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Battle of Brothers: You’ve heard from one side – now read the full, true story of the royal family in crisis Hardcover – October 15, 2020

by Robert Lacey (Author)

4.2 4,484 ratings

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The Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller

‘THE ROYAL BOOK OF THE YEAR … You’ve read their side of the story, now read the real story’ Daily Mail

THIS CRISIS IS AS BIG AS THE ABDICATION – SAYS LACEY, HISTORICAL ADVISOR TO THE CROWN.

The world has watched Prince William and Prince Harry since they were born. Raised by Princess Diana to be the closest of brothers, how have the boy princes grown into very different, now distanced men?

From royal expert and bestselling author Robert Lacey, this book is an unparalleled insider account of tumult and secrecy revealing the untold details of William and Harry’s early closeness then estrangement. It asks what happens when two sons are raised for vastly different futures – one burdened with the responsibility of one day becoming king, the other with the knowledge that he will always remain spare.

How have William and Harry each formed their idea of a modern royal’s duty and how they should behave? Were the seeds of damage sowed as Prince Charles and Diana’s marriage painfully unraveled for all the world to see? In the previous generation, how have Prince Charles and Prince Andrew’s lives unfolded in the shadow of the Crown? What choices has Queen Elizabeth II made in marshalling her feuding heirs? What parts have Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle played in helping their husbands to choose their differing paths? And what is the real, unvarnished story behind Harry and Meghan’s dramatic departure?

In the most intimate vision yet of life behind closed doors, with the family’s highs, lows and hardest decisions all laid out, this is a journey into royal life as never offered before.

From the Publisher

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ William Collins (October 15, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 410 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0008408513
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008408510
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.48 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.26 x 1.42 x 9.45 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,729,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,609 in Royalty Biographies
- #6,680 in England History
- #8,639 in Rich & Famous Biographies

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4.2 4,484 ratings

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Robert Lacey

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ROBERT LACEY is a renowned British historian, the author of numerous international bestsellers, and the historical consultant on the award-winning Netflix series The Crown. He wrote The Crown: The Official Companion, Volumes 1 – 2. For nearly forty years, Lacey has been writing about Queen Elizabeth II and her extraordinary life, making him an expert on her long reign and the royal family. Majesty, his pioneering biography of the Queen, is a landmark study of British monarchy – a subject on which Lacey lectures around the world, appearing regularly on television.

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Amazon Customer

good book

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2024

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I got this book for my friend as she really enjoyed stuff like this so one day we were talking and she said to me that she found this book and wanted to know If I would get it for her so I did and she Loved it so If you Like to read and are in to hearing abut stuff like this then this is the book for you

2 people found this helpful

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HappyKnitter

Worth the read.

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2021

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On the whole it was VERY balanced. Fans of either brother will find themselves nodding in agreement at times and wholly disagreeing at others. There are points where I feel he was supremely unfair to William and Camilla. I also took exception with his blaming of everything that went wrong during negotiations on HM private secretary. There was a LOT of blame to go around there. Not least of which belonging to the premature launching of the website to “force” the hand of the royals. Personally, I think they all refused to meet with them for a month as a “cool down” period. So cooler heads could prevail. That was never even brought up. Just that the royals wouldn’t meet with them, so the Sussex’s went nuclear and “suddenly everyone had room in their schedules”. It gives the impression they were being neglected. Rather than being forced into a rather timely and needed cool off period.

He was very through in his research, but I think he reads public reaction in a way that differs with reality, particularly when speaking of Americans.

While not possible because of the timing of going to print, I would love to hear the authors take on the Oprah Interview.

4 people found this helpful

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brown / eyed - SUZEN

Very interesting read, a lot of new material that I have never read before.

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2021

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I have read many books on the royal family, Diana, and her sons - William and Harry. I have read many books about various other members of the royal family and their relatives. I found this book to be a very good read. It caught my interest from the start, and I have continued reading it throughout the weekend. I have learned so many things that I did not already know. I was surprised that there was so much new material. This author did his research very well. Robert Lacey writes in a very interesting and easy to read manner. Mr. Lacey presents his material in a factual manner. It is not a gossipy, nor unflattering source of information. The subject matter is presented in a professional although truthful manner. It is not a "Body Slam" against the various members of the royal family. Mr. Lacey does present the truth. I highly recommend this book, and I will be purchasing some of his other books now as well.

19 people found this helpful

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Gary Moreau, Author

Why?

