29 April 2011

Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, 1564

This week I found on our library's new acquisitions shelf a book entitled "Death and the Virgin Queen," by Chris Skidmore -
Elizabeth's life as England's Virgin Queen is one of the most celebrated in history. Christopher Skidmore reveals a very different picture: of a vulnerable young woman, in love with her suitor, Robert Dudley. Had it not been for the death of his wife, Amy Robsart, Elizabeth might have one day been able to marry Dudley, since Amy was believed to be dying of breast cancer. Instead, the suspicious circumstances surrounding Amy Robsart's death would cast a long shadow over Elizabeth's life, preventing any hope of a union with Dudley and ultimately shaping the course of Tudor history.
I haven't started the book yet; if anyone has already read it, feel free to comment.

(Nice duds, btw...)

Image via Alabaster.

3 comments:

  1. Didn't she fall down the stairs or something? It was mentioned in A History of Britain, but that series is so full of information that a lot of it doesn't stick with me.

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  2. And who is he flicking off?

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  3. I dont know if you're familiar with the author Philippa Gregory. She does historical fiction and has a lot around henry the 8th. one of her books is the virgin's lover, which is told from robert dudley's pov. her stuff is a bit more sensationalist than a straight history, but she does go to a bit of trouble to get the facts (such as they are known) correct - she just imagines the motivations behind it.

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