The only book series that ever made Queen Elizabeth II repeatedly laugh out loud was adapted into a “masterpiece” period drama on Channel 5. The late monarch, who died in 2022 at the age of 96, credited the series – based on real life events – with providing pure joy.
Those books were, of course, James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small. The Queen told James over a private lunch at Buckingham Palace that they were “the only books that have made me repeatedly laugh out loud”. Herriot – real name Alf Wight – was awarded an OBE in 1979 for services to veterinary sciences, part of the Queen’s Honours List.
His son Jim Wight told The Bridgehead Radio: “Dad said to me, ‘I’ve got this OBE, but I don’t think it’s due to my writing at all. I got it because I put so much tax money into Her Majesty’s coffers!’”
Among the late monarch’s other favourite books were tales about horses and horse racing. She was an avid subscriber to The Racing Post, and enjoyed British jockey Dick Francis’ novels – which he would send early review copies to the royal household to get the Queen’s thoughts before publication.
She also loved detective novels, noted to prefer books like PD James and Adam Dalgliesh. As a child, one governess reported that her favourite tome was Moorland Mouse – a 1929 collection of short stories following the life of an Exmoor pony.
In comparison, Queen Camilla has named novels like Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, Robert Harris’ Archangel and Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca among her favourite titles. She also listed books like The Hare with Amber Eyes, Tiepolo Blue and Mapp and Lucia among her recommendations for The Queen’s Reading Room.
The Queen is also a fan of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.