''Two Weeks with the Queen'' is a 1990

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

by Australian author

Morris Gleitzman Morris Gleitzman (born 9 January 1953) is an English-born Australian author of children's and young adult fiction.treated for cancer.

Plot summary

Colin Mudford, a 12 year old Australian, is sent to stay with his uncle Bob, aunt Iris and cousin Alistair in London while his brother, Luke, is being treated for cancer. In England, Colin, wanting to ask the Queen for good doctors, attempts to break into

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

with Alistair, only for them both to get caught by the police. After an unsuccessful attempt to sneak into the best cancer hospital in London, Colin meets a Welshman named Ted, whose friend Griff also has cancer. Ted introduces Colin to one of England's leading cancer experts, who then contacts Luke's doctors in Sydney and confirms that the cancer which Luke has is

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output dev ...

. Colin then attempts revenge on the doctors by slashing the tires on their cars, including Mercedes, BMW,

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

and

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. Th ...

, only to be caught by Ted. Colin then storms back to Bob and Iris's house distraught, where Alistair gives Colin the idea that a possible cure may be found in South America. Colin convinces Alistair to stow away with him on a

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...

to South America the next day. However, when Colin admits that he slashed the tires of several doctors' cars and that Ted caught him, Alistair warns Colin that Ted could be blamed for this, so Colin delays their trip to South America. The next day, Colin visits Ted at his home, and finds that he has been badly injured. Ted tells him that he was attacked by people in the street who disliked him, because he is

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

. He then confesses to Colin that Griff is actually his lover, who is dying of

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

. As Ted is unable to walk due to his injuries, Colin goes to the hospital on his behalf to meet Griff, bringing him a letter from Ted as well as Griff's favourite food,

tangerines The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...

. After enjoying a conversation with Colin, Griff asks him to visit him again. After Griff is taken back to his

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

by a nurse, Colin finds a spare wheelchair in the hospital which he gives to Ted to allow him to leave his house. Colin then takes Ted to the hospital to see Griff and the couple thank Colin for reuniting them. Several days later, after Ted has recovered, Colin goes to visit the couple in the hospital, only to learn that Griff has died. When Alistair confesses to Iris his and Colin's plans to travel to South America, she punishes both boys, and the house is fortified against any escape attempts. When Colin decides to accept Luke's fate, he asks Iris to let him return to his family, but she forbids it, saying that any attempt to escape will not work because they will not allow him on the plane with his return ticket, unless he is seen off by an adult guardian. The next morning, with much difficulty, Colin sneaks out of the house and meets Ted at the airport. Ted signs Colin's forms and they say their goodbyes. Iris catches Colin trying to escape and conflict is created; Alistair stands up to her, which forces Iris to see reason and let Colin go. Colin travels back to Sydney to see Luke, who wakes up, happy to see Colin.

Characters

Colin Mudford: A 12-year-old Australian boy determined to convince a cancer expert to treat his younger brother. He is kind, friendly, and adventurous. Luke Mudford: Colin's 8-year-old brother who has terminal cancer. He is in Sydney for the entire novel, undergoing treatment. Alistair: Colin's shy 13-year-old English cousin. While Colin is in London, Alistair becomes involved with Colin's ambitious schemes to find a cure for Luke's cancer. Aunty Iris: Colin's aunt and Alistair's overbearing mother. She is friendly toward Colin but is frightened that he is so open about Luke's cancer. The Queen:

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

is unconcerned about Luke's illness and does not respond to any of Colin's letters and requests. A liaison officer writes a letter to Colin on her behalf at the end of the book, which Colin leaves in an aeroplane's ashtray. Uncle Bob: Uncle Bob is Colin's grumpy uncle. He thinks lowly of the British Royal Family, as well as the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

. He often joins his wife in telling their son, Alistair, what to do. Ted Caldicot: A gay Welshman who listens to Colin about Luke as his partner, Griff, has a similar issue. Contrasted with the other adults in the book Ted is characterized as warm and open, especially about cancer. Griff Price: Ted's partner of six years is being treated for AIDS-related cancer in the hospital. His favourite food is tangerines.

Themes

Gleitzman depicts the denial and anger that accompany grief, portraying Colin's egocentricity, spunk, and pain compassionately and without condescension. Neatly tied together by the incidents involving the Queen, this mixture of genuine emotion and humor makes for an engaging story that is said to have broad appeal.

Adaptation for theatre

The book was adapted for the stage by Mary Morris in April 1992, and premièred at the

Sydney Festival Sydney Festival is a major arts festival in Australia's largest city, Sydney that runs for three weeks every January, since it was established in 1977. The festival program features in excess of 100 events from local and international artists an ...

in the same year. Directed by Wayne Harrison, it received praise from its first performances, and has since been shown throughout the world, including England, Canada, Japan, the United States, Cuba, and Portugal.

Reception

''Two Weeks with the Queen'' won the Family Award in 1990. Todd Morning, reviewing the book for ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'', describes Colin as "incredibly feisty and brave", and criticises the book's "breakneck" pace, stating that this made it difficult to get to know Colin. Reviewers for the ''School Library Journal'' described Gleitzman's pacing in the audiobook as "wonderful", showing Colin's growing maturity. Stephens regards ''Two Weeks with the Queen'' as being unusual in contemporary Australian children's literature because Colin is presented as having agency – he is capable of making decisions and taking action to change the world around him – even though he does not do so in the way he first intended. Maya Sen, writing for ''

The Canberra Times ''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times. History ''The Canberra Times'' was launched in ...

'', praises Colin's determination and character development, and enjoyed the book's humour and direct treatment of its themes. When the play was performed in the United Kingdom, according to Gleitzman, the Australian Republican themes of the play proved controversial.

Plot summary

Characters

Themes

Adaptation for theatre

Reception

References

Further reading