What secrets lie inside Queen Elizabeth II's personal diaries? Although historians are queuing up to access them, only one will get permission for her official biography – so here we look at ALL the runners and riders in the literary race of the century

At the end of every day during her record-breaking 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II would sit down at a desk and spend 15 minutes writing by hand in her diary. 

The treasure trove of information contained within the many volumes have, until now, remained private – but not for much longer.

One lucky historian will soon be given access to them, alongside her private papers and letters, to write the late monarch’s official biography.

The person tasked with this epic job is expected to produce the longest-ever written account of a British monarch, to allow them to properly tell the tale of a woman who was never expected to rule but succeeded beyond all expectations.

Although there are already hundreds of books about her life, the official biography will be the final authoritative tome of the monarch, who is seen by some to have led the most chronicled life in human history due to scrutiny since the day she was born.

While her diaries are unlikely to ever be published for the public to read, the biographer will be able to use them to answer questions that have puzzled royal authors for years and reveal an unknown quantity of secrets. 

The Queen met an estimated four million people over her 96 years and played a crucial role at the head of the biggest empire the world has ever known as it came to an end.

The biography could be an intimate exploration of the innermost thoughts towards her 15 Prime Ministers, the 13 US Presidents she dealt with, and perhaps even her thoughts on Brexit. 

As is tradition, the current monarch appoints an official biographer to write the life of the previous monarch, so it will fall to Charles III to handpick the right candidate.

Here MailOnline looks at the runners and riders in the race for the biography of one of the most important sovereigns in British history – Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II waves from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on the day of her Coronation, June 2, 1953. She would go on to rule for 70 years – breaking the record for the longest reigning monarch in British history

The Queen (pictured in 2022) met an estimated four million people over her 96 years

What information will the biographer get to use?  

Before we look at the potential authors, it makes sense to look at what information they will be getting their hands on.

The late Queen’s diary will be the primary source, but it was famously a record of her activities, rather than laying out her thoughts and feelings. 

Its primary function was to jog her memory and keep a note of her working life for the archives. She once told the society diarist Kenneth Rose: ‘I have no time to record conversations, only events.’ 

Nevertheless, the series of accounts over the decades will be very valuable for the author to wade through.

A former member of the royal household told The Sun back in 2019 that the Queen added to her journal ‘no matter how late the hour or how weary she may be’, with the ex-staffer adding ‘it is an unmissable duty, and she writes at a desk, never in bed’. 

The evidence of the Queen’s diligence can be seen in her last entry about her new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, recorded two days before she died in Balmoral in September 2022. 

The biography could be an intimate exploration of the innermost thoughts towards her 15 Prime Ministers. Pictured: The Queen shakes the hand of then-London mayor Boris Johnson in 2008

The Queen is seen grieving alone at the funeral for her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the Covid-secure event in 2021

The evidence of the Queen’s diligence can be seen in her last diary entry which was about her new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, recorded two days before she died in Balmoral in September 2022

However, due to the sheer scale and personal nature of her papers and diaries, they are currently being sorted by her former page of 44 years, the loyal Paul Whybrew.

Known as ‘Tall Paul’ due to his 6’4′ stature, Whybrew has been given the trusted position of deciding what should and shouldn’t be transferred to the archive.

Academics have described the decision as ‘deeply concerning’, fearing that vital historical documents may be suppressed – or destroyed – without public knowledge. 

In the past, some of the papers from members of the Royal Family, including Princess Diana, were burnt by their family and friends to prevent embarrassment. 

Whybrew is reportedly working on the project two days a week as he is retired. A source told the Daily Mail in June 2023: ‘For this task, King Charles needed someone he could trust, someone he could be sure would never breathe a word of whatever he came across.

‘Tall Paul is the legacy man – the keeper of the Queen’s secrets. There is no one else that the King would have trusted with such a big job. This is the ultimate reward for his loyalty.’

