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Elizabeth I: The Making of a Queen
by Laura BrennanA look at the people and events that shaped the life and reign of the last Tudor monarch. Elizabeth I is arguably one of the greatest monarchs and women of English history. Against an uncertain political and religious backdrop of post-reformation Europe, she ruled at the conception of social modernization, living in the shadow of the infamy of her parents&’ reputations and striving to prove herself an equal to the monarchs who had gone before her. This book seeks to explore some of the key events of her life both before and after she ascended to the English throne in late 1558. By looking at the history of these selected events, as well as investigating the influence of various people in her life, this book sets out to explain Elizabeth&’s decisions, both as a queen and as a woman. Among the events examined are the death of her mother; the role and fates of her subsequent stepmothers; the fate of Lady Jane Grey and the subsequent behavior and reign of her half sister Mary Tudor, along with the death of Amy Dudley, the return of Mary Queen of Scots to Scotland, the Papal Bull, and the Spanish Amanda.
Elizabeth I: The Making of a Queen
by Laura BrennanA look at the people and events that shaped the life and reign of the last Tudor monarch. Elizabeth I is arguably one of the greatest monarchs and women of English history. Against an uncertain political and religious backdrop of post-reformation Europe, she ruled at the conception of social modernization, living in the shadow of the infamy of her parents&’ reputations and striving to prove herself an equal to the monarchs who had gone before her. This book seeks to explore some of the key events of her life both before and after she ascended to the English throne in late 1558. By looking at the history of these selected events, as well as investigating the influence of various people in her life, this book sets out to explain Elizabeth&’s decisions, both as a queen and as a woman. Among the events examined are the death of her mother; the role and fates of her subsequent stepmothers; the fate of Lady Jane Grey and the subsequent behavior and reign of her half sister Mary Tudor, along with the death of Amy Dudley, the return of Mary Queen of Scots to Scotland, the Papal Bull, and the Spanish Amanda.
Elizabeth I: The Novel
by Margaret GeorgeThe New York Times bestseller from Margaret George--a captivating novel about history's most enthralling queen, the legendary Elizabeth Tudor.England's greatest monarch has baffled and intrigued the world for centuries. But what was the Virgin Queen really like? Lettice Knollys--Elizabeth's flame-haired, look-alike coussin--thinks she knows all too well. Elizabeth's rival for the love of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and mother to the Earl of Essex, the mercurial nobleman who challenged Elizabeth's throne, Lettice has been intertwined with Elizabeth since childhood. This is a story of two women of fierce intellect and desire, one trying to protect her country, and throne, the other trying to regain power and position for her family. Their rivalry, and its ensuing drama, soon involves everyone close to Elizabeth, from the famed courtiers who enriched the crown to the legendary poets and playwrights who paid homage to it with their works. Filled with intimate portraits of the personalities who made the Elizabethan age great--Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dudley, Raleigh, Drake--Elizabeth I provides an unforgettable glimpse of a woman who considered herself married to her people. A queen who ruled as much from the heart as from the head.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Elizabeth II's Reign - Celebrating 60 years of Britain's History
by Jacqui BaileyElizabeth II's Reign examines the recent history of Britain. Exploring the Britain the Queen was born into and took over when her reign began, the Commonwealth, changing social times / family, fashion, technology and work the book builds up a picture of how life in Britain has changed.The book is bought alive with humourous cartoon and by memories in the form of quotes from people who remember the events and changes from the past 60 years. It is illustrated with pictures of the Queen and the Royal family and historical photos of life in Britain.With panels of facts about the Queen and the Royal Family, this is a great read for children and young adults in the year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.Contents include:Sixty years on the throneThe end of the War (Rationing; marriages and births; a crumbling Empire; united for peace)A new Queen (King for a year; the Queen's father; coronation day; open to the public; good times...and bad)Family life (getting married; seen not heard; school days; pass or fail; all together; women's rights; all sorts of families; somewhere to live; instant houses; building blocks)Healthier and wealthier (paying the price; health for free; changing jobs; haves and have nots; the poverty line; going places; travelling by train; on the roads; it's good to talk; talking and walking, using computers)The way we live (a changing population; favourite food; super shops; well dressed; minis, bell-bottoms and safety pins; at the movies; what's on the box; from ballroom to the Beatles; festival time; by the seaside; packaged up)Looking aheadTimeline; further informationIndex
Elizabeth II's Reign - Celebrating 60 years of Britain's History
