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Queen Elizabeth becomes a detective (but only in a book)

The queen Elizabeth II that turns into a detective per solve a murder case in Windsor Castle. It is not the reality but the fiction of the novel The Windsor Knot by British writer Sophia J. Bennett. A compelling detective story but also an accurate and faithful portrait of the sovereign, who outlines Elizabeth’s royal character and habits thanks to a meticulous research work and at revelations from different sources.

In the novel, published in Italy by Mondadori with the title The Windsor knot. Her Majesty the Queen investigates (translation by Monica Pavani), the detective queen looks a lot like the real one that has reigned for nearly seventy years, both in his publicly known customs and in his intimate behaviors.

This is because Sophia J. Bennett, in addition to drawing from the multitude of biographies published by people who have known Elizabeth (such as her ex nanny or the royal seamstress), was able to consult sources close to the sovereign. Some mentioned in the book’s acknowledgments, others kept hidden. “Many people are loyal to the queen and have begged me not to mention their names», The author confessed to Country.

The queen of the novel is tired of being told how old she is and being treated with velvet gloves, and he also worries that his generation is dying out. AND spiteful, extremely careful and, of course, lover of dogs and good gin. All details that are reflected in reality.

Bennett, who has so far been a successful author of a dozen children’s books, is a connoisseur of the English monarchy and a member of the historic Royal Literary Fund. He lives in London, where he teaches writing. He chose to make his debut in adult literature to follow a passion, that of the British royal family.

She began to be passionate about the Royal Family and in particular to Elizabeth since she was a child. His father was part of his escort at the Silver Jubilee in 1977. “The queen has always fascinated me,” admitted the author. “Over the years I have admired how she managed to survive the roller coaster of public life, sometimes with terrible fatigue, sometimes in a fantastic way. It always ends up doing it well ».

The writer herself was close to joining the Windsor staff: as a young girl she applied for the position of assistant secretary. She was rejected because she was too young.

Bennett’s searches for Il nodo Windsor they took a long time not only as regards the personality of the British sovereign, but also to discover the secrets of the novel’s other great protagonist: Windsor Castle. “There is a lot to tell and a lot of curiosity about Windsor,” said the writer al Country. “Some stories in the book are entirely true, others are invented, such as that of the private rooms, the chapel, rebuilt after the 1992 fire, or the queen’s bedroom. Yes, I made it all up, ”he admitted. And he did it for a very specific reason: “You simply can’t get to the queen’s chambers in any way».

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