Some of the files will be made public, others will be held by the King, and the rest will be filed within the restricted archives at the Windsor Castle library. 

The loyal Paul Whybrew, who served the Queen for 44 years, has been trusted to sort through her papers and diaries due to the sheer scale and personal nature of them

Known as ‘Tall Paul’ due to his 6’4′ stature, Whybrew was seen introducing the Queen to Mr Bond (Daniel Craig) during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games

Whybrew (back left, as a younger man), who is in his early 60s, is responsible for all the notes left behind by the Queen

Robert Hardman

The frontrunner in the race, Robert Hardman, 59, has been an acclaimed royal expert for two decades.

Educated at the elite private school Wellington College, he then went on to study at Cambridge University.

He is a close friend of former conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and has written for the Daily Mail since 2001.

Robert Hardman, 59, has been an acclaimed royal expert for two decades and is seen as the frontrunner in the race

Hardman’s 2024 book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, revealed the King had finally cut off Andrew’s ‘£1million-a-year’ allowance over the Royal Lodge row

Hardman appearing on ITV’s Loose Women in November 2024

Over the years, he has featured in a slew of documentaries on the Royal Family, but perhaps his biggest contribution has been his 2022 book Queen Of Our Times: The Life Of Elizabeth II.

It was awarded The Sunday Times Biography of the Year and was presented to President Volodymr Zelensky of Ukraine as an official gift by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Hardman has stayed on top form recently, with his 2024 book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, revealing the King had finally cut off Andrew’s ‘£1million-a-year’ allowance over the Royal Lodge row. 

Andrew Roberts  

Andrew Roberts, known as Lord Roberts of Belgravia since 2022, has written or edited 20 books about history in his 61 year-long life.

After graduating with a first-class honours degree in Modern History at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, he has went on to become one of the most prolific writers of British history.

In 2011, American broadcaster NBC hired him to commentate on the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton, the funerals of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother, and the wedding of Prince Charles to Camilla.

Andrew Roberts, 61, has written or edited 20 books about history, as well as commentating for NBC on a number of royal events

Roberts’ work includes a biography of Elizabeth II’s first Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill (left) and a biography of her ancestor George III

He also commentated for NBC on The Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilees, the birth of Prince George and the funerals of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II. 

His biography of Elizabeth II’s first Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill was published in October 2018 and became a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller.

And if he was selected as Elizabeth’s official biographer, it wouldn’t be his first attempt at telling the life story of a royal. 

In October 2021, he published George III: The Life And Reign Of Britain’s Most Misunderstood Monarch, which won the History Reclaimed Book of the Year Prize and the Elizabeth Longford Historical Biography Award. 

Robert Lacey 

Another acclaimed royal author who deserves consideration is Robert Lacey, 80. He is an alumnus of Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he earned a BA in History in 1967.

He has been writing books on the Royal Family since the 1970s, but he is best known for his work as the historical consultant to the Netflix award-winning drama The Crown.

Lacey, 80, has been writing books on the Royal Family since the 1970s

Lacey is best known for his work as the historical consultant to the Netflix award-winning drama The Crown

His most recent work was the bestselling Battle Of Brothers: William Harry And The Inside Story Of A Family In Tumult

His most recent work was the bestselling Battle Of Brothers: William Harry And The Inside Story Of A Family In Tumult. 

One of his insights came from his book Monarch: The Life And Reign Of Elizabeth II, where he shrewdly explained that the Queen respected emotion but couldn’t fake it.

Early in her reign, due to visit Kingston upon Hull, she read a speech prepared by aides that said she was ‘very pleased’ to be in the East Yorkshire town.

HM crossed out ‘very’, explaining: ‘I will be pleased to be in Kingston. But I will not be very pleased.’

Simon Sebag Montefiore 

Although not a dedicated royal expert, Simon Sebag Montefiore has written several acclaimed and bestselling history books.

