Power and the Palace: The explosive new royal book that reveals what happens between 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace in times of crisis

When Sir Keir Starmer visited Donald Trump in the White House and produced a letter from King Charles inviting the president for a second state visit, it was a gesture that spoke volumes about the continuing importance of the monarchy for Britain''s international relations. It was also a vivid illustration of the relationship between Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street.

Power and the Palace lifts the lid on the mysterious power dynamic at the heart of the British state: the secretive and little understood relationship between the monarchy and the government. In vivid, page-turning prose, Valentine Low examines the extraordinary political life of Queen Victoria, who exerted her will in a way that no monarch has done since, the effect that had on her son Edward VII, and the turbulent and fascinating political times of George V. We are taken behind the scenes of the wartime meetings between George VI and Winston Churchill (the origin of the weekly audience) and discover how Elizabeth II played a crucial role in modernising - and saving - the monarchy.

At the heart of the book are the famous meetings between sovereign and prime minister. Low shows how, from Victoria and Benjamin Disraeli to Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher, personal chemistry proved just as important as the constitutional relationship.

Based on nearly 100 interviews with senior politicians, top civil servants, royal aides and constitutional experts, Power and the Palace rewrites our understanding of the political power of the monarchy.

'Lively . . . peppered with entertaining lines. One of [Low's] skills as a journalist is an ability to sift through mountains of archive material and pick out the gems' - Telegraph

Covering 200 years of royal history from Queen Victoria to King Charles, and looking forward to the future reign of King William, Power and the Palace is the gossip-laden and highly revelatory account of the relationship between the sovereign and the prime minister - the real story behind The Crown.

Power and the Palace lifts the lid on the mysterious power nexus at the heart of the British state: the secretive and little understood relationship between the monarchy and the government. In vivid, page-turning prose, Valentine Low takes us behind the scenes of the weekly audience to uncover the ever-changing dynamic between sovereign and prime minister - from the romance and flattery that bound Victoria and Benjamin Disraeli, to the personal and political gulf that separated Elizabeth II from Margaret Thatcher.

He reveals how the monarchy has gradually ceded political power over the past two hundred years while behind closed doors fighting to keep its finances secure - ensuring the long-term survival of the institution. But it has not all been smooth sailing, and the book includes moments of dramatic tension when the relationship threatened to unravel.

Based on nearly 100 interviews with senior politicians, top civil servants, royal aides and constitutional experts, Power and the Palace rewrites our understanding of the political power of the monarchy.

• | Author: Valentine Low
• | Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
• | Publication Date: Sep 11, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language: eng
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781035418824
• | ISBN-10: 1035418827