In the not-too-distant future, a radical government has come to power in Great Britain and the Royal family has been moved to a housing estate in Leicester. For the first time, the Royals have to live as ordinary people and they find the experience baffling and frightening, but ultimately enriching. A satire on the failings of the welfare state, the pretensions, expectations and personal foibles of the Royal Family - this warm-hearted and affectionate comedy concerning the Royals' attempts to come to terms with their new situation with moments of gentle irony alternating with pure farce - are just some of the facets of this many-layered and entertaining fantasy.
The Queen and I
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From Publishers Weekly
Townsend, author of the phenomenally successful Adrian Mole books, here brings off an audacious notion with considerable elan. She imagines a Britain where an unforgiving, newly elected Republican Party decides that the entire Royal Family must learn to live like other Britons--or in their case, like desperately poor lower-class Britons on a hideous housing estate in a provincial city. A notable farceur, Townsend has terrific fun imagining how they would cope: the Queen buckles down sturdily, mindful of stiff-upper-lip duty; Prince Philip goes to pieces and takes to his bed; Margaret remains a royal pain, perpetually and irritably in search of a cigarette; Diana haunts thrift shops for designer castoffs and snares a flashy West Indian boyfriend; Charles, infatuated with a zaftig neighbor, gets involved in a brawl and is jailed , while his organic garden goes to pieces; Anne copes stolidly, much helped by the gift of a horse--and the Queen Mum, never quite aware of what is happening, dies peacefully in her little bungalow, and has a splendid horse-drawn funeral in a home-made coffin. Meanwhile Harris, the Queen's corgi, runs wild with a pack of mongrels. The book is uproarious and touching by turns, with a perfect eye and ear for the class gulfs in Britain and the appalling lot of those at the bottom of the heap. Only a silly throwaway ending disappoints--but how else to end such a cautionary tale? This was a huge seller in Britain, and should delight all royalty addicts here too.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
This British version of the classic role-reversal plot provides an entertaining evening of quick reading. The plot develops after the royal family, from Queen Elizabeth to little princes Harry and William, are deposed after the "republicans" win an election. All royal possessions are confiscated, and the stunned royal family members are ushered out of Buckingham Palace into modest quarters in a common neighborhood. The trials and tribulations that each of the royals endures make for amusing reading. Townsend, a British author and playwright, spins a lighthearted tale that has touched the funny bones of enough readers across the Atlantic to propel her novel to the top spot on the British best sellers list. And there appears to be enough royal family watchers stateside to consider adding this to many library collections.
- Marlene Lee, Reedsport Branch Lib., Ore.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Marlene Lee, Reedsport Branch Lib., Ore.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The Queen was in bed watching television with Harris. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The Queen was in bed watching television with Harris. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By T. Chamney
Format:Audio Cassette
I read this book about the time it was set, I no longer have it but I enjoyed it immensely. Its was so funny in places I laughed out loud, yet the Royals In my opinion were still treated with respect- just put in very funny positions. I mean what would it really be like if the royalty were forced to give up their position and wealth....very much like this I suppose.
Wouldn't it be interesting to have this book written for today with all the new antics of William and Harry? If it were written in the same way I'd definitely buy it.
Wouldn't it be interesting to have this book written for today with all the new antics of William and Harry? If it were written in the same way I'd definitely buy it.
By I LOVE BOOKS
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
I have read almost every book by Sue Townsend, starting from "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole" and have always appreciated her ability to convey strong emotions combined with a fine humour, extrapolating a funny side to heart-knotting situations, thus usually delivering entertaining, laugh-out-loud books which also offer an opportunity to reflect and ponder over a few things in life.
I got to "The Queen & I" just recently, years later it was published for the first time and this probably took some sparkle away from it. Yes, it is outdated by now and although it still proves to be an easy, quite entertaining read, I felt it was rather "lukewarm". Perhaps even the farfetchedness of the events taking place added to a raised eyebrow (as opposed to some of Ms. Townsend's other books, the Mole saga in primis, more credible, down-to-earth works of fiction).
