A fairy storybook by author Sir Michael Morpurgo to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will be released this spring.
The poetic tribute, There Once Is A Queen, will tell the story of the Queen’s life during her 70-year reign as monarch.
Michael Foreman has illustrated the tale due to be published on May 12, which will later be brought to life through artists during the official jubilee celebrations in June.
The story will begin with the Queen as a child, planting an oak tree with her father.
It will follow her story and aims to bring her “historic reign vividly to life” for readers of all ages.
Morpurgo said: “I very much wanted my story to play a small part in the celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in the June of 2022.
“There was another Queen Elizabeth some time ago, a cousin 14-times removed to our own Queen. A great writer, Edmund Spenser, once wrote a long poem about her that he called The Faerie Queene.
“My story is not a poem, and not long, but, as you will discover, it is also about a fairy queen – although spelt differently.
“Michael Foreman and I should like to dedicate this book to Her Majesty The Queen, in gratitude, in affection and in admiration.”
Foreman added: “It is an honour to be part of Michael Morpurgo’s tribute to Her Majesty The Queen.
“While researching the long, colourful thread of her life, through a changing world, it has been impressed upon me the part she has played in the tapestry of all our lives.”
The main celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee will centre on a four-day bank holiday weekend in June.
The royal extravaganza also includes a live pop concert at Buckingham Palace, a carnival pageant on the streets of London, jubilee lunches and the lighting of beacons across the world.
The pageant master, Adrian Evans, said that much of the “impetus and early inspiration” for the Platinum Jubilee celebration came whilst in the company of Morpurgo and Foreman.
He added: “Together we have created something of historical importance of which I am very proud.”
The book will be published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.
The publishing house’s executive publisher, Ann-Janine Murtagh, noted that Morpurgo brings the “perfect sense of occasion” to the piece alongside Foreman’s “beautifully rendered watercolours”.
She added: “Together they weave a glorious tapestry marking the extraordinary life of our Queen and celebrating a unique moment in our shared history. It is a book for all ages to enjoy together and will be a treasured keepsake of this joyful event.”
There Once Is A Queen by Michael Morpurgo will be published by HarperCollins Children’s Book on May 12.
