Elizabeth II was not born to be queen. Yet, from her accession as a young mother of two in 1952 to the age of COVID-19, she has proved an astute and quietly determined figure, leading her family and her people through more than 70 years of unprecedented social change. 

Join leading journalist, royal correspondent and author Robert Hardman as he discusses his new, must-read book, Queen of Our Times, with the respected former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond.

Hardman will discuss new interviews with world leaders and the access to unseen papers he enjoyed as he explored the life of our longest-reigning monarch.

About The Speaker

Headshot of broadcaster Jennie Bond smiling on a couch next to an open window

Jennie Bond

Broadcaster and journalist Jennie Bond appears regularly on a wide range of television and radio programmes – from light entertainment to documentaries.

As the BBC’s Royal Correspondent during 14 of the most turbulent years the monarchy has endured, Jennie was at the heart of events that made headlines around the world: from the fairy-tale marriages to the adultery, the divorces and the deaths.

Since then she has become a presenter on two of the BBC’s most popular shows: Cash in the Attic, and Rip Off Britain.  She also presented the highly successful BBC2 series Great British Menu.

Other projects include: Royals at War, Masterchef, Too Many Cooks, Stars in the Fast Cars, The Big Call and Jennie’s own personal account

About The Author

Headshot of author Robert Hardman

Robert Hardman

Robert Hardman is a renowned writer and broadcaster, specializing in monarchy and history. Over three decades, he has interviewed global figures from the Duke of Edinburgh to the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge; from the Emperor of Japan to the US president, and every Prime Minister since John Major. His most recent book, Queen of the World, was a study of the monarch’s international role. He has commentated for the BBC at all the major royal occasions of recent years while writing and producing television documentaries from George III – The Genius of the Mad King to The Queen’s Castle and, most recently, Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers. Hardman is an award-winning journalist for the Daily Mail and lives with his family in London.