On this day in 1533, Anne Boleyn gave birth to a daughter-- not the son she and her husband Henry VIII had been hoping for. But, Princess Elizabeth was eventually Queen Elizabeth, ruling England during a critical time and overseeing a major a cultural flourishing.
Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer. Part of Meyer's Young Royals series, Princess Elizabeth's father beheaded her mother, and her sister has locked her into the Tower of London. Can she survive long enough to see the throne?
Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan. The Maids of Honor are Queen Elizabeth's secret all-female guard. Meg used to be a pickpocket before joining, and uses her spy skills when the Spanish Court comes to visit-- but her judgement may be clouded by a certain dashing courtier. This is the first in the Maids of Honor series.
The Grace Mysteries: Assassin & Betrayal by Lady Grace Cavendish. One of Queen Elizabeth's Maids of Honour, Grace isn't quite ready for caring about dresses and boys. But with her friendships throughout the castle, and ability (as a "silly girl") to overhear important conversations, Grace becomes the Queen's top detective and spy. This book holds the first two volumes in the series.
The Other Countess by Eve Edwards. Ellie and William have titles, but no money. They're both at court to win favor with Queen Elizabeth and to find a good marriage to someone wealthy, but they can't hide their attraction to each other. The first in the Lacey Chronicles, follow it with The Queen's Lady
The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley. Raised in the country by a foster mother, Kat's longed for answers about her parents. Her embroidery skills get her into Queen Elizabeth's court, where she's thrust into a world of rumor and speculation. Crowley offers an interesting explanation to a little known mystery of the Tudor family.
Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein. Cate has it all-- she's one of the Queen's favorites, but when the Queen discovers she's been having a secret affair with another one of her favorites-- Sir Walter Ralegh-- she's banished to Roanoke, in the New World. There, she tries to survive, while waiting for Ralegh to fulfill his promise to come to her.
To Shield the Queen by Fiona Buckley. There are rumors about the Queen and Robin Dudley-- rumors that aren't help by a the suspicious accident that kills Dudley's wife. Lady in Waiting Ursula Blanchard is on the case, but is she being set up? The first in an adult mystery series, follow it with The Doublet Affair.
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser. On the surface about King Arthur, Spenser's epic poem is really a celebration of his Queen, Elizabeth. Not an easy read, but one that heavy readers (especially of fantasy) will enjoy.
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. What better example of flourishing Elizabethan culture than Shakespeare?
What Queen Elizabeth I books would you add?
Brianna C September 10, 2013 at 8:50 PM
I love Queen Elizabeth and her entire story. Reluctantly I have read a very small amount of books about her. This list will help me try something new!
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