Robert Hardman – Keynote Speaker

Robert Hardman is one of Britain’s most accomplished journalists and a leading writer on the British Royal Family. He is a documentary filmmaker and best-selling author, whose rare insights into royalty are sought-after. As a newspaper journalist and columnist, first with the Daily Telegraph and now with the Daily Mail, he has been covering British and international affairs at every level for many years.

Hardman is the author of Our Queen, a bestselling book that went on to become ITV’s most-watched documentary in 2013. His most recent book, Queen of Our Times, also successfully aired as an ITV film, which he co-produced and wrote. In recent years, he has worked closely with The Royal Family, interviewing various individuals numerous times for a series of internationally-acclaimed films and his book, Monarchy: The Royal Family At Work (published in the United States – as A Year With The Queen).

Hardman most recently wrote the acclaimed 2017 BBC2 documentary, George III – The Genius of the Mad King. He interviewed The Prince of Wales at length for BBC1’s 90-minute special film, Charles at 60: The Passionate Prince (2008) which he also narrated. Six months earlier, he wrote the ITV1 series, The Duke: A Portrait of Prince Philip (2008). This followed the landmark BBC1 series, Monarchy: The Royal Family At Work (2007) for which Hardman wrote both the book and the script. As associate producer, he was co-creator of the series and also interviewed many of the major figures in what was the most extensive royal production ever made. Prior to this, Hardman played a similar role as the writer and associate producer of the much-loved BBC1 series, The Queen’s Castle (2005), which enjoyed similar international success.

Through years of exploring such intricate themes, Hardman is able to provide valuable insights into complex scenarios and tackle pressing questions. Robert Hardman discusses how to deal with difficult leaders and charm great ones and how HM The Queen’s soft power approach has shaped Britain’s standing on the world stage. He furthermore analyses how the family firm has been run successfully for decades, with one primary leader in charge. Hardman poses thought-provoking questions, where he explores how an institution routed in tradition has transformed without anyone noticing over thousands of years. Essentially, changing without changing. His privileged and extensive access to rare encounters, insights and resources results in his comprehensive understanding of these topics.

Aside from the British Royal Family, his royal interviewees have included the Emperor and Empress of Japan, the King and Queen of Norway and the Queen of Denmark. A Cambridge classics graduate, he is married with three children and lives in London.