The 59-year-old was educated at the elite private schools of Ludgrove and Harrow before he got a PhD from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

His books include a diverse range of topics, including Stalin: The Court Of The Red Tsar (2003), Jerusalem: The Biography (2011), The Romanovs 1613–1918 (2016), and The World: A Family History Of Humanity (2022).

Simon Sebag Montefiore has been friends with the person who picks the biographer, King Charles, for 25 years, and has written several acclaimed and bestselling history books

His books include a diverse range of topics, including The Romanovs 1613–1918 (2016) and The World: A Family History Of Humanity (2022)

However, due to the King being the person who ultimately decides on the biographer, Montefiore may have an inside advantage.

He told The Guardian in 2023: ‘I’ve known the King for over 25 years, and was fortunate enough to be at his Coronation. 

‘He’s erudite, warm and funny; a well-read and charming man. He’s one of the most experienced public servants alive. We’re lucky to have him.’

Sir David Cannadine 

One of the most acclaimed authors of British modern history, David Cannadine, 74, is also seen as a possible contender for the job.

He was educated at Clare College, Cambridge, where he took a double-first in history at St John’s College, Oxford. 

His slew of books includes works on the British class system and the empire, Elizabeth’s grandfather George V and Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

Sir David Cannadine, 74, is a well-respected historian who is also seen as a possible contender for the job

His slew of books includes works on Elizabeth’s grandfather George V and a biography of Margaret Thatcher

On the 90th birthday of Elizabeth II, he produced a documentary for the BBC on the worldwide role and significance of the British monarchy. 

And following her death, he wrote a piece for The Guardian analysing seven dutiful decades of national transformation and imperial retreat.

He claimed her achievement was to adapt the monarchy to sweeping change without ever letting on what she was doing. 

Jane Ridley 

A frontrunner in the race is the 71-year-old biographer and professor of modern history at the University of Buckingham, Jane Ridley.

Due to the fact it is the King who will have the final say, it is thought he might prefer to hand the reins of the official biography to a female for the first time. 

Ridley was educated at the private boarding school Cranborne Chase School before studying history at Oxford.

Jane Ridley, 71, could also be in the running as it is thought the King might prefer to hand the reins of the official biography to a female for the first time

Her royal credentials come from the fact she has penned biographies of Edward VII and George V

Her royal credentials come from the fact she has penned biographies of Edward VII and George V. 

Daily Mail writer A. N. Wilson wrote in a review of her 2012 book Bertie: A Life Of Edward VII, a ‘profoundly learned and a cracking good read’ and claimed ‘after this irreverent new life of Edward VII, royal biography will never be the same again’.

In an article on how history will see the Queen for Harper’s Bazaar, she wrote: ‘She had become the most popular monarch Britain had ever known – almost a mythological figure.’ 

Hugo Vickers

An experienced royal biographer already, Hugo Vickers could be called in by the King for another one.

Educated at Eton and then at Strasbourg University, the 73-year-old already has a royal role as he is one of the Deputy Lieutenants of Berkshire.

His books include biographies on the Queen Mother, Gladys, Duchess of Marlborough, and the Private World Of The Duke And Duchess Of Windsor.

Hugo Vickers, 73, is an experienced royal biographer already with a slew of books to his name

Vickers’ previous works include The Sphinx: The Life Of Gladys Deacon (2020) and Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (2006)

He also wrote the biography of Princess Andrew of Greece which was authorised by her son, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and for this book he interviewed many members of the Royal Family.

Vickers was chairman of the Jubilee Walkway Trust in October 2002, founded in 1977 as a lasting memory of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, and later refurbished and updated to commemorate her Golden Jubilee. 

During his time in this role, he welcomed Queen Elizabeth II and her consort, Prince Philip, to the Mall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation in 2003 and again in 2007, when the royal couple unveiled the Diamond Wedding panoramic panel in Parliament Square. 

William Shawcross 

Another experienced royal biographer with their hat in the ring is William Shawcross. He has an advantage because he was chosen to write the Queen Mother’s official biography some 16 months after her death in March 2002. The 1,000-page biography was eventually published in 2009. 

