Illustrated London News have announced the publication of a special limited edition book set in recognition of Her Majesty The Queen becoming Britain’s longest reigning monarch on September 9th. As Royal Central previously reported, The Queen will overtake her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, on Wednesday 9th September at exactly 4:18pm.
The Record Reign limited edition book set.
The new limited edition set of books, entitled The Record Reign: Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, from ILN will draw on previously unseen archive footage from the publication and its sister titles and will also feature a Foreword from Prime Minister, David Cameron. The new publication will also feature a brand new portrait of The Queen, painted in oils by Alastair Barford, and commissioned exclusively for the brand new book set.
Back in 1897, the Illustrated London News commissioned a new publication which paid tribute to the record reign of Queen Victoria and her era defining Monarchy. A Record Number for a Record Reign was a special ornate edition that not only recognised the achievements of Queen Victoria but also those of Victorian Britain. A reproduction of the 1897 Record Reign edition will be included in ILN’s latest release alongside a new companion volume, The Record Reign of Her Majesty The Queen, a glorious recollection of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, celebrating her life and developments in Britain over the last 63 years.
Chief Executive of ILN, Lisa Barnard, commented, “These are two remarkable Queens, who have reigned over periods of extraordinary change. Our aim is to present the two reigns side by side in order to compare, contrast and commemorate. The ILN, as the worlds first pictorial newspaper has vividly chronicled both periods and both monarchs since our inception in 1842, so we are best placed to do this. It has been a publishing feat to recreate the 1897 publication and we have gone to enormous lengths to remain faithful to the original.”
The Record Reign ‘bookazine’ cover.
ILN will also publishing a softback ‘bookazine’ that is set to be sold on newspaper stands from September 3rd. The Illustrated Record Reign will provide a popular account of The Queen’s reign including image led features and entertaining vignettes. The ‘bookazine’ follows the success of the 2012 publication, The Illustrated Diamond Jubilee.
Lisa Barnard concluded, “The pace of change since 1952 has been huge, and the Victorian era seems scarcely recognisable to us today. These beautiful books show in fascinating detail the parallels and differences between these record reigns.”
The limited edition book set will be released on September 3rd and is priced at £295 for both volumes, with only a print run of 1000 copies. To find out more about the book set and to reserve your copy, visit the dedicated website www.recordreign.com
Photo Credits: Illustrated London News
If they are a limited edition, there is not much hope they will be available overseas, is there?
do you want one ?
Yes, I would be desirous of purchasing a copy!
I’d love to have one too, but 295 pounds is a bit pricey; that’s about $470 American. Maybe the softback “bookazine” will be available in the US at a better price.
yes it will, Barns & Noble around the 9th Sept
Thanks, Andrew; I’ll be checking it out.
Hey Peter.
Where can i get one of these?
Regards Petra
Oh yes, definitely.
Wow, £295 is seriously ridiculous!