This cleverly and effortlessly written book goes to great lengths to untangle the web of succession for the crown once the Tudor era ended.
Tracy Borman’s latest fascinating book delves deep into the how the succession of Queen Elizabeth I’s throne was settled, uncovering plenty of plots and treachery along the way.
While it begins with an overview of the Tudor dynasty and how Elizabeth ended up becoming queen, it doesn’t take long for the author to dive deeper into the issue of how the Queen had to play a delicate balancing act to keep her parliament and trusted advisors guessing to ensure that the transition of power happened smoothly.
Written with great clarity, Borman first takes the reader through the series of candidates of those in line to the thrown and their stories as they jostled for power and influence with the queen to be named heir. Among those in contention were: James VI, Arbella Stuart, Lady Katherine Grey, Mary Grey, and Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon.
While the number of names, different backgrounds and how everyone’s stories interconnect can be slightly overwhelming to begin with, the power that Borman has in telling this story so comprehensively makes it easy to engage with. The reader is immediately drawn to the complex nature of Elizabeth’s relationships of everyone around her as well as how she was able to use these relationships to her advantage. It thoroughly captures just how intelligent she was politically for the most part.
As you would expect, throughout there is plenty of drama – particularly when it comes to assassination attempts on Elizabeth’s life. Particular focus is given to one such attempt in which James VI (the future King James I and the son Mary Queen of Scots) was suspected to be involved with. throughout it all, the reader gets more and more invested in the number of twists and turns that existed at this particular time in history.
Given the nature of the history that is being covered, it is not an easy subject to make accessible but Borman does so to ensure that no matter how familiar you are with Elizabeth’s reign it has been comprehensively written.
As well as the individual histories that are brought to life, the author ensures that structurally they all come into play at the right time to make sure that the book overall flows extremely well.
For me, as somehow who has read a lot on Tudor history this is a really refreshing and distinctive read to highlight an aspect of transition between royal families that has been rarely covered. It feels completely enlightening and a worthy addition to those seeking to discover a bit more about how the Tudor reign transformed into the Stuart period. My hope is that now Tracy Borman follows on from this to look at King James’s reign in England and the whole Stuart reign.
Overall, for anyone who wants to find out more about Queen Elizabeth’s reign and the politics behind it this is a really highly recommended read. Comprehensive, fascinating and filled with drama from start to finish.
By Emma Clarendon
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️