by Jacqui BaileyElizabeth II's Reign examines the recent history of Britain. Exploring the Britain the Queen was born into and took over when her reign began, the Commonwealth, changing social times / family, fashion, technology and work the book builds up a picture of how life in Britain has changed.The book is bought alive with humourous cartoon and by memories in the form of quotes from people who remember the events and changes from the past 60 years. It is illustrated with pictures of the Queen and the Royal family and historical photos of life in Britain.With panels of facts about the Queen and the Royal Family, this is a great read for children and young adults in the year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.Contents include:Sixty years on the throneThe end of the War (Rationing; marriages and births; a crumbling Empire; united for peace)A new Queen (King for a year; the Queen's father; coronation day; open to the public; good times...and bad)Family life (getting married; seen not heard; school days; pass or fail; all together; women's rights; all sorts of families; somewhere to live; instant houses; building blocks)Healthier and wealthier (paying the price; health for free; changing jobs; haves and have nots; the poverty line; going places; travelling by train; on the roads; it's good to talk; talking and walking, using computers)The way we live (a changing population; favourite food; super shops; well dressed; minis, bell-bottoms and safety pins; at the movies; what's on the box; from ballroom to the Beatles; festival time; by the seaside; packaged up)Looking aheadTimeline; further informationIndex
Elizabeth II: The Steadfast (Penguin Monarchs)
by Douglas HurdIn September 2015 Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch. During her long lifetime Britain and the world have changed beyond recognition, yet throughout she has stood steadfast as a lasting emblem of stability, continuity and public service.Historian and senior politician Douglas Hurd has seen the Queen at close quarters, as Home Secretary and then on overseas expeditions as Foreign Secretary. Here he considers the life and role of Britain's most greatly admired monarch, who, inheriting a deep sense of duty from her father George VI, has weathered national and family crises, seen the end of an Empire and heard voices raised in favour of the break-up of the United Kingdom.Hurd creates an arresting portrait of a woman deeply conservative by nature yet possessing a ready acceptance of modern life and the awareness that, for things to stay the same, they must change.With a preface by HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
Elizabeth Is Missing: One of the Eighteenth Century's Greatest Mysteries—Solved!
by Lillian de la TorreThe true story of the eighteenth-century English maidservant at the center of a fascinating criminal mystery. On New Year&’s Day, 1753, Elizabeth Canning disappeared. An eighteen-year-old girl, she was unremarkable in every respect, from her appearance to her disposition, but she was about to become the most famous person in London. When she reappeared one month later, starving and ill, she claimed she had been abducted and held captive by a woman named Susannah Wells, who wanted Elizabeth to work for her as a prostitute. Based on Elizabeth&’s testimony, Wells was arrested, tried, and convicted—but the case was just getting started. Convinced the young woman was lying, the Lord Mayor of London set out to uncover the truth. What followed was one of the most celebrated criminal cases of the era. The controversy, which threatened to tear London apart, revolved around one frightened, mysterious girl. Meticulously researched and irresistibly readable, Elizabeth Is Missing is the definitive account of one of the most unusual cases of the eighteenth century, a must-read for fans of historical true crime.
Elizabeth Jane Howard: A Dangerous Innocence
by Artemis CooperElizabeth Jane Howard (1923-2014) wrote brilliant novels about what love can do to people, but in her own life the lasting relationship she sought so ardently always eluded her. She grew up yearning to be an actress; but when that ambition was thwarted by marriage and the war, she turned to fiction. Her first novel, The Beautiful Visit, won the John Llewellyn Rhys prize - she went on to write fourteen more, of which the best-loved were the five volumes of TheCazalet Chronicle. Following her divorce from her first husband, the celebrated naturalist Peter Scott, Jane embarked on a string of high-profile affairs with Cecil Day-Lewis, Arthur Koestler and Laurie Lee, which turned her into a literary femme fatale. Yet the image of a sophisticated woman hid a romantic innocence which clouded her emotional judgement. She was nearing the end of a disastrous second marriage when she met Kingsley Amis, and for a few years they were a brilliant and glamorous couple - until that marriage too disintegrated. She settled in Suffolk where she wrote and entertained friends, but her turbulent love life was not over yet. In her early seventies Jane fell for a conman. His unmasking was the final disillusion, and inspired one of her most powerful novels, Falling.Artemis Cooper interviewed Jane several times in Suffolk. She also talked extensively to her family, friends and contemporaries, and had access to all her papers. Her biography explores a woman trying to make sense of her life through her writing, as well as illuminating the literary world in which she lived.
