A new biography portrays Queen Elizabeth II as the British public's emotional anchor

Author and essayist Craig Brown is perhaps best known for his sketch comedy writing and satirical columns poking fun at the British government. But he's also a biographer, having written about subjects like Princess Margaret and The Beatles. Now, he's turned his attention to Queen Elizabeth II in a new biography, Q: A Voyage Around the Queen. In the book, Brown portrays the monarch as an anchor for the British public who penetrated the emotional psyche of a nation–even appearing in people's dreams. In today's episode, Brown joins NPR's Scott Simon to talk about what Queen Elizabeth II symbolized to people, what she would've done with her life had she not been royalty, and the unchanging nature of her character.

To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy