Rival Sisters: Mary & Elizabeth Tudor

by Sylvia Barbara Soberton

“Partners both in throne and grave, here rest we two sisters Elizabeth and Mary, in the hope of one resurrection.” This inscription is visible on the tomb where Elizabeth I and her half sister, Mary I, lie buried together in one vault in the North Aisle of Henry VII’s Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey. It is the relationship between Elizabeth and her Scottish cousin Mary Stuart that is often discussed and pondered over while the relationship between Elizabeth and her own half sister is largely forgotten. Yet it is the relationship with Mary Tudor that forged Elizabeth’s personality and set her on the path to queenship. Mary’s reign was the darkest period in Elizabeth’s life. “I stood in danger of my life, my sister was so incensed against me,” Elizabeth reminded her councillors when they pressed her to name a successor.It is time to tell the whole story of the fierce rivalry between the Tudor half sisters who became their father’s successors.

Genres: History, Tudor Period, Nonfiction, British Literature

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2019

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It did a good job showing the events of Mary I's reign from the angle of how Elizabeth and Mary were interacting, but the book skips over a lot of Mary and Elizabeth's more formative years.

The book starts with Elizabeth being born, so we don't get any of Mary's up and down childhood that contributed to a lot of her actions later, and Anna of Cleaves and Katherine Howard are, combined, covered in just one paragraph, without showing what impact those two very different "step-mothers" each had on Elizabeth and on Mary.

So, a good book on Mary I's reign through a new lens, but not as complete as it could be.

[Scott Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I love readying books about The Tudors. It was 550 years ago but seems 5000 years ago. Amazing story about Mary Tudor and her feelings of fondness for her sister Elizabeth (when the latter ws alive) and her attempst to have her beheaded after she becamse queen ONLY because her mother was Anne Bolyen who replaced her mother as queen.

But this happened constantly during this time. People were ALWAYS getting killed not because of what they did but because of what their family did or maybe perhaps did. I don't think it mattered that much.

This book goes into great detail about the really interesting parts of Mary and Elizabeth's life and the Wyatt Rebellion as well and Elizabeth's narrow escape from the Tower to possibly stand trial. I feel she was close on a few occasions of having her head removed. Super writing and hard to put down.

[Susanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth is my all-time favorite heroine and this book just gives a deeper look into her personality through the relationship with her half-sister Mary I. I enjoyed the way this book set up relationship between Elizabeth any Mary Tudur and the events in their lives! An excellent read for a rainy day. Highly recommended.

[Alan Veren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sister to the end.

Turbulence and turmoil best describes the relationship between two sisters divided by religion and beliefs. This is a well written history of them both.
Love them or hate them they were the first Queens Regnant of England and showed the world that a woman Could rule.

[Rebecca Reber · Rating 1 out of 5]

So terrible! It didn’t answer any real questions about the two and their relationship, and it even contradicted itself while using quotes from letters and diaries. I would have preferred an analysis of the historical evidence, but this book merely provides quotes from it.

[Mary-Margaret Thumm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much anything new to me, as I'm a Tudor history buff

[Kathleen Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

If you want a brief history of the two Tudor sisters, this does a decent job. Easy to read and good historical accuracy.

[Sally Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting

[Marion L. Pinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for lovers of history

Loved this book
Filled with historical facts written in layman's terms for all to enjoy. All fascinated by English royalty will love this book

[Lorna Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting

Enjoyed this book the author told the story without any embroidery a sound story would advise any person who enjoys history read this book

[mike shinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good insight of the sisters

[Nick Artrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dry, but well sourced!

[Trudy Dowling · Rating 3 out of 5]

informative, interesting, much better than reading yet another dry textbook that only skims a subject.