Royal insiders believe the King may put off Queen Elizabeth II’s biography over his relationship with Diana, QEII’s alleged dislike of Queen Consort Camilla and controversy surrounding Prince Andrew

Royal insiders believe the king could delay Queen Elizabeth II’s biography about his relationship with Diana, Queen Consort Camilla’s alleged dislike and the Prince Andrew controversy.

Royal historian Robert Lacey said he questions whether the biography would be published during King Charles’ lifetime because it would have to explore the “difficult aspects” of his relationship with his mother.

Other reasons for the possible delay could be the sensitive topics it will cover, such as the Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein scandal, and the turbulent departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Charles will have the final say on the choice of the biographer who will be tasked with writing about the late queen’s extraordinary life. Some predict that a female royal biographer could be chosen for the first time, with historian Jane Ridley emerging as a potential frontrunner.

The chosen candidate is expected to have access to a range of private papers, letters and journals. The late queen is known for keeping a diary in which she is said to have written for fifteen minutes every evening.

There is testimony from a private secretary that the Queen told Charles she ‘didn’t want anything to do with Camilla’

The biographer will have to balance the sensibilities of the royal family and their professional reputation with academics and historians.

Mr. Lacey told it The Telegraph: ‘The years of real crisis during the Queen’s reign revolved around the breakdown of Charles’ marriage to Diana.

‘There is testimony from a private secretary that the Queen told Charles she wanted ‘nothing to do’ with Camilla – whom she described as ‘that bad woman’ – and that Prince Charles himself was almost in tears about this.’

He added: ‘I see no way that the outspoken statements made about Prince Charles among some very senior figures in the Palace and No 10 during the dark days of the monarchy in the 1990s could possibly be published during his reign. ‘

Other sensitive topics that will be difficult for the biographer to navigate include the Duke of Windsor’s involvement with the Nazis and Lord Mountbatten’s sexual preferences.

Andrew Lownie, the royal biographer, said: ‘Traditionally the official lives have gone to an established and established historian who understands the constraints within which he – until now it has always been a he – has to work.

‘I suspect that ‘polls’ will be taken, although it is still a mystery with whom, and there is a good chance that a female royal biographer will be chosen for the first time, especially for Queen Elizabeth II.’

Besides Jane Ridley, other possible historians who could get the top spot are Simon Sebag Montefiore, Lord Roberts of Belgravia and Sir David Cannadine.

The task of submitting a shortlist to the king now falls to Sir Clive Alderton, his private secretary and keeper of the Royal Archives.

Other reasons for the possible delay could be the sensitive topics it is likely to cover, such as the Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

The British monarch Queen Elizabeth II (1926 – 2022) (center) poses with members of the royal family, from left the couple Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, the Queen, the couple Prince Charles (and future Charles III) (behind the Queen) and Princess Diana of Wales (1961 – 1997) (in red)

Some suggest that the Queen’s life story could be published in a series of volumes, broken down into chronological chapters of her life or themes such as the Commonwealth or her love of horse racing.

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

William Shawcross was announced as the Queen Mother’s official biographer after her death in March 2002.

It took him six years to complete the biography and he interviewed both the late Queen and then Prince Charles.