Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors

by Carol Ann Lloyd

The many courtships of the woman who became Elizabeth I began when she was an infant, displayed before foreign ambassadors who considered her as a possible clause of a contract between England and France. From such an unromantic beginning, Elizabeth grew to see her father marry multiple times and experienced frequent changes in stepmothers and status in the family. Eventually, she became the most eligible woman in Europe. From start to finish, her marriage prospects were as much political as they were personal. When she came to the throne in 1558, the primary question facing everyone from foreign monarchs to English nobles and ministers was which of her many suitors would finally win her hand.

Through the longest Tudor reign, Elizabeth used courtship as a tool to consider foreign alliances, hold ambitious English courtiers in check, and navigate her role as a woman ruler in a world that considered her unnatural without a man at her side. Elizabeth was, in fact, always the ‘Virgin Queen’, from the early days as a twenty-five-year-old presenting herself as a potential royal bride to her final years as an ageing and unmarried woman who was destined to end the Tudor dynasty. Ultimately, she became the only monarch in England to rule as an adult and never marry. Through it all, as friends and potential lovers faded away, she clung to the one true love of her life: England.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Historical

223 pages, Hardcover

First published July 31, 2024

Reviews

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer]

Cording The Virgin Queen by Carol Ann Lloyd, this book is about Queen Elizabeth and the men who pursued her. Everyone from her stepdaddy Thomas Stewart, to her brother-in-law Philip, the king of Spain,, wanted to marry the virgin queen. I love how King Philip made all these stipulations and said he wouldn’t marry Queen Elizabeth until she did a BNC and Queen Elizabeth was like I’m not doing any of that because I wasn’t going to marry you anyway. I love Elizabeth’s independent spirit, and despite the royalty for many nations that wanted to take her hand and marriage, she stood firm and her beliefs. I found this book to be so interesting, there were so many new suitors I had never heard of in the book like the son of the Norwegian, King Eric to Ferdinand from the Hapsburg dynasty almost this whole book truly captivated me. I did get bored through the chapter about the natural body and the body politic it felt like it went on forever, but that would be my only negative throughout the whole book. The rest was really good and gossipy and for those who love the royal family this is definitely a book for us. #NetGalley, #PenAndSwordBookslimited, #CarolLloyd, #CordingTheVirginQueen,

[sarah]

After visiting the Tower of London, I have been super interested in learning more about Henry VIII's wives and the succession of the Tudor line, so when I saw this I was immediately interested! Admittedly, my knowledge of Queen Elizabeth I goes as far as what I saw/read at the Tower so I was going into this pretty fresh. I enjoyed the author's more feminist leaning opinions that were sprinkled throughout the book, but otherwise I found the writing super repetitive. There were things mentions multiple times throughout the book and while they were explained in detail, they kept coming back up in relation to other things that happened in Elizabeth's life. Despite this, I did learn a lot about her and her life and I can admire her for standing up for herself and remaining unmarried her whole life. I think this is a good jumping off point for people who want to learn more about Queen Elizabeth I's life but I don't think this would work as well for people who already know a lot about the time period.






Thank you to Pen & Sword History for providing me with an eBook copy to review on NetGalley.

[Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courting the Virgin Queen - Queen Elizabeth I And Her Suitors by Carol Ann Lloyd is a refreshing, insightful account of the personal life of Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII and last of the Tudor line

Despite being bandied about as chattel from an early age as nearly all women were in the Tudor era, and multiple suitors throughout her life, Queen Elizabeth I never married, her sense of duty being to her greatest love, that of her country and her loyalty to it. It is easy to see from the narrative of this very interesting book, how growing up in the household of Henry VIII would give any woman pause for thought with regard to choosing a potential husband, especially in an era disproportionately favourable to men

Utterly fascinating, highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley Little, Brown Book Group UK | Sphere and Alexandra Wilson for this excellent ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

[Eloise Falcone · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Thanks to Netgalley, Carol Ann Lloyd and Pen & Sword for the ARC-

Even though I was eager to get my hands on this as I love anything related to Anne Boleyn and her daughter, I found this piece a bit tedious and repetitive at the beginning.
The timeline goes back and forth at times, making it a bit confusing to follow up as well, until halfway through the book, where the author starts to shine in an action-filled sequence that had me glued 'til the very end.
The first half made the reading experience a little bit more difficult and unenjoyable, which really saddens me, as it's clear a whole lot of investigation has taken place and one can find so many details and pieces of information here that one might not get anywhere else. Though I really wish there had been less mentions of Archduke Charles' courtship, it got somewhat recurrent through the book.
I enjoyed it, regardless.
Overall, I'd recommend it.

