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10 Audiobooks About the Royal Family You Need To Hear

10 Audiobooks About the Royal Family You Need To Hear

Long-awaited births, scandal-hit marriages, monumental coronations, disgraced family members, and famous exits from the firm—there’s much to learn about the royal family over the years.

Whether you’re interested in hearing what goes on behind palace doors or you’re keen to gain an insight into the scandals that have hit the family in the past, there is no topic off limits when it comes to audiobooks about the royal family. Each suggestion in our top 10 royal family listens delivers a unique listening experience, enabling you to absorb everything there is to learn about Britain’s most famous family.

Revenge

Revenge is a revealing story about the war between the House of Windsor, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle. It delivers everything you’d expect from an audiobook about the relationship between the royal family and Harry and Meghan—courtier politics, drama, and stunning betrayals.

Revenge is a great place to start for audio experiences derived from books about the royal family that share an insight into recent events. Andrew Wincott narrates it perfectly, adding expression and bringing life to writer Tom Bower’s investigative journalism. This is an interesting listen for those keen to hear the story of Megxit from insiders and expert sources.

Courtiers

What could be more appropriate for a list of Audible audiobooks about the royal family than a biography that details inside information from a royal correspondent? Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the era of King Charles III, the royal family has taken on a whole new look. Courtiers offers a listening experience that delves into how the monarchy works and its future.

Author and narrator Valentine Low expertly tells the story of the British monarchy’s recent history. He isn’t afraid to dive into the details of who is entrusted with guiding the royals and how they face this challenge at a pivotal time. If you’ve always wanted to know how the royal family operates, survives and is steered through public and private life, this should be on your must-listen list.

...And What Do You Do?

The royal family is no stranger to controversy. …And What Do You Do? offers a unique approach compared to other titles about the royal family. It’s highly critical and undoubtedly insightful, and it could make for uncomfortable listening if you’re a hard-line monarchist.

Writer and former Government Minister Norman Baker looks at the British monarchy as a concept instead of a family, digging into the details of public spending and scandal-hit royals while considering the broader responsibilities of the royals in society. If you’re looking to make a list of several listening experiences that offer a well-rounded and comprehensive view of the royal family …And What Do You Do? should be on it.

The Palace Papers

With scandals and tragedies striking the royal family over the years, it would be remiss not to include The Palace Papers in our list. Written and narrated by Sunday Times bestselling author Tina Brown, it’s an informative and well-researched offering that delivers fascinating inside access to the world’s most well-known family.

This title takes the listener on a journey through the Queen’s renowned resolve and stoic nature, delivering insights into how the Queen coped with various traumatic experiences across her reign. From the family’s reinvention following the death of Princess Diana to the monarchy’s stance on Prince Andrew’s scandal and the Queen’s love for Prince Philip, it’s an intuitive listen for anyone interested in the royal family.

The Royals

Regarding scandals, few titles about the royal family deliver more than The Royals. While we’ve all seen the misconduct in the tabloid headlines, this title delves into the details of each of them with far more insight than you’d see in The Crown. Whether it’s secret affairs, gambling addictions, or doomed marriages, writer Kitty Kelley has covered them all.

Although it was written in the late nineties, the retelling in this audiobook further brings to light some of the most famous secrets the royals never wanted us to hear. And it’s not just speculation. With several years of research and exclusive interviews with palace staff, friends, relations, and courtiers all playing a role in creating the story, it’s a thorough and accurate listening experience that gets into the nitty gritty.

The Secret Royals

Unsurprisingly, the royal family isn’t just an entity in itself. For the monarchy to thrive and succeed, it must work closely with other organizations, including the UK government and the intelligence community. Joan Walker narrates the story expertly, delivering insights from the book that keep the listener engaged and consistently learning new information.

Offering a different perspective to other books about the royal family, The Secret Royals looks closely at the firm’s relationship with the British secret services. From Queen Victoria’s reign to the death of Princess Diana, this audiobook covers a large portion of history that is not to be missed by royal enthusiasts or those interested in intelligence and the secret service.

Finding Freedom

Perhaps one of the most controversial and well-known books about the royal family in recent history, Finding Freedom undoubtedly deserves a place on our must-listen list. Written and narrated by a friend of Harry and Meghan, Omid Scobie, this title dives deeper than the headlines to uncover the intimate details of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s life together.

While many stories about the royal family centre around juicy secrets and little-known palace processes, this one offers a new angle and uniquely tells the story from the perspective of Harry and Meghan. With insights from over 100 sources, including some of their closest friends and allies, Finding Freedom is a great listen for those open to hearing a different version of the story our society has become so involved in.

The Diana Chronicles

Our list of audiobooks about the royal family would be incomplete without a Princess Diana biography. While she was one of the most famous women in the royal family with enormous public affection, there is a lot of mystery surrounding Princess Diana. The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown was written to deliver a behind-the-scenes insight into the life of ‘the people’s princess.’

Take an unprecedented journey into the events that shaped Diana’s rise to fame while listening to the stories surrounding her life and death. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Diana, Princess of Wales, or looking to broaden your royal family knowledge, The Diana Chronicles offers a top listening experience. From conspiracy theories to formal inquests, pausing this one will be hard.

Battle of Brothers

With headlines in recent years focusing on the relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry, it makes sense to include a title about them in our list of audiobooks about the royal family. The world has become fond of the two royals since they were born, and especially since the death of their mother, Princess Diana. This fondness and infatuation with these now-grown men have not faltered recently, and Battle of Brothers delivers a listening experience that gets into the details.

Written by Robert Lacey, it tells the story of William and Harry from the beginning, offering an insight into their relationship and how this has changed over the years. This audiobook covers everything from their early closeness and reliance on one another to the estranged and splintered relationship we are all familiar with now. While one brother is destined to be King, and the other follows a different journey as a ‘spare’, you’ll be hard-pressed to put this one on pause.

The Other Side of the Coin

First-hand experiences of those who have worked and lived closely with monarchy members are always welcome in a list of audiobooks about the royal family, primarily when they focus on the UK’s beloved Queen Elizabeth II. The Other Side of the Coin is written and narrated by Angela Kelly, the Queen’s senior dresser, personal advisor, curator, and wardrobe designer.

This Audible audiobook gives the listener a little-shared insight into the connection between the two women, offering a first-hand account from the person who experienced life with the Queen for over 25 years, in her own words. Listeners seeking to learn more about Queen Elizabeth II and what she was really like behind the closed doors of Buckingham Palace should add this one to their list.

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