The Crown

The official book for the acclaimed and award-winning Netflix series, The Crown , elegantly blends fiction and extensive research, features historical photos and records from the series, and charts the development of a young queen in the 20th century.

The Crown: Behind the Scenes is the companion book to the first season of the Emmy, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG Award-winning series. The book focuses on the time period from 1947 to 1955, which encompasses the first season of the series, when the young Elizabeth II is crowned queen. It features refined writing and two inserts with striking photos from the dramatic period.

Elizabeth never expected her father, George VI, to die so young and so soon, leaving her to occupy the throne of the British Empire and rule a global institution. Crowned at 25, she was already a wife and mother. The Crown: Behind the Scenes of History chronicles the journey of a woman learning to become sovereign of her people.

The pivotal social, political, and personal moments surrounding Elizabeth's life affected not only the Royal Family but the world around them. As the United Kingdom emerged from the shadow of World War II, the new monarch faced personal challenges. Her mother disbelieved in her marriage; her exiled uncle mocked her abilities to rule the Empire; her husband resented her for sacrificing his career and the family name; and her sister embarked on a love affair that threatened the centuries-old ties between Church and Crown.

Netflix's award-winning original series, The Crown , created by playwright Peter Morgan, adapted for television the many characters and events that span the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. But what is real? What is fiction? These are questions that linger in the minds of fans of the series and those who already follow the history of the British Royal Family.

In The Crown: Behind the Scenes , the series' historical consultant and Royal Family biographer, Robert Lacey, establishes the boundaries between reality and fiction, unraveling the first season of the series — starring Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II; Matt Smith as Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; and John Lithgow as Winston Churchill —, which portrays the historical events surrounding the British monarchy from 1947 to 1955.

Follow the story of how Queen Elizabeth II dedicated herself to ensuring that the Crown always came first, becoming the longest-reigning British monarch. The Crown: Behind the Scenes adds even more detail and depth to the series' events, featuring rich historical research and photographs from both the series and the Royal Family, and also painting an intimate portrait of life inside Buckingham Palace and the famous residence at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. Readers will encounter a Queen Elizabeth II unlike anything they've ever seen before.