So, it's been awhile since I've blogged. Recently, I just finished 'I, Elizabeth' by Rosalind Miles. I realize that this book has been out for awhile now so you've may have read it already. If you haven't, hope my review of the book would entice you to read it.
I
don’t have many books that looked into the life of Queen Elizabeth I. I
have Philippa Gregory’s ‘The Virgin Queen’ and Barbara Kyle’s ‘The
Queen’s Captive’ that have portions of Elizabeth’s life but what I
wanted was a book that tells her side of the story that I knew from
other historical fiction. I bought ‘I, Elizabeth’ sometime ago and
finally I have a chance to read. I admit it took me longer than normal
to finish the book but I’m very glad that I finished it. As a historical
fiction novel, it gave me a better understand of Queen Elizabeth I as a
person.
The book is in five chapters, each depicting the different stages of Elizabeth’s life.
· Book
of One (Bastard) –Elizabeth focuses on her life as a young girl during
the time of her father’s marriage to his last wife, Queen Katherine
Parr. However, the word ‘bastard’ seems to follow her around, even when
she was not yet conceived. At a young age, she learns who her enemies
and friends are, especially with danger looming around between those for
the Old Faith (Catholics) and the New Faith (Protestants). As
a smart girl, she comes to realize problems rather quickly. Through all
this, she must
learn to be on guard – her famous cautious nature had to begin
somewhere. She notes the changes in her father during this marriage,
which is a good description of the drastic change from his golden boy
years to the ill-tempered old man. Ever wonder how she met her future
advisor William Cecil? I’ve always wondered and in this novel, he gives
her the truth about her mother, Anne Boleyn’s death.
· Book
of Two (Virgin) – This chapter is fairly long so it took me some time
to get through it. This includes King Edward VI reign, a little of Queen
Jane’s 9 -day reign, Queen Mary I’s reign and when Elizabeth was
proclaimed Queen Elizabeth. Questions like, what went through
Elizabeth’s mind when Thomas Seymour pursued her and did she really
disliked her cousin Jane Grey, came through my head as I was reading.
I’ve read ‘Innocent Traitor’ and their relationship seems quite
different. You see King
Edward VI’s transformation from the boy that Elizabeth knew to a man
who is overzealous about the Protestant religion. Despite that,
Elizabeth’s happy moment when she was queen all but name since their
sister Mary wasn’t allowed at court. Her happy time becomes shattered
once Edward dies and Mary takes the throne. Her fears returning in
Mary’s reign as being proclaimed as a Wyatt co-conspirator and being in
the Tower itself. You can almost see the condition Elizabeth experienced
when you went to the Tower. Her loss of people she knew to the
burnings. I was kind of disappointed when there wasn’t too much about
her relationship with King Philip other than the tool of using his lust
for her own needs. I have read other books that mention this so I’m not
overly disappointed. Towards the end of the chapter, you feel
Elizabeth’s anticipation and waiting for the passing of Mary. You also
hear the triumph in her voice when she at last was finally
Queen of England.
· Book
of Three (Queen) – Elizabeth’s big day has finally come. It was nice to
‘see through’ Elizabeth’s eyes during her coronation day. However all
good things must come to an end. The trouble country that Mary left
behind and the ever present marriage issue would plague Elizabeth. Along
with her headache is the issue of Mary, Queen of Scots. Her joy this
time was when Robert Dudley proclaims his love for her. Sometimes it
makes me wonder if he truly loved Elizabeth or it was all a ploy to gain
more power. Maybe it was a mixture of both. Oh
young love between Robert and Elizabeth yet they could not truly be
lovers. Still, Amy Robsart still lingered in the background. Her love
triangle would be known in the kingdom and abroad while she waited for
poor Amy to die from her malady. However, when
the news of Amy’s tragic death reaches Elizabeth’s ears, Elizabeth can
only wonder ‘who done it?”. Plaguing her in this chapter like a steel
drum after Amy’s untimely death was marriage and an heir but in her
heart, all it could say was ‘Robin’. I also did wonder if Elizabeth and
Robert were more than lovers and she may not have been a virgin as she
claimed during her reign. A scene suggests it when she had to choose
between England and Robert. As a hopeless romantic, I would want them
together but like Elizabeth would ponder, did she want to lose what she
had as England’s Queen to her husband. After what she has witness with
her sister Mary,
why would she give it up.
