Queen Elizabeth II Part Two: Crisis, Loss and the End of an Era

By 1992, Queen Elizabeth II had been on the throne for forty years. She had survived wars, political upheaval, assassination attempts and a country transformed almost beyond recognition.

Then her family began to fall apart in public.

In Part Two of Dead Famous: Queen Elizabeth II, we enter the most turbulent decades of her reign: the annus horribilis, the collapse of her children's marriages, the fire at Windsor Castle and the extraordinary royal drama surrounding Charles and Diana.

Then, in August 1997, Diana was killed in Paris — and the Queen found herself facing perhaps the greatest public backlash of her entire reign.

We follow Elizabeth through the monarchy's recovery, the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, the jubilees that transformed her into a national institution, the loss of Prince Philip after more than 73 years of marriage, and the final months of a life spent almost entirely in public service.

Finally, we return to Balmoral in September 2022, as the reign that had once seemed almost permanent quietly came to an end.

Parts One and Two are available now — listen to the complete story without waiting for next week.

Beyond the Script is available exclusively to members of the Dead Famous Patreon — join here!

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Research and writing - Elliott Caddy

Theme music arranged and composed by Holly-Jane Shears

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