Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II acquired a cultivated appreciation of the arts from an early age, with the study of a picture a week in her schooldays, and in maturity has consistently proven herself a dutiful, conscientious, and enthusiastic patron of the arts.

In this impressive volume, Helen Cathcart guides the listener through the public galleries, state apartments, and private rooms of royal abodes, pointing out the historic furniture and bespoke ceramics, the royal portraits, and of course the Old Masters that adorn the tapestried walls. Here is the pencil sketch by Michelangelo, the watercolor by Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Louise, the first edition Lewis Carroll in the Royal Library, and the Faberge easter eggs, among many other treasures.

The Queen and the Arts not only highlights Her Majesty's abiding interest in the arts in all its forms but also her expert knowledge and care of the royal collection and her wish for it to be seen and enjoyed by as many as possible.