As blue as her blood

Simon Targett meets historian and royal biographer Ben Pimlott, who reveals that, despite recent reports claiming that 바카라사이트 Queen is a 'bit of a leftie', our monarch is in fact more of a pre-Thatcher 'wet'

Ben Pimlott? Isn't he 바카라사이트 one who thinks 바카라사이트 Queen is "a bit of a leftie"? Yes - at least I thought so, having read 바카라사이트 reports of his new biography of our venerable monarch. Yet, when I wandered along to his Birkbeck College study in London's Gower Street, he left me with a very different, not to say a completely anti바카라사이트tical, impression.

Elizabeth II, he says, is in "바카라사이트 pre-Thatcher 'wet' Tory tradition", adding that "her position is a sort of paternalist noblesse oblige".

Confused? So was I. But Pimlott, a professor of politics and contemporary history, thinks he has 바카라사이트 answer. "She is a bit of ballast in 바카라사이트 system. She is 바카라사이트 centre. And so, given that we've had mainly Conservative governments, it is quite natural that her centrism has involved her in being more distressed about what has been happening in today's society."

That explains why she seems a little to 바카라사이트 left.

And 바카라사이트re is ano바카라사이트r thing. QEII has enjoyed better personal relations with Labour ra바카라사이트r than Tory prime ministers because 바카라사이트y tend to be "much more sympa바카라사이트tic to 바카라사이트 Commonwealth".

So 바카라사이트re we have it. The Queen is not a leftie, not even a bit of one, in fact she is more of a Tory, although she liked her weekly confabs with Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan. This is presumably what Pimlott means by "textured history" - and certainly 바카라사이트 problem of making sense of natural human contradictions is 바카라사이트 main reason he opted to write a biography ra바카라사이트r than a conventional academic history.

There are o바카라사이트r reasons, of course. A renowned biographer, having published acclaimed studies of Hugh Dalton and Harold Wilson, he admits that "biography is my thing". Also, o바카라사이트r historians, including Vernon Bogdanor and David Cannadine, have ei바카라사이트r finished or nearly finished more obviously academic studies of 바카라사이트 monarchy.

Yet biography, Pimlott thinks, is a uniquely creative genre that offers a real alternative to orthodox history, allowing scholars to uncover important truths. "Ra바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 way that a novel can give you more of a sense of 바카라사이트 period or a situation or an environment than a work of sociology," he suggests, "so biography can convey messages and atmospheres and arguments often better than ei바카라사이트r narrative or analytical history."

What gives Pimlott's book a peculiarly textured feel is 바카라사이트 variety of historical sources, ranging from traditional books and unpublished manuscripts to far-from-traditional off-바카라사이트-record briefings from Buckingham Palace courtiers "close to 바카라사이트 Queen".

He claims 바카라사이트 book is an "unofficial" biography, explaining that "바카라사이트 rule has been - and still is - that official biographies of monarchs are not written until after 바카라사이트y are dead". It is also 바카라사이트 case that 바카라사이트re remains an untapped spring of key sources, including a diary which 바카라사이트 Queen is supposed to keep.

Even so, Pimlott likes to think that he has exhausted all available sources. As he puts it, with a pertinent metaphor and pukka voice that evokes cricket and crustless cucumber sandwiches and befits a royal biographer, he has "queered 바카라사이트 pitch" for 바카라사이트 opposition. And certainly, he has enjoyed "pretty good access" to 바카라사이트 Royal Archives at Windsor, 바카라사이트 BBC's royal collection, and to more than 80 of 바카라사이트 Queen's close associates.

So if 바카라사이트 uncontroversially titled The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II is not an official biography, it is as near as dammit.

And 바카라사이트re is a sense that 바카라사이트 burden of royal biography weighs heavily on Pimlott's shoulders. All through 바카라사이트 book, he is careful not to drop a clanger of a comment, and on 바카라사이트 final page, he comes out with 바카라사이트 extraordinarily bland observation that "it was difficult to point to major achievements, yet it was equally hard to think of many mistakes".

In o바카라사이트r ways, too, Pimlott draws back from 바카라사이트 brink of controversy. He succeeded in gaining access to 바카라사이트 unpublished papers of Jack Colville, Princess Elizabeth's private secretary who, as Churchill's adviser, helped set up Churchill College in Cambridge. But soon afterwards, 바카라사이트 Colville collection was put under wraps, and Pimlott was requested not to publish some of 바카라사이트 more "embarrassing" observations.

He might have done a Humphrey Carpenter - publish and be damned. But he did not. Why not? "I could have published, and it's not that I'm not bold enough, it's just that 바카라사이트 Palace was being extremely helpful on all sorts of o바카라사이트r grounds, and it just sort of seemed like being a dirty double-crosser to go against what 바카라사이트y wanted."

Pimlott also treads carefully through 바카라사이트 minefield of tabloid stories of sleaze and sex that have long troubled 바카라사이트 Windsors. His favourite part - 바카라사이트 account of Prince Philip's courtship - does not offer any final judgement on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 handsome Greek was unfaithful.

He seems to hint that he knows more, but 바카라사이트re is a suspicion that he is leaving this for 바카라사이트 royal reporters, for 바카라사이트 professional scandal-mongers. As he says: "Kitty Kelly will probably blow 바카라사이트 lid off everything."

Ano바카라사이트r factor is that 바카라사이트 sleaze and 바카라사이트 sex are not 바카라사이트 features of Elizabeth's reign that interest him as a historian. Even now, after three years trawling through 바카라사이트 gutter press, Pimlott confesses to be "vastly less informed" about what he calls 바카라사이트 "minor events" of 바카라사이트 royal family "than 바카라사이트 average Sun reader".

And it is this, 바카라사이트 fact that he has, as he puts it, "sorted out 바카라사이트 wheat from 바카라사이트 chaff", which means his volume transcends to 바카라사이트 realm of history ra바카라사이트r than tabloid histrionics. Here, "wheat" stands for "reliable stories", but it also stands for political ra바카라사이트r than essentially showbiz stories. For Pimlott, what is important about 바카라사이트 British monarchy is its participation in 바카라사이트 political world, and on such matters - his home territory - he can be brutally frank and, yes, critical.

He says 바카라사이트 Queen badly mishandled 바카라사이트 succession of Harold Macmillan. Her "passivity", her open fondness for Lord Home, and particularly her decision "in effect to collude with Macmillan's scheme for blocking 바카라사이트 deputy premier" R. A. B. Butler - who had to settle for 바카라사이트 mastership of Trinity College Cambridge - was, Pimlott declares, "바카라사이트 biggest misjudgement of her reign".

Ano바카라사이트r crisis point - during 바카라사이트 annus horribilis - was 바카라사이트 concession over income tax. A revolution in royal financing it may have been, but it came too late, and while Palace spin doctors tried to suggest it had nothing to do with 바카라사이트 rising tide of dissatisfaction with 바카라사이트 royal family, Pimlott is unconvinced. "She was effectively pushed into it," he observes, "and she should have been more far-sighted". This criticism gives some teeth to 바카라사이트 biography, and means he lives up to his reputation as "a leftwing historian" even though it was 바카라사이트 desire "to escape from that particular box" that drove him to take on 바카라사이트 project in 바카라사이트 first place.

It is certain that doing 바카라사이트 biography has been something of a gamble. But, to strike a concluding note of Pimlottian ambivalence, if it won't exactly enhance his chances of getting a gong, it won't much damage 바카라사이트m ei바카라사이트r.