· Book
of Fourth (Bellona) – Rightfully named, this is when Elizabeth becomes
the Queen of War. The war against her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, war
against the Catholics plotting to take her life to put Mary Queen of
Scots on the English throne and ultimately, war with her brother-in-law King Philip of
Spain. Despite the ongoing war in the surrounding countries, Elizabeth
breaks down when she learns of Robert’s marriage to Lettice Knollys.
Poor Elizabeth, to endure such heartache. But like a true Tudor, she
made sure that Lettice never stepped foot in her court again. I
still believe he still loved Elizabeth till his dying breath. Wish I
could read that precious letter he gave her before he died. Elizabeth
now in her forties is still playing the marriage game only to lose her
one chance of marriage and bear a child with the young French heir. What a good actress she was to pretend she knew nothing about her ships taking King Philip’s gold. That
was one way to get on his bad side yet enrich her coffers. Here in this
chapter comes Sir Frances Drake (the sea-faring captain), Sir Walter
Raleigh (one of her favorites) and Thomas Walsingham (spy master). As
Elizabeth reaches fifty, the more makeup she must use to hide her
imperfections and love it when young courtiers profess their love just
play with her vanity. Along with raging wars and trying to keep the
peace, Elizabeth must go through death threats upon her life. The
most notable plot is from the Babington papers, which would incriminate
Mary Queen of Scots. Once that war was over, here comes the Spanish
Armada knocking at her door. I couldn’t stop reading during this time of
Elizabeth’s reign. Even though I know she triumphed, just reading her
experience makes her fear and triumph real.
· Book
of Fifth and Last (Gloriana) – The final chapter of Elizabeth’s reign
and life. A kingdom to govern in her old age yet many of her old
courtiers start to pass on. Elizabeth’s court is now full of young blood
and the question rises of who will be truthful to her. Her new love in
her old age would be Robert Devereux, Earl of Sussex. If it sounds like a
repeat of her attitude toward Robert Dudley, it probably is. But what
she couldn’t do with Robert, she did with Devereux by sending him to the
Tower when she learned of his secret marriage.
Despite the Earl of Sussex taking advantage of her love, she always
forgave him until it was a time where she could no longer forgive. You
would think things would get better for Elizabeth with peace for
England. During the end of her reign, there were bad harvests,
proclamations against her church and war with Ireland. You are also
introduced to Shakespeare in this final chapter.
I’ve read somewhere that Elizabeth would nurse her beloved William Cecil
during his last days and cried when he passed on but in this book, she
was just informed of his passing, which is disappointing. In this
chapter, this is the first I’ve read about None Such palace, which King
Henry VIII built. I’ve heard about a painting recently but never seen it
mentioned before. It must have been a wonderful palace. Here’s an
article about a replica of this magnificent palace:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050919/Henry-VIIIs-lost-Nonsuch-Palace-recreated-300-years-destroyed.html.
When Elizabeth feared for her life from enemies abroad, she now has to
fear for her throne and life by one of her own subjects.
Overall,
even though this is historical fiction, I enjoyed reading ‘I,
Elizabeth’. It gave me a rare glimpse of what Queen Elizabeth I was
really like. By watching her father and others before her, she became
the Queen that England needed. She had to sacrifice love for the love of
her country, even when she would blow up with the famous Tudor temper.
But she was also a young lady that only wanted to survive during the
torturous times of her life. The astrologers were right that King Henry
VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn would have a great prince to rule England…it
just happened to be a great princess instead.