Favourite quotes: "Attacking a woman's virtue and ability to achieve the lofty status of motherhood was a common way to destroy her reputation and her worth, and this was no different with the queen"
"Elizabeth, even when standing alone in that all-male group of parliament and council members, stood firm. She wouldn't commit to marry —'at least not now, and certainly not when compelled to do so by ordinary men'."

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#TudorNonfictionCallenge hosted by @cha_ye on StoryGraph

I would rate this 3.5 out of 5.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pen and Sword books from whom I received an advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Brief Summary: Lloyd examines the intricacies of Elizabeth Tudor’s approach to romance and marital negotiations. Examining both her personal and political approaches within the wider context, Lloyd paints a picture of what it meant to be a potential suitor of England’s Virgin Queen.

Thoughts: This book gave a lot of things that I enjoyed, but not a lot of things that I wanted.

I wanted detailed discussions and examinations about the men who sought to marry Elizabeth. First-hand sources, detail discussions of the potential benefits and drawbacks to these matches. How the men on her council viewed the matches. Details about how long each courtship lasted and if there were any lavish gifts or ridiculous poetry. While some of these things do make appearances throughout the book there is not nearly as much detail as I had hoped would be in this book.

I understand that Elizabeth Tudor's romantic life if one can even call it that, is difficult to describe. She was never able to make her own decisions in the matter as she was either the property of her father, her brother, or the state. And she did not keep a journal outlining intimate thoughts about the men she was interested in. However, there has to be a little more information regarding Prince Eric of Sweden, Prince Henry of France, and Archduke Charles than the brief bits of information that came through in the text. Even if it’s just Cecil complaining about them or Elizabeth not agreeing.

Lloyd does an excellent job of discussing how most of Elizabeth's relationships were merely courtly love matches (e.g., Christopher Hatton, Essex, Walter Raleigh). Some of the poetry that these men wrote was…interesting. However, I think it highlighted the tightrope that all of these men had to walk. You had to pay deference to Elizabeth because she was the Queen, but she was a beautiful and vivacious woman and spirit that likely drew men in like her mother.

I did find it strange that Lloyd discussed the aspects of courtly love that she inherited and implemented from her mother. In part, this is strange because Elizabeth was only three at the time of her mother's death and I'm not entirely sure courtly love is something you can be passed genetically.
I do think that the focus on Elizabeth's experiences watching her various step-mothers was important for understanding her formative years. I had not considered how she didn’t want to marry anyone she had not met and might have been heavily influenced by the way the Cleves marriage played out for her father. Since she was about 5 or 6 at the time of those events it seems unlikely that she would realize that much of the narrative around the Cleves marriage spread by her father and the members of his court. If you are already weary of marriage and you have a very prominent example of how it has gone wrong without a proper meeting you might be willing to die on the hill of requiring an interaction before agreeing to marry anyone. However, this thought process arguably begins to become a bit more complicated when the example of Prince Eric that Lloyd discusses comes into play.

I did feel like the juxtaposition between Elizabeth’s own decisions and those of Mary, Queen of Scots did take up too much of the book. I know that the politics of their relationship had spillover effects into other areas, but it did feel a bit to compare and contrast for my liking. Elizabeth wanted to avoid the downfalls that Mary experienced, but Lloyd even says that Elizabeth was better at picking loyal advisors. I do not see Cecil or Walsingham throwing Elizabeth over the way that Moray and Arran did to Mary when James was born. Tensions as a woman in power were high during this time, but I cannot imagine that Elizabeth had such little faith in her advisors to think that this was a good reason to avoid the issue altogether. I do understand that she was (willingly?) used as a pawn in the Wyatt Rebellion and she did not want someone to be her heir and used the same way, but I think that Elizabeth could have understood the different political dynamics of her court versus Mary’s.

I enjoyed this book and I think that anyone trying to learn about the complicated dynamics of attempting to woo the Virgin Queen. Lloyd’s writing is engaging and easy to follow. However, if you are looking for an in-depth look at the people that were doing the courting this is not necessarily the book for that.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of a parent, Murder, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infertility, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Colonisation, and Classism

[Heidi Malagisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As humans, we love a good love story. Tales of courtships, grand confessions of love, over-the-top weddings, and marriages that last decades. These seem like high expectations, especially when we compare these expectations to royal courtships of the past. The majority of royals married and they were more focused on political matches instead of love. However, few chose a different path altogether, they decided to be single. One of the most famous monarchs with a single status was Queen Elizabeth I of England, the Virgin Queen So why did Elizabeth stay single throughout her reign, and how did she navigate her numerous suitors? Carol Ann Lloyd tries to answer these questions in her latest book, “Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed Lloyd’s previous book, “The Tudors by the Numbers,” so when I heard about this book and that it would be about Elizabeth I and her romances, I knew I wanted to read it.

