It could have been the bestseller of the century and a literary stroke of genius for its publisher. But, to the chagrin of its subjects and its tens of millions of Her Majesty’s admirers around the world, this book will not exist like this and will not cause endless queues in front of bookstores. Its author would certainly no longer have been around to sign them, since her diaries could only have been published, for obvious reasons of confidentiality, posthumously. But Elizabeth II, well aware that she is about to close the final chapter of her existence, has taken steps to ensure that her little secrets remain so forever.
When she breathes her last, an outcome that all of course want as late as possible, her writings will be protected, placed in the royal archives at Windsor Castle, where no one will be able to consult them. For now, the diary is, according to sources close to Buckingham Palace, kept in a black slipcase, a smaller version than the one containing government documents. There are only two keys to open it. Two keys to access the heart of a monarch who broke the world record for longevity on a throne, and who is not known for his public outpourings. The motto of the Windsors “Never complain, never explain” fits him like a glove.
It was not until evening that she wrote down her most personal thoughts for about a quarter of an hour, a habit inherited from her father, King George VI. She even told Sir Michael Palin, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, that she saw it as a ritual, “a bit like brushing your teeth”before adding “It’s not a diary like Queen Victoria’s. It’s much less detailed.” Even her family has been unaware of what these blackened pages contain for decades, except for one man, who has already taken her secrets to the grave: her husband, Prince Philip. And when she leaves to join him, the thoughts of this elusive woman will remain forever inaccessible.
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FL