Elizabeth Jane Howard: A Dangerous Innocence
by Artemis CooperElizabeth Jane Howard (1923-2014) wrote brilliant novels about what love can do to people, but in her own life the lasting relationship she sought so ardently always eluded her. She grew up yearning to be an actress; but when that ambition was thwarted by marriage and the war, she turned to fiction. Her first novel, The Beautiful Visit, won the John Llewellyn Rhys prize - she went on to write fourteen more, of which the best-loved were the five volumes of The Cazalet Chronicle. Following her divorce from her first husband, the celebrated naturalist Peter Scott, Jane embarked on a string of high-profile affairs with Cecil Day-Lewis, Arthur Koestler and Laurie Lee, which turned her into a literary femme fatale. Yet the image of a sophisticated woman hid a romantic innocence which clouded her emotional judgement. She was nearing the end of a disastrous second marriage when she met Kingsley Amis, and for a few years they were a brilliant and glamorous couple - until that marriage too disintegrated. She settled in Suffolk where she wrote and entertained friends, but her turbulent love life was not over yet. In her early seventies Jane fell for a conman. His unmasking was the final disillusion, and inspired one of her most powerful novels, Falling.Artemis Cooper interviewed Jane several times in Suffolk. She also talked extensively to her family, friends and contemporaries, and had access to all her papers. Her biography explores a woman trying to make sense of her life through her writing, as well as illuminating the literary world in which she lived.
Elizabeth Jane Howard: A Dangerous Innocence
by Artemis CooperElizabeth Jane Howard (1923-2014) wrote brilliant novels about what love can do to people, but in her own life the lasting relationship she sought so ardently always eluded her. She grew up yearning to be an actress; but when that ambition was thwarted by marriage and the war, she turned to fiction. Her first novel, The Beautiful Visit, won the John Llewellyn Rhys prize - she went on to write fourteen more, of which the best-loved were the five volumes of The Cazalet Chronicle. Following her divorce from her first husband, the celebrated naturalist Peter Scott, Jane embarked on a string of high-profile affairs with Cecil Day-Lewis, Arthur Koestler and Laurie Lee, which turned her into a literary femme fatale. Yet the image of a sophisticated woman hid a romantic innocence which clouded her emotional judgement. She was nearing the end of a disastrous second marriage when she met Kingsley Amis, and for a few years they were a brilliant and glamorous couple - until that marriage too disintegrated. She settled in Suffolk where she wrote and entertained friends, but her turbulent love life was not over yet. In her early seventies Jane fell for a conman. His unmasking was the final disillusion, and inspired one of her most powerful novels, Falling.Artemis Cooper interviewed Jane several times in Suffolk. She also talked extensively to her family, friends and contemporaries, and had access to all her papers. Her biography explores a woman trying to make sense of her life through her writing, as well as illuminating the literary world in which she lived.(P)2016 John Murray Press
Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte
by Charlene M. Boyer LewisTwo centuries ago, Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte was one of the most famous women in America. Beautiful, scandalous, and outspoken, she had wed Napoleon's brother Jerome, borne his child, and seen the marriage annulled by the emperor himself. With her notorious behavior, dashing husband, and associations with European royalty, Elizabeth became one of America's first celebrities during a crucial moment in the nation's history. At the time of Elizabeth's fame, the United States had only recently gained its independence, and the character of American society and politics was not yet fully formed. Still concerned that their republican experiment might fail and that their society might become too much like that of monarchical Europe, many Americans feared the corrupting influence of European manners and ideas. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte's imperial connections and aristocratic aspirations made her a central figure in these debates, with many, including members of Congress and the social elites of the day, regarding her as a threat.Appraising Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte's many identities--celebrity, aristocrat, independent woman, mother--Charlene M. Boyer Lewis shows how Madame Bonaparte, as she was known, exercised extraordinary social power at the center of the changing transatlantic world. In spite of the assumed threat that she posed to the new social and political order, Americans could not help being captivated by Elizabeth's style, beauty, and wit. She offered an alternative to the republican wife by pursuing a life of aristocratic dreams in the United States and Europe. Her story reminds us of the fragility of the American experiment in its infancy and, equally important, of the active role of women in the debates over society and culture in the early republic.
