Courtiers : the hidden power behind the crown / Valentine Low

This book was printed in the days before HM Queen Elizabeth II died

Throughout history, the British monarchy has relied on its courtiers - the trusted advisers in the King or Queen's inner circle - to ensure its survival as a family and a pillar of the country. Today, as ever, a carefully selected team of people hidden from view steers the royal family's path between public duty and private life, and in these changing times the question of who is entrusted to guide the royals has never been more vital.

The Queen is entering the final seasons of her reign as Charles seeks to define what his future as King will be. A cloud hangs over Prince Andrew, while Harry and Meghan continue to expose to global scrutiny the complex relationship between modern courtiers and royal principals. To William and Kate falls the responsibility of making an ancient institution relevant for the decades to come.

Following the evolution of the role of the courtier from the beginning of Queen Elizabeth II's reign to her Platinum Jubilee, and featuring interviews with dozens of palace insiders and behind-the-scenes insight from all the royal households, Courtiers pulls back the veil to reveal an ever-changing system of complex characters, shifting values, and competing visions of what the future of the institution should be.

This is the inside story of how the monarchy really works, at a pivotal moment in its history.