The central character of the novella, the Queen of England (presumably modern-day Elizabeth II), is a profoundly polite, duty-oriented monarch who has, until the point at which the text begins, operated only out of obligation in her private and public life. When the Queen stumbles upon the traveling library at the palace, she embarks on an intellectual journey from which there is no turning back.

As the Queen reads and learns more about the world and other people, her perspective slowly shifts as she becomes more empathetic to those around her. In addition, she begins to feel more bored with her traditional duties, wanting instead to take time to read, think, and write on her own. Eventually, the Queen decides that she wants to write her own book—one that transcends simplistic memoir—in her own voice. The novella concludes on the Queen abdicating her throne in order to publish her own book.

Norman is an unattractive gay man working in the palace kitchens when the Queen meets him in the traveling library. His love for books interests her, and she quickly hires him to work outside of her office and help her in gathering new books.