Lloyd breaks her book down into sections focusing on the suitors and the aspects that made her reign rather unique. While she was a child, Elizabeth's primary purpose was to create a powerful alliance with another country, however, issues of legitimacy and religion hampered any real chance of her marrying anyone before she became queen. Once she was crowned, the marriage market became even more complicated as she not only had a great number of eligible suitors both in England and abroad, she needed to make sure her kingdom was secure and that she remained in power. She had to balance her natural and her political body of a ruler, a task that was difficult for a man to accomplish let alone a queen whose legitimacy and religious standings were on shaky grounds.

I think Lloyd did a great job of presenting new information about Elizabeth I, her suitors, and how different aspects of courting affected how the queen ruled. I will say that the way the book was organized did hinder my enjoyment of this book a little bit. I think it would have made more sense to have the aspects of Elizabeth’s courting and how it affected her reign before diving into her numerous suitors and why things didn’t go so well, which led to Elizabeth becoming the titular Virgin Queen.

Overall, I did find this a rather informative and fascinating read. If you want a solid book about Elizabeth I and her numerous romances, I recommend you read, “Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors” by Carol Ann Lloyd.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth I (7 September 1533–24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last monarch of the House of Tudor.Elizabeth was the only surviving child of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. When Elizabeth was 2yo, her parents' marriage was annulled, her mother was executed, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Henry restored her to the line of succession when she was 10, via the Third Succession Act 1543. After Henry's death in 1547, Elizabeth's younger half-brother Edward VI ruled until his own death in 1553, bequeathing the crown to a Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey, and ignoring the claims of his two half-sisters, the Catholic Mary and the younger Elizabeth, in spite of statutes to the contrary. Edward's will was set aside within weeks of his death and Mary became queen, deposing and executing Jane. During Mary's reign, Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.Upon her half-sister's death in 1558, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne and set out to rule by good counsel.One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church,of which she became the supreme governor. This era, later named the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, would evolve into the Church of England. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce heirs; however, despite numerous courtships, she never did.Because of this she is known as the "Virgin Queen".As she grew older, Elizabeth became celebrated for her virginity.A cult of personality grew around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants, and literature of the day. Elizabeth's reign became known as the Elizabethan era. After the short, disastrous reigns of her half-siblings, her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped to forge a sense of national identity.
Elizabeth is acknowledged as a charismatic performer ("Gloriana") and a dogged survivor ("Good Queen Bess") in an era when government was ramshackle and limited, and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardised their thrones.

[Lynnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors explores the intricate courtships that shaped Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. The book delves into how her romantic and political decisions influenced her rule as England’s Virgin Queen. Elizabeth’s upbringing involved continuous courtship, and the lessons she learned about love and marriage were influenced by her father, Henry VIII, and his relationships with her stepmothers. Both political and personal factors influenced her potential marriages. In the sixteenth century, it was considered unusual for a woman to rule without a man by her side. Yet, Elizabeth remains the only monarch in England to have ruled as an unmarried adult. As her potential suitors and close companions passed away, she remained devoted to her true love, her country, England.

As someone who has always been drawn to biographies and histories covering the Tudor family, I found this book’s coverage of Elizabeth’s connections/relationships with her grandfather, father, mother, and half-siblings, particularly Mary, to be enlightening. I appreciated the depth of Lloyd’s research and the historical facts presented. However, I found the thematic organization of the book to be less engaging. While understanding the politics that drove history was necessary, I would have preferred a chronological narrative to avoid the repetition, which became tedious. These redundancies could make the reading experience less engaging for some readers.

This book is a must-read for anyone with a strong interest in women’s and British history. Thank you, Pen & Sword History, for providing me with a DRC book for review via NetGalley. Please be aware that all the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.


Pub Date: 30 July 2024
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[Sam Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Pen & Sword for the ARC!

As a lover of history and European monarchies, I knew I wanted to get my hands on this book.

To go over all the countless courtiers Queen Elizabeth I had within her lifetime you not only have to go from her infancy to her death. Lloyd also understood that you must explore her half-sister, mother, father, and grandfather's legacies to fully understand why Elizabeth might have made the choices she did during her life and more importantly her reign.

While I enjoyed much of the history and facts surrounding Courting the Virgin Queen I often was pulled out of the story when there were redundancies and tangents. I felt like these tangents could have had more information to go along with the topics that we were exploring but we were cut short on those and went back to the original topic at hand.

Overall this is a great exploration on Queen Elizabeth I the last of the Tutor monarchs.