Elizabeth Posthuma Simcoe 1762-1850: A Biography
by Mary Beacock FryerThe diaries, letters, and sketches of Elizabeth Simcoe are drawn upon as sources in this portrayal of the energetic and remarkable woman who came to Upper Canada with her husband when he was appointed lieutenant governor.
Elizabeth Regina
by Alison PlowdenBiography of the life and reign of Elizabeth I of England, who ruled for 45 years from 1558.
Elizabeth Robins: 1862-1952
by Angela V. John Prof Angela JohnA woman of extraordinary energy, talent and versatility. Elizabeth Robins was an actress who popularised Ibsen on the British stage, a prolific and popular writer of novels and non-fiction, and an Edwardian suffragette. Her extensive circle of friends included Florence Bell, Henry James, John Masefield and William Archer. She worked with the Pankhursts and knew the Woolfs. Through examining the life and work of this vivid and transatlantic figure born during the American Civil War yet surviving into the England of the 1950s, Angela John raises questions about the shaping of historical identities. Situating Elizabeth Robins's achievement in the context of the British and American cultural history of the period, this is a book which will attract historians, teachers and students of theatre studies and all those fascinated by biography.
Elizabeth Seton: American Saint
by Catherine O'DonnellIn 1975, two centuries after her birth, Pope Paul VI canonized Elizabeth Ann Seton, making her the first saint to be a native-born citizen of the United States in the Roman Catholic Church. Seton came of age in Manhattan as the city and her family struggled to rebuild themselves after the Revolution, explored both contemporary philosophy and Christianity, converted to Catholicism from her native Episcopalian faith, and built the St. Joseph’s Academy and Free School in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Hers was an exemplary early American life of struggle, ambition, questioning, and faith, and in this flowing biography, Catherine O’Donnell has given Seton her due.O’Donnell places Seton squarely in the context of the dynamic and risky years of the American and French Revolutions and their aftermath. Just as Seton’s dramatic life was studded with hardship, achievement, and grief so were the social, economic, political, and religious scenes of the Early American Republic in which she lived. O’Donnell provides the reader with a strong sense of this remarkable woman’s intelligence and compassion as she withstood her husband’s financial failures and untimely death, undertook a slow conversion to Catholicism, and struggled to reconcile her single-minded faith with her respect for others’ different choices. The fruit of her labors were the creation of a spirituality that embraced human connections as well as divine love and the American Sisters of Charity, part of an enduring global community with a specific apostolate for teaching.The trove of correspondence, journals, reflections, and community records that O’Donnell weaves together throughout Elizabeth Seton provides deep insight into her life and her world. Each source enriches our understanding of women’s friendships and choices, illuminates the relationships within the often-opaque world of early religious communities, and upends conventional wisdom about the ways Americans of different faiths competed and collaborated during the nation’s earliest years. Through her close and sympathetic reading of Seton’s letters and journals, O’Donnell reveals Seton the person and shows us how, with both pride and humility, she came to understand her own importance as Mother Seton in the years before her death in 1821.
Elizabeth Started All the Trouble
by Doreen RappaportShe couldn't go to college. She couldn't become a politician. She couldn't even vote. But Elizabeth Cady Stanton didn't let that stop her. She called on women across the nation to stand together and demand to be treated as equal to men-and that included the right to vote. It took nearly seventy-five years and generations of women fighting for their rights through words, through action, and through pure determination . . . for things to slowly begin to change. With the help of these trailblazers' own words, Doreen Rappaport's engaging text, brought to life by Matt Faulkner's vibrant illustrations, shows readers just how far this revolution has come, and inspires them to keep it going!
Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon
by Kate Andersen BrowerFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Residence and First Women, the first ever authorized biography of the most famous movie star of the twentieth century, Elizabeth Taylor.No celebrity rivals Elizabeth Taylor’s glamour and guts or her level of fame. She was the last major star to come out of the old Hollywood studio system and she is a legend known for her beauty and her magnetic screen presence in a career that spanned most of the twentieth century and nearly sixty films. But her private life was even more compelling than her Oscar-winning on-screen performances. During her seventy-nine years of rapid-fire love and loss she was married eight times to seven different men. Above all, she was a survivor—by the time she was twenty-six she was twice divorced and once widowed. Her life was a soap opera that ended in a deeply meaningful way when she became the first major celebrity activist to lead the fight against HIV/AIDS. A co-founder of amfAR, she raised more than $100 million for research and patient care. She was also a shrewd businesswoman who made a fortune as the first celebrity perfumer who always demanded to be paid what she was worth.In the first ever authorized biography of the Hollywood icon, Kate Andersen Brower reveals the world through Elizabeth’s eyes. Brower uses Elizabeth’s unpublished letters, diary entries, and off-the-record interview transcripts as well as interviews with 250 of her closest friends and family to tell the full, unvarnished story of her remarkable career and her explosive private life that made headlines worldwide. Elizabeth Taylor captures this intelligent, empathetic, tenacious, volatile, and complex woman as never before, from her rise to massive fame at age twelve in National Velvet to becoming the first to negotiate a million-dollar salary for a film, from her eight marriages and enduring love affair with Richard Burton to her lifelong battle with addiction and her courageous efforts as an AIDS activist. Here is a fascinating and complete portrait worthy of the legendary star and her legacy.Elizabeth Taylor features a photo insert.
Elizabeth Widville, Lady Grey: Edward IV's Chief Mistress and the 'Pink Queen'
by John Ashdown-HillThe author of The Mythology of the &“Princes in the Tower&” separates fact from fiction in this biography of an influential former queen of England. Wife to Edward IV and mother to the Princes in the Tower and later Queen Elizabeth of York, Elizabeth Widville was a central figure during the War of the Roses. Much of her life is shrouded in speculation and myth—even her name, commonly spelled &“Woodville,&” is a hotly contested issue. In this fascinating and insightful biography, Dr. John Ashdown-Hill sheds light on the truth of her life. Born in the turbulent fifteenth century, she was famed for her beauty and controversial second marriage to Edward IV, who she married just three years after he had displaced the Lancastrian Henry VI and claimed the English throne. As Queen Consort, Elizabeth&’s rise from commoner to royalty continues to capture modern imagination. Undoubtedly, it enriched the position of her family. Her elevated position and influence invoked hostility from Richard Neville, the &“Kingmaker,&” which later led to open discord and rebellion. Throughout her life and even after the death of her husband, Elizabeth remained politically influential: briefly proclaiming her son King Edward V of England before he was deposed by her brother-in-law, the infamous Richard III, she would later play an important role in securing the succession of Henry Tudor in 1485 and his marriage to her daughter Elizabeth of York, thus and ending the War of the Roses. An endlessly enigmatic, historical figure, Elizabeth Widville has been obscured by dramatizations and misconceptions. In Elizabeth Widville, Lady Grey, Ashdown-Hill attempts to set the record straight.
Elizabeth Woodville: Mother of the Princes in the Tower
by David BaldwinElizabeth Woodville is undoubtedly a historical character whose life no novelist would ever have dared invent. She has been portrayed as an enchantress; as an unprincipled advancer of her family's fortunes and a plucky but pitiful queen in Shakespeare's histories. She has been alternatively championed and vilified by her contemporaries and five centuries of historians, dramatists and novelists, but what was she really like? In this revealing account of Elizabeth's life David Baldwin sets out to tell the story of this complex and intriguing woman. Was she the malign influence many of her critics held her to be? Was she a sorceress who bewitched Edward IV? What was the fate of her two sons, the 'Princes in the Tower'? What did she, of all people, think had become of them, and why did Richard III mount a campaign of vilification against her? David Baldwin traces Elizabeth's career and her influence on the major events of her husband Edward IV's reign, and in doing so he brings to life the personal and domestic politics of Yorkist England and the elaborate ritual of court life.
Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock
by David MargolickThe names Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan Massery may not be well known, but the image of them from September 1957 surely is: a black high school girl, dressed in white, walking stoically in front of Little Rock Central High School, and a white girl standing directly behind her, face twisted in hate, screaming racial epithets. This famous photograph captures the full anguish of desegregation--in Little Rock and throughout the South--and an epic moment in the civil rights movement. In this gripping book, David Margolick tells the remarkable story of two separate lives unexpectedly braided together. He explores how the haunting picture of Elizabeth and Hazel came to be taken, its significance in the wider world, and why, for the next half-century, neither woman has ever escaped from its long shadow. He recounts Elizabeth's struggle to overcome the trauma of her hate-filled school experience, and Hazel's long efforts to atone for a fateful, horrible mistake. The book follows the painful journey of the two as they progress from apology to forgiveness to reconciliation and, amazingly, to friendship. This friendship foundered, then collapsed--perhaps inevitably--over the same fissures and misunderstandings that continue to permeate American race relations more than half a century after the unforgettable photograph at Little Rock. And yet, as Margolick explains, a bond between Elizabeth and Hazel, silent but complex, endures.
Elizabeth and Leicester
by Sarah GristwoodFew relationships fire our imagination like that of Elizabeth I and her 'bonnie sweet Robin' - The Earl of Leicester, Robert dudley. But it has been almost half a century since any book set out specifically to examine and disentangle the emotive, often contradictory facts about their lifelong love. They met - it's alleged - when both were imprisoned in the Tower of London. Soon after Elizabeth was queen came the scandalised letters from ambassadors of her infatuation with the married Robert Dudley - to be followed a mere two years later by the suspicious death of his wife Amy. Speculation ran for years that Elizabeth an Robert in their turn would marry. Instead, they developed a working partnership, and - an even more extraordinary intimacy - a bond of mutual dependence and affection. By the time Robert died he had been her councillor and commander of her army, sat by her bed in sickness and represented her on state occasions. But she had also humiliated him, made him dance attendance on her other suitors and tried to have him clapped in prison when finally he broke loose and married again. Riven by uncertainties, fuelled by scandal and intrigue, the relationship between a reigning queen and the most hated man in England could never be an easy one. Elizabeth and Leicester is a portrait - at times a startlingly intimate one - of an affair between two people at a crucial moment in history; of a relationship where, very unusually, a woman held all the power; of a love that transcended the centuries, and still speaks to us today.
Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens
by Jane DunnTheir enemies branded them both murderesses, whores and daughters of the devil. Elizabeth’s supporters anointed her a hero and savior, while Mary’s faithful invested her as a saint and martyr. Reigning side by side, but yet never meeting face-to-face, these queens were inexorably linked in a tumultuous relationship that, until now, has never fully been revealed and explored.Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens is master biographer Jane Dunn’s richly textured portrait of two incredible women. A story of a relationship punctuated by reversals of fortune; murder mysteries; sexual intrigue; reckless behavior, heated battles and cold war, Elizabeth & Mary is staged against a past as dark and dangerous as it was vibrantly alive.Dunn shows the indissoluble bond between the queens was forged by two opposing forces; their shared inheritance and rivalry for Elizabeth’s crown set against their natural solidarity as ruling females in an overwhelmingly masculine world. She delves behind Elizabeth’s reputation as steely virgin queen, using her celibacy as a weapon, valuing reason and duty above all. She looks at Mary as celebrity queen, femme fatale and flawed heroine, a woman who capped the theatre of her death in a brilliant cloak of redemption. And she corrects many misconceptions about her subjects, revealing Mary as a more serious contender for power than had been previously thought, and Elizabeth as far more vulnerable than her formidable reputation.Intelligent and completely riveting, this beautifully produced and lavishly illustrated book masterfully juxtaposes the histories of two remarkable women, culminating in tragedy, as Elizabeth the victor—hesitantly—signed her cousin’s death warrant.
Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens
by Jane DunnThe first dual biography of two of the world’s most remarkable women—Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots—by one of Britain’s “best biographers” (The Sunday Times). In a rich and riveting narrative, Jane Dunn reveals the extraordinary rivalry between the regal cousins. It is the story of two queens ruling on one island, each with a claim to the throne of England, each embodying dramatically opposing qualities of character, ideals of womanliness (and views of sexuality) and divinely ordained kingship. As regnant queens in an overwhelmingly masculine world, they were deplored for their femaleness, compared unfavorably with each other and courted by the same men. By placing their dynamic and ever-changing relationship at the center of the book, Dunn illuminates their differences. Elizabeth, inheriting a weak, divided country coveted by all the Catholic monarchs of Europe, is revolutionary in her insistence on ruling alone and inspired in her use of celibacy as a political tool—yet also possessed of a deeply feeling nature. Mary is not the romantic victim of history but a courageous adventurer with a reckless heart and a magnetic influence over men and women alike. Vengeful against her enemies and the more ruthless of the two queens, she is untroubled by plotting Elizabeth’s murder. Elizabeth, however, is driven to anguish at finally having to sanction Mary’s death for treason. Working almost exclusively from contemporary letters and writings, Dunn explores their symbiotic, though never face-to-face, relationship and the power struggle that raged between them. A story of sex, power and politics, of a rivalry unparalleled in the pages of English history, of two charismatic women—told in a masterful double biography. From the Hardcover edition.
Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy
by Tessa DunlopShe was peaches-and-cream innocence; he was a handsome war hero. Both had royal blood coursing through their veins. The marriage of Britain's Princess Elizabeth to Lt Philip Mountbatten in November 1947 is remembered as the beginning of an extraordinary, lifelong union but success was not guaranteed. Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy plunges us back into 1940s Britain where a teenage Princess fell in love with a foreign Prince. Cue fears of a flirtatious 'Greek' fortune hunter stealing off with England's crown jewel and subsequent efforts by the Establishment to reframe Philip as the perfect fit for Britain's most famous family.Drawing on original newspaper archives and the opinions of Elizabeth and Philip's contemporaries still alive today, historian Dr Tessa Dunlop discovers a post-war world on the cusp of major change. Unprecedented polling on Philip's suitability was a harbinger of pressures to come for a couple whose marriage was branded the ultimate global fairytale. Theirs was a partnership like no other. Six years after Elizabeth promised to be an obedient wife Philip got down on bended knee and committed himself as the Queen's 'liege man of life and limb.'Published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of their marriage, this deeply touching history explores the ups and downs, the attraction and the tensions that defined an extraordinary relationship. The high stakes involved might have devoured a less committed pair - but not Elizabeth and Philip. They shared a common purpose, one higher even than marriage, with roots much deeper than young love. Happy and Glorious, for better or for worse, they were heavily invested in a God-given mission. Monarchy was the magic word.(P) 2022 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy
by Tessa DunlopShe was 'sugar pink' innocence; he was a handsome war hero. Both had royal blood coursing through their veins. The marriage of Britain's Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in November 1947 is remembered as the beginning of an extraordinary, lifelong union but success was not guaranteed. Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy plunges us back into the 1940s when a teenage princess fell in love with a foreign prince. Cue fears of a flirtatious 'Greek' fortune hunter stealing off with Britain's crown jewel and Philip's supporters scrambling to reframe him as a good fit for the Royal Family. Drawing on original newspaper archives and the opinions of Elizabeth and Philip's contemporaries, historian Dr Tessa Dunlop discovers a post-war world on the cusp of major change. Unprecedented polling on Philip's suitability was a harbinger of pressures to come for a couple whose marriage was branded the ultimate global fairytale. Theirs was a partnership like no other. Six years after Elizabeth promised to be an obedient wife Philip got down on bended knee at the coronation and committed himself as the Queen's 'liege man of life and limb.' Published 75 years after their marriage, this deeply touching history explores the ups and downs, the public appeal and the private tensions that defined an extraordinary relationship. The high stakes involved might have devoured a less committed pair - but Elizabeth and Philip shared a common purpose, one higher even than marriage, with roots much deeper than young love. Happy and Glorious, for better or for worse, how did their union succeed? Monarchy was the magic word.