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2020

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I am not a royal-watcher at any level. Nor do I follow the celebrity news. I have never watched the Kardashians and can only name one of the sisters. So why did I buy and read this book?

I am an armchair philosopher and student of people. And I have been intrigued as to why a prince and his wife would walk away from one of the plushest gigs on the face of the planet and I thought this book might provide some philosophical insight. If it did provide insight it didn’t provide any rational explanation. (And, yes, you can call me a hypocrite that I even knew that all of this de-royaling had transpired, not being a celebrity-watcher and all, but I haven’t been living under a rock.)

The author seems well informed and the writing is okay. But why? That is the question, at so many levels, that this book leaves me with. Why, most of all, does the monarchy continue to exist? The idea that the monarchy provides some level of reassurance in an unsettling world, which the author seems to support at some level, seems beyond comprehension to me.

What does come through loud and clear, among all of the protagonists, is that life really is personal. It is all about us. And I don’t mean that as disparagingly as it may sound. This is the message of Darwin, after all.

If you are looking for a message or redemption or self-sacrifice, however, you won’t find it here. That’s not to say that the royals are all bad people at every level. But they are royal. You can’t say that you are for ecology and helping the poor and buy a LA mansion with 12 bathrooms or jet around the world in private aircraft. As someone whose name I can’t remember once said, people don’t remember you for what you say or you do, they remember you for how you made them feel. When I turned the last page, to be honest, I felt angry. How can we still buy into this version of caring? It’s not.

The self-righteousness and the self-pity are beyond unseemly. Bright smiles are not what goodness is all about.

But I will stop now. If you do care about the royals and their trials and tribulations I encourage you to read the other reviews. I am going back to my preferred genres of applied mathematics and philosophy.

I wish none of these people ill will. That is not what I believe in. And they apparently don’t need my help anyway.

66 people found this helpful

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Lois Tucker

It was Charles and Andrew firing the wrong person, and hiring the wrong person instead

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2021

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Received it and read it before the Oprah interviews.
It seems that Charles and Andrew teamed up to fire Sir Christopher Giedt, widely considered to be brilliant and sensitive, who had played a key part in guiding the Queen through a very successful ten years.
Andrew was angry because Geidt had denied him expenditures on frivolous and unnecessary thing like too many private jet and helicopter excursions. Charles didn't like him because he and his staff thought Geidt wasn't deferential enough. Charles hired Sir Edward Young, who "didn't do the vision thing." While Young had facilitated the James Bond/Daniel Craig thing, it was the one bright spot in an otherwise grey, adequate functionary, which suited Charles and Andrew completely. Young is the one who sanctioned Andrew's disastrous Newsnight interview.
It's widely believed that none of the awful things that happened with Meghan and Harry would've happened if Geidt, a man capable of vision and sensitivy had been there. The Queen rehired him for her part, but the damage was already done. Pages 268-=280.

21 people found this helpful

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Lloyd G. Kay

Excellent understanding of the situation

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2023

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It clarifies7 week pm

The author using facts clarifies the current situation among the royals and with constructive criticisms and suggestions the hope things may be resolved positively.

can be resolved by offering constructive criticism and suggestions.

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Amazon Customer

Balanced Perspective on the Royal Brothers

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2023

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I have really enjoyed reading this very informative and well researched book which I feel gives an accurate reflection on the issues that led to the split between William and Harry. Those issues came to a head during the latter years of both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip lives who were, purportedly, loving grandparents. Sadly both the Queen and Prince Philip both died with no sign of reconciliation between the brothers.

4 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

GREAT BOOK!

Reviewed in Canada on November 14, 2020

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GIVES A HISTORY AS TO WHY THE BOYS THINK AS THEY DO TODAY. THEN HE TELLS US WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN THINKING. & HE THROWS IN SOME BEHIND THE SCENES TID BITS NOT MADE PUBLIC.

Cornelia

One of the best books on Royals

Reviewed in Italy on August 21, 2021

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Robert Lacey is a guarantee of consistency: this book is one of the best I have read on the Royal family. It depicts them well in all their nuances. A must buy for all the fans of the saga

Milouthedog

It's pretty good

Reviewed in Germany on August 6, 2021

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I know he wrote this because he had rushed into print, quite naively, on the first version of this book. In a sense he had to rewrite in order to catch up with what people were thinking and restore his own credibility. But he now does the subject justice, and he's a very engaging writer.

2 people found this helpful

ENIMIE

Interessant bien ecrit

Reviewed in France on November 9, 2020

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Pourc moi personnellement

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