Excerpt from The Coronation Souvenir: June 1911 A few years ago an internal-combustion motor tractor was a scarcity. To - day a trip through Western Canada brings hundreds of them into view, every one of them making money for the owners. No machine introduced to the Canadian farmer has ever met the instant popularity which has come to the gasoline tractor. This popularity is rightly deserved. For no one machine has done more to make possible the great wheat crops which have given Western Canada the name, The Breadbasket of the World. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

In Britain the phrase ‘an heir and a spare’ refers to the imperative for members of the royal family to provide both an heir to take on their title and a spare. In this equation King George VI was ‘the spare’, the second son of King George V and Mary, and never expected to sit on the throne. King George VI, or Albert as he was known prior to his kingship, had a career in the Royal Navy and served during the First World War before King Edward VIII’s decision to abdicate his throne. Determined to restore the British Royal Family in the eyes of the people, King George VI played a pivotal role in the victory of the allied nations in the Second World War. Inside you will read about... ✓ Early Years ✓ Prince Albert in the Navy ✓ The Great War ✓ The Reign and Abdication of King Edward VIII ✓ Becoming King George VI ✓ The Second World War ✓ Post-War Years And much more! King George VI ruled long enough to oversee the tumultuous post-war years in Britain, the collapse of the British Empire and the emergence of the Commonwealth. Succeeded by his daughter Elizabeth at just 55 years old, King George VI had a deep sense of honor and duty and was completely dedicated to his turbulent role as King.

We can hardly imagine a Britain without Elizabeth II on the throne. It seems to be the job she was born for. And yet for much of her early life the young princess did not know the role that her future would hold. She was our accidental Queen.Elizabeth's determination to share in the struggles of her people marked her out from a young age. Her father initially refused to let her volunteer as a nurse during the Blitz, but relented when she was 18 and allowed her to work as a mechanic and truck driver for the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. It was her forward-thinking approach that ensured that her coronation was televised, against the advice of politicians at the time.Kate Williams reveals how the 25-year-old young queen carved out a lasting role for herself amid the changes of the 20th century. Her monarchy would be a very different one to that of her parents and grandparents, and its continuing popularity in the 21st century owes much to the intelligence and elusive personality of this remarkable woman.

“Queen Elizabeth II once said, ‘I have to be seen to be believed.’ Well, here is Her Majesty in all her glory—and in delightful personal detail too. Victoria Murphy has created an invaluable photographic tribute to Britain’s longest serving monarch and to her memorable reign.” —Robert Lacey, historian and biographer After her succession to the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II became respected, celebrated, and beloved around the world. This stunning collection of powerful images illustrates her storied seven-decade reign in all its glory. More than 300 extraordinary photographs, along with insightful commentary by the royal journalist Victoria Murphy, showcase the significant, historic, and intimate moments throughout the Queen’s life, first as a young princess and then as the longest-reigning British monarch. The book covers her war years in service; her marriage to Prince Philip; her coronation—the first to be televised; ​her extensive official travels around the world; the glittering diplomatic occasions and encounters with ​world leaders, dignitaries, and celebrities; the pomp and pageantry of ceremonial events; her role as a fashion icon; her relationships with her parents, King George VI and ​the Queen Mother, and her sister, Princess Margaret; the birth of her son and heir to the throne Prince Charles; family life with her four children, as well as her beloved dogs and horses; and the growing role of her grandson Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, as they supported the Queen in her public duties. Shown here too are the Crown Jewels as well as the Queen’s personal jewelry collection; a look at the royal palaces and residences; and portraits from the stunning royal weddings that have so enchanted the world. On September 8, 2022, the Queen died peacefully at her home in Balmoral, Scotland. She is survived by her four children, eight grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. Upon her death, Prince Charles ascended to the throne as head of state, starting a new era for the British monarchy. Throughout her rule, with a combination of star power and a profound sense of duty, Queen Elizabeth II steered the British monarchy into the modern era with supreme style and grace. She is truly a queen for all ages and this is the ultimate commemorative book for all royal watchers that captures the triumph and significance of her magnificent reign.

Discover the inspiring story of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, in this fascinating kids' biography. At just 25 years of age, Princess Elizabeth succeeded King George VI to the British throne. This compelling book looks at Elizabeth's life, both as a public and private figure. It traces her early years as a princess, her experiences in the women's army during World War II, her coronation, her life as Queen both at home and in the public eye, her death at Balmoral and the events of her funeral. Learn how Elizabeth worked alongside 15 British prime ministers, met leaders from around the world, and remained a stable presence as head of the British royal family. DK Life Stories goes beyond the basic facts to tell the true life stories of history's most inspiring people. Full-colour photographs and hand-drawn illustrations complement age-appropriate, narrative text. Definition boxes, information sidebars, and inspiring quotes add depth, while a handy reference section at the back makes DK Life Stories the one biography series everyone will want to collect.

From one of the most beloved and distinguished historians of the British monarchy, here is a lively, intimately detailed biography of a long-overlooked king who reimagined the Crown in the aftermath of World War I and whose marriage to the regal Queen Mary was an epic partnership The grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, King George V reigned over the British Empire from 1910 to 1936, a period of unprecedented international turbulence. Yet no one could deny that as a young man, George seemed uninspired. As his biographer Harold Nicolson famously put it, "he did nothing at all but kill animals and stick in stamps.” The contrast between him and his flamboyant, hedonistic, playboy father Edward VII could hardly have been greater. However, though it lasted only a quarter-century, George’s reign was immensely consequential. He faced a constitutional crisis, the First World War, the fall of thirteen European monarchies and the rise of Bolshevism. The suffragette Emily Davison threw herself under his horse at the Derby, he refused asylum to his cousin the Tsar Nicholas II during the Russian Revolution, and he facilitated the first Labour government. And, as Jane Ridley shows, the modern British monarchy would not exist without George; he reinvented the institution, allowing it to survive and thrive when its very existence seemed doomed. The status of the British monarchy today, she argues, is due in large part to him. How this supposedly limited man managed to steer the crown through so many perils and adapt an essentially Victorian institution to the twentieth century is a great story in itself. But this book is also a riveting portrait of a royal marriage and family life. Queen Mary played a pivotal role in the reign as well as being an important figure in her own right. Under the couple's stewardship, the crown emerged stronger than ever. George V founded the modern monarchy, and yet his disastrous quarrel with his eldest son, the Duke of Windsor, culminated in the existential crisis of the Abdication only months after his death. Jane Ridley has had unprecedented access to the archives, and for the first time is able to reassess in full the many myths associated with this crucial and dramatic time. She brings us a royal family and world not long vanished, and not so far from our own.

A timely and revelatory new biography of Queen Elizabeth (and her family) exploring how the Windsors have evolved and thrived, as the modern world has changed around them. Clive Irving’s stunning new narrative biography The Last Queen probes the question of the British monarchy’s longevity. In 2021, the Queen Elizabeth II finally appears to be at ease in the modern world, helped by the new generation of Windsors. But through Irving’s unique insight there emerges a more fragile institution, whose extraordinarily dutiful matriarch has managed to persevere with dignity, yet in doing so made a Faustian pact with the media. The Last Queen is not a conventional biography—and the book is therefore not limited by the traditions of that genre. Instead, it follows Elizabeth and her family’s struggle to survive in the face of unprecedented changes in our attitudes towards the royal family, with the critical eye of an investigative reporter who is present and involved on a highly personal level.

The eldest of King George III's children, who became Prince Regent and King George IV, is less remembered for his patronage of the arts than for his extravagance and maltreatment of his wife. This objective portrayal of the royal family draws upon sources to lay to rest the gossip and exaggeration.