From the moment of her father George VI's death in February 1952 to her present stature as one of the world's most pre-eminent and best-loved figures, Queen Elizabeth II has always favoured a more open approach than any of her predecessors. Her first opening of Parliament and Coronation mark the first episodes in the catalogue of historic occasions and Royal Family dramas that have commanded the front pages of the world's press. Also featured in this book are the controversies and alarms of her reign: Princess Margaret's decision not to marry Group Captain Townsend, the shots fired at the Queen at the Trooping of the Colour ceremony, the scandalous resignation of her chief personal bodyguard, the mystery man in her bedroom and the disappointment at the lack of royal support for those fighting in the Gulf War.