Michael O’Mara to publish ‘vivid’ biography of the Queen by Morton

Michael O’Mara Books has secured The Queen, a "comprehensive" biography of Queen Elizabeth II by Andrew Morton.  

Senior editorial director Louise Dixon acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Grand Central Publishing in the US. The Queen will be published in hardback on 24th May 2022, ahead of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June. 

Morton’s new biography will span the Queen’s idyllic childhood and the unexpected road to sovereignty after the early death of her father, King George VI. Her public life of duty and service are brought into focus alongside her private family life to reveal an “extensive, entertaining and insightful portrait”.  

Dixon said: “This is a wonderfully vivid portrait of the life and times of our monarch, published at an unprecedented time in British royal history. Andrew Morton never fails to impress with his knowledge and insight, both of which he brings to bear here, along with a lightness of touch that makes this such a tremendous read.” 

Morton added: “Queen Elizabeth II has become the stuff of superlatives: the longest reigning, most travelled and, for a shy woman, someone who has shaken more hands and made more small talk than any other monarch in history. Her life has been one of service scored with shocks and surprises, and with an unparalleled capacity to expect the unexpected. While her reign has been defined by divorce, her private life has been moulded by an irascible husband, an extravagant mother and a querulous eldest son. As she celebrates her platinum anniversary, the first monarch to reign for 70 years, she has, during a once in a lifetime pandemic, become the reassuring face of hope and optimism, the grandmother to the nation.”