The regally refurbished St. Ermin’s Hotel in Westminster hosted a party this evening in honour of Robert Hardman and his new book, Our Queen. Hardman, a veteran royal correspondent, broke from the exhausting canapés (which were inspired by George VI and the Queen Mother’s hearty wedding breakfast – lobsters, black pudding, chicken and an array of fish), to talk about his book and the monarchy.
Hardman’s thesis, which he previewed in the Spectator a few weeks ago, is that the Queen has overseen the most dramatic reform of the monarchy since the French Revolution. Through extensive travel and diplomacy, she has single-handedly maintained the Commonwealth as an economic and political force for good; that achievement is now being exploited by politicians of all political stripes, who are desperate to save Britain from declining Europe. She has also brought transparency to the royal finances, subtly modernised the royal family’s communications operation and exposed her family to her people.
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