Stephen Bayley

Resolute, dignified and intelligent: Elizabeth II inspired loyalty from the start

Alexander Larman describes how, from 1945 onwards, the House of Windsor set about rebranding itself after a decade of crisis both internal and external

Princess Elizabeth dedicates her life to the service of the Commonwealth on 21 April 1947, during the royal tour of South Africa. [Getty Images] 
issue 30 March 2024

It was George VI who first called his extended family ‘the Firm’. Today, with so many injuries and key players on the bench, it might better be known as ‘the Team’ – and one struggling to avoid relegation. It’s what you might call a reign in pain. So it’s a good time for Alexander Larman to publish this appreciative, but not sycophantic, conclusion to his royal trilogy.

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