A superb narrative history of Her Majesty The Queen’s lifelong appreciation of the arts. Ideal for readers of Jane Roberts, Christopher Lloyd and Desmond Shawe-Taylor.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II acquired a cultivated appreciation of the arts from an early age, with the study of a picture a week in her schooldays, and in maturity has consistently proven herself a dutiful, conscientious and enthusiastic patron of the arts.

In this impressive volume, Helen Cathcart guides the reader through the public galleries, state apartments and private rooms of royal abodes, pointing out the historic furniture and bespoke ceramics, the royal portraits and of course the Old Masters that adorn the tapestried walls. Here is the pencil sketch by Michelangelo, the watercolour by Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise, the first edition Lewis Carroll in the Royal Library, and the Faberge easter eggs, among many other treasures.

The Queen and the Arts not only highlights Her Majesty’s abiding interest in the arts in all its forms but also her expert knowledge and care of the royal collection and her wish for it to be seen and enjoyed by as many as possible.

Praise for Helen Cathcart:
‘An expert on royalty’ - The Guardian ‘Wide acclaim as a royal biographer … objective, uninhibited and penetrating’ - Sunday Express ‘Helen Cathcart writes about royalty as if she were one of them’ - Daily Mail ‘The doyenne of royal biographers’ - Daily Telegraph