Death and the Virgin: Elizabeth, Dudley and the Mysterious Fate of Amy Robsart

Death and the Virgin: Elizabeth, Dudley and the Mysterious Fate of Amy Robsart

by Chris Skidmore (Author)

Synopsis

The dramatic story of Elizabeth's first ten years on the throne and the unexplained death that scandalised her court.

Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 a 25-year-old virgin - the most prized catch in Christendom. For the first ten years of her reign, one matter dominated above all others: the question of who the queen was to marry and when she would produce an heir.

Elizabeth's life as England's Virgin Queen is one of the most celebrated in history. Christopher Skidmore takes a fresh look at the familiar story of a queen with the stomach of a man, steadfastly refusing to marry for the sake of her realm, and reveals a very different picture: of a vulnerable young woman, in love with her suitor, Robert Dudley. Had it not been for the mysterious and untimely 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. Using newly discovered evidence from the archives, Christopher Skidmore is able to put an end to centuries of speculation as to the true causes of her death.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 456
Publisher: Phoenix
Published: 06 Jan 2011

ISBN 10: 0753827018
ISBN 13: 9780753827017
Book Overview: The dramatic story of Elizabeth's first ten years on the throne and the unexplained death that scandalised her court.

Media Reviews
Skidmore unearths new evidence to try and solve one of the great unsolved mysteries of British history. * CATHOLIC HERALD *
A great historical whodunnit, magnificently told. * OXFORD TIMES *
Author Bio
Chris Skidmore was born in Bristol in 1981. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he was a St Cyre's and Dixon Scholar and President of the Oxford University Historical Society. He graduated in 2002 with a double first and was awarded the Gibbs Prize. He was an adviser and researcher to Bristol's bid for European Capital City of Culture 2008 and, more recently, was research assistant to Robert Lacey for his Great Tales of English History series. He currently works as a special adviser to Michael Gove MP. Visit Chris Skidmore's website at www.chrisskidmore.co.uk