Do Let’s Have Another Drink: The Singular Wit and Double Measures of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother

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The tone of the writing is lighthearted and conversational, and it gets a bit more sassy as time goes on (not unlike the book's subject. Following the Abdication crisis of 1936, Prince Albert was crowned King George VI, and Elizabeth was crowned as Queen Consort. The King, George V, disliked Ann Margaret for her second daughter's name and suggested that Margaret Rose was more in keeping with Scottish princesses. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. She was criticized for her "dumpy" clothes and body, but hey, she liked her food and her drinkie-poos and if a Queen can't do what she wants, who can?

She certainly enjoyed imbibing in cocktails many of which were strong enough to knock over the average person. And perhaps even a bit likable, although how likable Queens can be at the end of day, I for one will never find out, and probably you don’t either. It’s one for skipping through, enjoying the snippets of gossip, the little bits of delicious old feuds and long forgotten times.I couldn't contempate reading the standard biographies after Brown's description of one as the author constantly saying the QM was "delighted " to the extent that if one closed the book "delight" would ooze out like too much mayonnaise in a sandwich. Rather than the standard biography this is told through 101 little stories, memories and anecdotes from the decades of her long life. William Shawcross’ biography is a time investment for sure…) However, Russell chose 101 different anecdotes from Elizabeth’s life to highlight her wit and levity.

After her husband’s death, she continued to support the reigning Queen, Elizabeth II, faithfully until her death at age 101. In addition, Bertie’s decadeslong struggle with stuttering, and her ceaseless supprt of him, warranted half a page. Throughout this book, you will laugh at her wit, and at times, feel saddened by the inevitable passing of time. First line: When Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born in the summer of 1900, Queen Victoria was the British monarch. He is the author of "Young and Damned and Fair," "The Ship of Dreams" (A Daily Telegraph Best History Book, 2019) and "Do Let's Have Another Drink" (A Times Book of the Year, 2022).The book is a skimming-stone biography – the story of a life without the boring bits – and a travel guide to a world that no longer exists.