[Mariama Thorlu-Bangura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of the Tudor dynasty, particularly Queen Elizabeth I. So, I tend to want to read anything new about her and the dynasty as a whole. Most times, it's worthwhile, but this time, it was not! What I was expecting is not what I saw. Author Carol Ann Lloyd spent way too much time talking about politics of the time, while essentially glossing over what should have been the meat of the book: the courtships of Queen Elizabeth I. Another aspect I did not like was how often Lloyd posed questions without really answering them. Questions used in that manner put the onus on the reader to decide the answer, and I don't feel I should have to do that as one who is reading for personal enjoyment. In short, I did not enjoy this book at all. It just didn't have the necessary pop to keep one's attention...at least not in a good way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pen&Sword for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!

A biography of Elizabeth I through the lens of all the candidates for her hand in marriage and the people who pushed for those marriages - and how hard Elizabeth had to work to stay single.

Lloyd shows how from her cradle to almost her death bed, marriage with this, that or the other prince/king/noble was discussed, and people were continually surprised that she held firm to that 'no'. Despite all expectations and pressure to marry, Llyod lays out all the many, many factors that would have convinced Elizabeth early on to runaway very fast from the very idea of marriage - and events just kept piling up throughout her reign to underscore that.

Lloyd also does a good job of showing how Elizabeth didn't merely say 'no' to marriage - she managed to turn it into a political tool, keeping everyone, both at home and abroad, dancing to her tune, as she first let everyone think she might marry them, and then, later, creating the persona of the venerated Virgin Queen, creating awe and power out of not doing what everyone expected and flourishing as a monarch.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reveals how Elizabeth I skillfully navigated courtship and marriage proposals as political tools throughout her reign. From her early days as a potential bride to her final years as the “Virgin Queen,” Elizabeth strategically used her marital status to forge alliances, quell rebellions, and solidify her power in a world dominated by men.

This book is arranged thematically rather than chronologically, bringing a new perspective to a familiar story. It’s entertaining and easy to read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[norah · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=4 | 😘=2 | 🤬=1 | ⚔️=1

summary: basically just Elizabeth I’s love life (but specifically the lack thereof)

thoughts: really good! solid! we are obsessed with a sixteenth century queen who says “I’m literally just a girl 🥺” when she doesn’t want to answer questions but uses male pronouns when she wants people to listen and trust her like that’s so manipulative and iconic I love it

[Mystica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A controversial figure who never expected to rule the country Elizabeth I ran a ring around her court, her courtiers and many of the rulers of Europe. She was the focus of many countries who knew that access to the Queen would mean many advantages for their own countries. The religious differences. Between the Protestants and the Catholics was another reason that countries did not want to see the ascendancy of England.

Elizabeth walked a tightrope to the end balancing the need for what was good for her country, putting aside personal gratification (in public). In private the rumours were varied and colourful.

A good story for those who like Tudor England and its history.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook.
I was so excited to get this book! I love anything to do with the Tudor period, and this was amazing. I absolutely loved it, and it was very informative. The author did a great job with the research that went into this book. Highly recommend for all historians out there! I have also been so hungry for any book written about Elizabeth I and her mother Anne B.

[Georgi_Lvs_Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Elizabeth’s first suitor arrived when she was still an infant, when she was considered as a possible bride for the son of the French king.’

After reading The Tudors By Numbers and loving it, I knew I needed to get my hands on Carol’s next book.

I admire Elizabeth for her courage to remain ‘the virgin queen’ despite the constant pressure from the moment she was born to her later years in life to marry and provide an heir.

‘She well understood the values and the dangers of marrying and the stakes and dangers of remaining single.’

Carol has done a great job and I defiantly just want to read ALL of her work in the future!

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Courting the Virgin Queen by Carol Ann Lloyd discuss the often told tale of the men who orbited the royal sun of Elizabeth I vying for marriage. Erik of Sweden, the Duke of Anjou who was affectionately nicknamed her Frog, and of course the most famous and the one who never truly was far from her: Robert Dudley.

While Lloyd’s book is thoroughly researched and well presented, the fact remains there is nothing new brought to this often discussed aspect of Elizabeth’s life. Is it still worth a read? Of course, but if the reader wants a refreshing taking on this history they may need to look elsewhere.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the advance reader copy.

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes it feels like there are too many topics about the Tudors. That's why it's refreshing to see things from a different perspective, like in the case of "Courting the Virgin Queen." The title might seem sensational, but it's just meant to grab attention. Readers can expect a well-researched text with lots of interesting facts, such as Tudor's desire for more than just political marriages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Swords History for a free digital review copy. This is my honest review.