In this book, the Republicans have taken over and the Royal Family have lost all powers. They are all sent to a council estate and have to adjust to the best of their ability. Will they manage? That's for you to find out if you read this book, but should this be the first book you read by Sue Townsend, skip it altogether and get to the "Adrian Mole" books first, in chronological order, starting from "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4 ". Granted that this was published about 25 years ago for the first time (much earlier than "The Queen & I"), you would have to take the whole story into historical perspective (early 1980s) but if you like the tragic-comic genre it will not fail to engage you to this day!
I got to "The Queen & I" just recently, years later it was published for the first time and this probably took some sparkle away from it. Yes, it is outdated by now and although it still proves to be an easy, quite entertaining read, I felt it was rather "lukewarm". Perhaps even the farfetchedness of the events taking place added to a raised eyebrow (as opposed to some of Ms. Townsend's other books, the Mole saga in primis, more credible, down-to-earth works of fiction).
In this book, the Republicans have taken over and the Royal Family have lost all powers. They are all sent to a council estate and have to adjust to the best of their ability. Will they manage? That's for you to find out if you read this book, but should this be the first book you read by Sue Townsend, skip it altogether and get to the "Adrian Mole" books first, in chronological order, starting from "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4 ". Granted that this was published about 25 years ago for the first time (much earlier than "The Queen & I"), you would have to take the whole story into historical perspective (early 1980s) but if you like the tragic-comic genre it will not fail to engage you to this day!
By Seth Crosby
Format:Paperback
A lovely, funny read. The royals are handled with respect (well, except the bubble-headed Di) and affection. I would have given it five stars but for the ending, the writing of which was obviously farmed out to the local elementary school.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
excellent story
This was an excellent story, I really enjoyed it. As ordinary people I almost started to like some of the royals, like Prince Charles for example who really turned out to be a... Read more
Published on July 31 2003 by Edwin
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not really fantastic
When I started reading the book I did not really like it. I do not know a thing about the Royal family of England and it is not really something I am interested in either. Read more
Published on Jun 3 2003 by Judith
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Royal Romp!
This wonderful book is not for the faint hearted Monarchist! The premise is that Great Britain has finally casted off their parasitic Royal Family and of the entire lot, only Betty... Read more
Published on April 24 2003 by Rev. Gerald Jones
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice...not more.
When I started to read this book I didn't know what to expect but while reading I was surprised that the book really had some funny moments (for instance "a bonk a day keeps the... Read more
Published on Mar 24 2003 by Dave de Wit
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book-bad ending
Sue Townsend writes a wonderful -but which turns out to be utterly pointless- story. Her depiction of how the Royal Family would live if they had been stripped of their power is... Read more
Published on Nov 12 2002
4.0 out of 5 stars
Just What If?
The Queen and family were fired? A dark horse Republican takes over Parliament and his first act is to dissolve the monarchy. Read more
Published on Sep 8 2002 by sweetmolly
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best!!!!
When the Republicans win the British elections and the Royal Family is forced to move to an awful council estate in the Midlands and live on welfare, we enter a crazy surreal world... Read more
Published on Aug 28 2002 by Ellen de Vos
5.0 out of 5 stars
What fun!
This is by far the most amusing book I have read in a long time. Sue Townsend describes the royal family from her own funny perspective in a situation were they have to live the... Read more
Published on Aug 27 2002 by Simone
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dated now but still a gem
Reading this book in the Queen's Golden Jubilee Year is a little spooky in some respects. But even though the British Royal Family's circumstances have moved rather during the ten... Read more
Published on July 12 2002 by Steve Benner
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very nice and funny book
The Queen of England and her family have to live on a hellhole council estate in the Midlands, because the Queen was taken away from the thrown. Read more
Published on Jun 27 2002 by Loreia
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