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Death and the Virgin: Elizabeth, Dudley and the Mysterious Fate of Amy Robsart
Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 a 25-year-old virgin - the most prized catch in Christendom. For the first ten years of her reign, one matter dominated above all the question of who the queen was to marry and when she would produce an heir. Elizabeth's life as England's Virgin Queen is one of the most celebrated in history. Christopher Skidmore takes a fresh look at the familiar story of a queen with the stomach of a man, steadfastly refusing to marry for the sake of her realm, and reveals a very different of a vulnerable young woman, in love with her suitor, Robert Dudley. Had it not been for the mysterious and untimely death of his wife, Amy Robsart, Elizabeth might have one day been able to marry Dudley, since Amy was believed to be dying of breast cancer. Instead, the suspicious circumstances surrounding Amy Robsart's death would cast a long shadow over Elizabeth's life, preventing any hope of a union with Dudley and ultimately shaping the course of Tudor history. Using newly discovered evidence from the archives, Christopher Skidmore is able to put an end to centuries of speculation as to the true causes of her death. This is the story of a remarkable and frenetic period in Elizabeth's a tale of love, death and tragedy, exploring the dramatic early life of England's Virgin Queen.
430 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
30 people are currently reading
966 people want to read
About the author
Chris Skidmore
14 books51 followersChris Skidmore was born in 1981. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he was a St Cyre's and Dixon Scholar and President of the Oxford University Historical Society. He graduated in 2002 with a double first and was awarded a Gibbs Prize. Chris conducted postgraduate research at Oxford, where he was a convenor of a graduate seminar on the Tudor nobility. He was an adviser and researcher to Bristol's bid for European Capital City of Culture 2008 and was research assistant to Robert Lacey for his Great Tales of English History series. Chris has also written for the Western Daily Press and People Magazine. Chris currently teaches Early Modern History part-time at Bristol University. He served as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingswood from 2010 to 2024 and held several government ministerial posts between 2016 and 2020.
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February 15, 2013
The death of Amy Robsart (wife of Robert Dudley) is one of my favorite historical mysteries; having always felt a connection to Amy. This, along with enjoying Chris Skidmore’s work, “Edward VI”, drew me to “Death and the Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I and the Dark Scandal that Rocked the Throne”.
A few choice words can be used to describe “Death and the Virgin Queen”: dry, heavy, and not earth-shattering are a few of them. The first 200 pages of “Death and the Virgin Queen” focus on setting the scene and tone of the childhoods of Robert Dudley and Elizabeth. Although Skidmore seemingly does this from an investigational perspective in order to justify motive and character; he fails to do so. The text merely feels like a retelling of information which avid Tudor readers already know. Nothing new is ventured nor explored and can thus be skimmed.
Furthermore, Amy’s life is hardly mentioned during the large chunk of the book and much of the “facts” that are included are speculation and “would have” conjectures. Understandably, not much information exists regarding Amy’s private life but Skidmore should have perhaps just began “Death and the Virgin Queen” with Amy’s death, as the reader doesn’t feel like he/she knows Amy anyway.
With that being said, Skidmore’s research is extensive, heavily annotated, and impressive in its scope (it is perhaps too much for those new to the topic). Skidmore even features conclusions from household receipts and account books which are always interesting. Plus, supplemental color plates and photos of actual documents serve to round out the text.
Once Skidmore recalls Amy’s death, court trial (briefly), and burial; he begins to dissect the evidence using persuasive documentation (such as the Coroner’s Report found after 450 years), modern statistics, and criminal analysis. Much of Skidmore’s findings are indeed compelling, unique, and quite in-depth, certainly causing readers interested in Amy’s death to question previous studies. However, Skidmore doesn’t fully convince the reader of any one conclusion and hides his own hypothesis. Although bias can be unwelcome in most history cases, in such pretext I would have liked more firm provoking of Skidmore’s analysis/conclusion.
While Skidmore does present some investigation regarding the Amy scandal, he still reverts back to merely describing events. Skidmore’s tone and writing ability is simply better suited for bios/portraits. Therefore, fear not if you are a Dudley supporter, as Skidmore doesn’t take sides and put Dudley in any ill-light (but he doesn’t support Dudley, either). Skidmore does swing back to Amy but even with the compelling information, it was too little too late.
Missing was the popular possibility that Cecil was involved in Amy’s death. Skidmore only mentions this with one sentence and moves on saying it was impossible without offering ‘why’.
The appendices were especially gratifying as Skidmore presented Amy’s Coroner’s Report in full (in both Latin and translated), the Dudley-Blount letters, excerpts from Leicester’s Commonwealth, and the Journal of Matters of the State. Skidmore also uses sufficient primary and secondary sources giving credibility to his work.
To sum up: Skidmore focuses more on the effect of Amy’s death (on Elizabeth’s reign, on her relationship with Dudley, etc) versus trying to figure out the cause of Amy’s death. “Death and the Virgin Queen” is simply not what I expected and dare I say: even a little boring.