For it, Shawcross, 78, was able to use the secret tape-recorded interviews she spent the last decade of her life giving on a range of intimate subjects, from the abdication crisis of 1936 to politicians and other members of the Royal Family.

William Shawcross, 78, is another experienced royal biographer with their hat in the ring

For the Queen Mother’s biography, Shawcross was able to use the secret tape-recorded interviews she spent the last decade of her life giving on a range of intimate subjects, from the abdication crisis of 1936 to politicians and other members of the Royal Family

But her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, gave no such interviews, so it seems her biographer will have to rely on her personal diaries to shed light on her life.

He was given full access to her personal papers and interviewed both the late Queen and the then Prince Charles for the book. 

Shawcross is also a pronounced royalist, who is frequently complimentary of the Royal Family. In 2020 he wrote the article ‘Thank God For The Queen’ for The Spectator following her famous ‘we will meet again’ public broadcast during the pandemic. 

When could the official biography be published?

It is expected that King Charles will pick his mother’s official biographer in the next year or two.

And it is thought the chosen author will then need several years to complete the massive amount of work needed to complete a book covering almost three-quarters of a century.

But, due to the fact that the last monarch George VI died in 1952, it has been a long time since an official biographer has been selected, and the process seems to be shrouded in mystery.

It it usually the case that the biographer of the consort, in this case Prince Phillip, is announced before the monarch, so some authors believe Elizabeth’s biographer will be announced after his. 

It is expected that King Charles will pick his mother’s official biographer in the next year or two

It it usually the case that the biographer of the consort, in this case Prince Phillip, is announced before the monarch, so some authors believe Elizabeth’s biographer will be announced after his

After his retirement in 2017 the late Duke of Edinburgh spend a lot of time at Sandringham’s Wood Farm, sifting through notes and adding ‘explanatory notes’ from his formidable memory as he didn’t keep a diary like his wife. 

However, according to the Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle column, he requested a decent interval before historians began rifling through his archive. 

Traditionally, the biographies of royals have went to an established historian who understands the constraints within which they must work.

But some have questioned if the book can be published in the lifetime of King Charles, 76, due to its sensitive nature. 

Potential biographer Robert Lacey told The Telegraph: ‘The years of real crisis in the Queen’s reign revolved around the break-up of Charles’s marriage to Diana.

‘There is the testimony of a private secretary that the Queen told Charles she wanted “nothing to do” with Camilla — whom she described as “that wicked woman”, and that Prince Charles himself was close to tears over this.’

He continued: ‘I can’t see any way that the candid verdicts on Prince Charles among some very senior figures in the palace and No10 during the monarchy’s dark days of the 1990s can possibly be published during his reign.’

However, suggestions have been made that one possible way to get round the sensitive nature of the ’90s is to release the book as a multi-volume series. 

However, some have questioned if the Queen’s official biography can be published in the lifetime of King Charles due to the sensitive nature surrounding her thoughts on her son Charles’ failed marriage to Princess Diana

The book could cause a headache for Charles, following claims the Queen once told Charles she wanted ‘nothing to do’ with Camilla, describing her as ‘that wicked woman’. Pictured: Charles and Camilla at their humble wedding in 2005

Some historians believe it could be divided by time period, with the earlier part of her 70-year reign syphoned off to be published first. 

However, the author chosen to complete the mammoth honour will be under no illusion of the fine line between adhering to royal sensitivities and the need to preserve their own professional reputation.

Two official biographies were commissioned for George V. King George V: A Personal Memoir by John Gore was published in 1941, followed by Sir Harold Nicolson’s George V in 1952. 

Sir Harold touched on the difficulties faced by authorised royal biographers in his diaries, writing his instructions from George VI’s private secretary Sir Alan Lascelles: ‘I should not be expected to say one word that was not true… All I should be expected to do was to omit things and incidents which were discreditable.’ 

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