The Word of a Prince: A Life of Elizabeth I from Contemporary Documents

by Maria Perry

A new approach to historical biography - she has studied both the original sources and recent works of scholarship and has a thorough understanding of the period. SUNDAY TIMES Until Maria Perry began her exploration of Elizabeth's papers, this vivid raw material had only been partially studied. From it, a fresh portrait of Elizabeth emerges, one which is often more cohesive and less baffling than some offered by her biographers. The dangers and insecurities of her early life, her sense of divine protection, her formidable education, all stand out as crucial elements in the formation of her character; but behind the acquired circumspection lies a personality of great warmth and spirit. On the teasing questions of love, marriage and virginity, the letters and speeches offer oblique comment; it seems certain that Robert Dudley was her one true love, and that she felt his second marriage to Lettice Knollys as a bitter betrayal.MARIA PERRY is a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford, where she read history.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Royalty, Tudor Period, 16th Century

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Actress and writer Maria Perry was brought up in Cheshire by a grandmother who liked good diamonds and believed women's education harmed the complexion. Sent to Manchaster High School and a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford, she has had some narrow escapes.

After abandoning a career in journalism for the chorus of Jesus Christ Superstar, she wrote a biography of Elizabeth I and was invited to do PhD at Yale. Instead she wrote the shopaholic's classic Knightsbridge Woman. Captivated by Mayfair at the age of three, she is a discerning patron of Fenwick's, Fortnum's and Berry Bros & Rudd.

Reviews

[Thomas Müller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough read. The book has many short chapters in a semi-chronological order and contains many great anecdotes and fantastic one-liners. It gives an impression on people’s (Elizabeth’s especially, of course) thoughts in those times. Not being a tudor scholar myself, I found the different references to the slew of people very confusing.

Sometimes the Duke of such and such is also referred by the name of his domain which is not the same as his Duchy or by his first name, and during a chapter that is pretty hard to follow with no glosaary or cast of characters. I put the book down repeatedly because there is quite a lot of side actors and I got very confused who said what to whom because of the inconsistency in names.