“Death and the Virgin Queen” is a good introduction to Amy and the impact of her death but is not sensational or conclusive in any way. Skidmore’s work isn’t terrible, but it is a disappointment (I do like his previous work, though, so I would still read another book from him).
A few choice words can be used to describe “Death and the Virgin Queen”: dry, heavy, and not earth-shattering are a few of them. The first 200 pages of “Death and the Virgin Queen” focus on setting the scene and tone of the childhoods of Robert Dudley and Elizabeth. Although Skidmore seemingly does this from an investigational perspective in order to justify motive and character; he fails to do so. The text merely feels like a retelling of information which avid Tudor readers already know. Nothing new is ventured nor explored and can thus be skimmed.
Furthermore, Amy’s life is hardly mentioned during the large chunk of the book and much of the “facts” that are included are speculation and “would have” conjectures. Understandably, not much information exists regarding Amy’s private life but Skidmore should have perhaps just began “Death and the Virgin Queen” with Amy’s death, as the reader doesn’t feel like he/she knows Amy anyway.
With that being said, Skidmore’s research is extensive, heavily annotated, and impressive in its scope (it is perhaps too much for those new to the topic). Skidmore even features conclusions from household receipts and account books which are always interesting. Plus, supplemental color plates and photos of actual documents serve to round out the text.
Once Skidmore recalls Amy’s death, court trial (briefly), and burial; he begins to dissect the evidence using persuasive documentation (such as the Coroner’s Report found after 450 years), modern statistics, and criminal analysis. Much of Skidmore’s findings are indeed compelling, unique, and quite in-depth, certainly causing readers interested in Amy’s death to question previous studies. However, Skidmore doesn’t fully convince the reader of any one conclusion and hides his own hypothesis. Although bias can be unwelcome in most history cases, in such pretext I would have liked more firm provoking of Skidmore’s analysis/conclusion.
While Skidmore does present some investigation regarding the Amy scandal, he still reverts back to merely describing events. Skidmore’s tone and writing ability is simply better suited for bios/portraits. Therefore, fear not if you are a Dudley supporter, as Skidmore doesn’t take sides and put Dudley in any ill-light (but he doesn’t support Dudley, either). Skidmore does swing back to Amy but even with the compelling information, it was too little too late.
Missing was the popular possibility that Cecil was involved in Amy’s death. Skidmore only mentions this with one sentence and moves on saying it was impossible without offering ‘why’.
The appendices were especially gratifying as Skidmore presented Amy’s Coroner’s Report in full (in both Latin and translated), the Dudley-Blount letters, excerpts from Leicester’s Commonwealth, and the Journal of Matters of the State. Skidmore also uses sufficient primary and secondary sources giving credibility to his work.
To sum up: Skidmore focuses more on the effect of Amy’s death (on Elizabeth’s reign, on her relationship with Dudley, etc) versus trying to figure out the cause of Amy’s death. “Death and the Virgin Queen” is simply not what I expected and dare I say: even a little boring.
“Death and the Virgin Queen” is a good introduction to Amy and the impact of her death but is not sensational or conclusive in any way. Skidmore’s work isn’t terrible, but it is a disappointment (I do like his previous work, though, so I would still read another book from him).
March 16, 2011
Many negative reviews of this book talk about inaccuracy and repetitiveness. The specific inaccuracies I've seen mentioned seem to have been corrected between whatever earlier edition was reviewed and the edition I read. And while I found the book to be repetitive at times, I thought the repetition served the dual purpose of reinforcing concepts and illustrating different points that came up in different sections, so it was used effectively. Having commented on other people's opinions, here's mine:
For the first 2/3 of this book, I seriously thought it was going to get 5 stars. It's been awhile since I read a history book cover to cover (if you don't count Bill Bryson). I have read a lot of history in my life, what with my undergrad degree being in history and all. I've also read quite a bit of Tudor history, because it's a favorite of mine. For the first 200, 250 pages of this book, I was thinking, "This is the book I've been waiting for my entire life!" The bulk of the research for this book came from primary sources - manuscripts, letters, state papers, etc. Skidmore would put forward all the bits of evidence he had collected, then explain the conclusion he had drawn based on that evidence. I found that it all made a lot of sense, and I loved it even more because it felt like I had access to all the research and made the same conclusions based on that information. Absolutely stellar method of writing history, if you ask me.
With all the first-person viewpoints, it's impossible not to feel like you've been pulled into the 16th century. (I appreciated the inclusion of appendixes with parts of Leicester's Commonwealth, Dudley and Throckmorton's letters, and the coroner's report into Amy Dudley's death.) The section that dissects the coroner's report and possible causes of death took an abruptly modern shift, but it was definitely a necessity.
