The institution of monarchy in Britain is in deep crisis. Scarcely a day goes by without some new revelation about the private life of some or other of the Royals splashed all over the tabloid newspapers, and public interest in the House of Windsor is more feverish and obssessional than ever. Ben Pimlott here subjects Queen Elizabeth II to the rigorous and objective scrutiny he has applied to major political personalities, using a wide range of new sources, including interviews, diaries and letters, and papers in the Royal Archives. The book looks at the social, political and psychological aspects of Queen Elizabeth II's reign in detail, as well as at the changing role of monarchy in the British Constitution.