised biography. Anther indication is that Pimlott and his partner were invited to stay at Windsor Castle after the biography appeared. In accordance with the Queen's usual discretion, the biography was not mentioned and you cannot initiate a subject with Her Majesty (ok, a friend of mind did and was subsequently made a Dame Commander, but that is a story that can't be told).
The book was published in 1998 and I think it was encouraged by New Labour to give them a perspective on the monarchy.
I was also interested to read in The Times that the Queen by her own admission to one of their players is an Arsenal fan like her mother.
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