Murder Most Royal

Afterwards they washed up together, before settling down in front of the television to watch a comedy show.

‘What would your father have made of this?’ Philip wondered aloud, looking round the rather ordinary room with a fond, proprietorial eye.

‘I think he’d have found it very comfortable.’

‘Good enough for his daughter?’

‘Well, I do have the house down the road.’

‘Bought and paid for.’ Philip smiled.

It was true: Sandringham was her own, and not the Crown’s. Her father had had to buy it from his brother when he became king, because as private property it was naturally inherited by the older son, and David – or Edward VIII as he briefly titled himself – had insisted on being paid for it, even though he loathed the place as much as his younger brother loved it.

Without the abdication, what would have become of it, and her?

She had so very nearly lived a very different life. One’s destiny hinged on such small accidents of fate: a meeting with a glamorous American divorcée, in this case.

A man who gave up his throne for her. A brother who reluctantly took his place. A little girl – herself – who would have been very happy living out of the spotlight. Instead, what a whirlwind it had been. And it had lasted for nearly a century.

She marvelled briefly on how hard humans tried to shape the future, herself included, and how much it was really in the lap of the gods. But she wasn’t excessively given to introspection: that way, madness lay. She allowed Philip to pour her a glass of whisky and determined to enjoy these last few hours quietly, before she headed back to the city, and her other life.

I owe eternal thanks, once again, to Queen Elizabeth II. I’m so glad she got to see the crowds that massed in front of Buckingham Palace for her Platinum Jubilee celebrations while I was finishing this book.

The news of her death came the day I handed in the proofs, so I’m rewriting this page in a state of shock, despite knowing full well this day must come.

Much of what I want to say about her character, her role in our lives and her impact on our world is here in these stories. I intend to write more of them as there is still so much of her life to explore. Readers will know how fond of the Queen I am. She was human and humble, but also undeniably great. We know her dedication to her life of public service, so I hope her real Christmas holidays were more restful than I made this one.