I started to lose my overjoyed love of this book around the fifth section, when the specter of Amy's death makes no appearance at all, and many decades are condensed into too few pages (especially compared with the first part of the book). The sixth section, which proposes an alternate explanation for Amy's death, felt too rushed, especially because Skidmore doesn't present all the evidence to support his conclusions as extensively as he did in the beginning. On the other hand, I found his theory very easy to believe. The how and who of Amy's death seems plausible, but not the why. I just didn't see the motive. (He also hinted at royal involvement without exploring the idea more. What a tease!) I also think he skirted around the issue of Amy wanting to be alone on the day she died.
Bottom line, it falls somewhere between amazing and okay. At least it's not inconsistent, because I thought the first 4 sections were amazing and the last 2 were okay. The research is astounding. It's (for the most part) entertaining and educational. It gives the amateur historian indirect access to primary sources that he wouldn't otherwise be able to see. Skidmore also allows the reader to feel like an active participant in his historical sleuthing. A better title might have been Elizabeth and Robert: The Marriage That Never Was. (The sections about Amy would make a good 100-page book. However, reading a book whose subtitle mentions a "dark scandal that rocked the throne," I thought there was precious little "rocking." Skidmore outlines dozens of other factors that prevented the couple's marriage; even if Amy had died of breast cancer, I doubt the queen would have married Dudley - at least that's what I gather from Skidmore's writing.) With a stronger finish, I think this could have gotten 5 stars. As it is, I still thought it was pretty great, and definitely a fascinating read.
For the first 2/3 of this book, I seriously thought it was going to get 5 stars. It's been awhile since I read a history book cover to cover (if you don't count Bill Bryson). I have read a lot of history in my life, what with my undergrad degree being in history and all. I've also read quite a bit of Tudor history, because it's a favorite of mine. For the first 200, 250 pages of this book, I was thinking, "This is the book I've been waiting for my entire life!" The bulk of the research for this book came from primary sources - manuscripts, letters, state papers, etc. Skidmore would put forward all the bits of evidence he had collected, then explain the conclusion he had drawn based on that evidence. I found that it all made a lot of sense, and I loved it even more because it felt like I had access to all the research and made the same conclusions based on that information. Absolutely stellar method of writing history, if you ask me.
With all the first-person viewpoints, it's impossible not to feel like you've been pulled into the 16th century. (I appreciated the inclusion of appendixes with parts of Leicester's Commonwealth, Dudley and Throckmorton's letters, and the coroner's report into Amy Dudley's death.) The section that dissects the coroner's report and possible causes of death took an abruptly modern shift, but it was definitely a necessity.
I started to lose my overjoyed love of this book around the fifth section, when the specter of Amy's death makes no appearance at all, and many decades are condensed into too few pages (especially compared with the first part of the book). The sixth section, which proposes an alternate explanation for Amy's death, felt too rushed, especially because Skidmore doesn't present all the evidence to support his conclusions as extensively as he did in the beginning. On the other hand, I found his theory very easy to believe. The how and who of Amy's death seems plausible, but not the why. I just didn't see the motive. (He also hinted at royal involvement without exploring the idea more. What a tease!) I also think he skirted around the issue of Amy wanting to be alone on the day she died.
Bottom line, it falls somewhere between amazing and okay. At least it's not inconsistent, because I thought the first 4 sections were amazing and the last 2 were okay. The research is astounding. It's (for the most part) entertaining and educational. It gives the amateur historian indirect access to primary sources that he wouldn't otherwise be able to see. Skidmore also allows the reader to feel like an active participant in his historical sleuthing. A better title might have been Elizabeth and Robert: The Marriage That Never Was. (The sections about Amy would make a good 100-page book. However, reading a book whose subtitle mentions a "dark scandal that rocked the throne," I thought there was precious little "rocking." Skidmore outlines dozens of other factors that prevented the couple's marriage; even if Amy had died of breast cancer, I doubt the queen would have married Dudley - at least that's what I gather from Skidmore's writing.) With a stronger finish, I think this could have gotten 5 stars. As it is, I still thought it was pretty great, and definitely a fascinating read.
December 4, 2013
Having an interest in the Tudor period and voraciously reading any books that are published on the period I was really looking forward to this book - especially given the reviews that it attracted. Sadly, I have been left underwhelmed by it and wondering what the reviewers were reading.
Having read it assiduously all that has remained with me is the glaring factual errors in the text and the poor proof-reading that seems to be endemic in much of the publishing world today. In fact, books that have been carefully proof read are increasingly rare.
However, the gratuitous errors that litter this book are the most offensive parts of it. In chapter 9 (page 47 in the hardback edition) Mr Skidmore states that Isabella of Castile was 52 when she gave birth to Catherine of Aragon. A quick check with the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography confirms that, born in 1451, Isabella gave birth to Catherine in 1485 - when she was 34. This is not the only mistake he makes with the age of his protagonists, in chapter 53 (p.316) he has Robert Dudley marrying Lettice Knollys at the age of 36 - when in fact, he was 46.
He also re-writes history when, in chapter 48 (p. 278), he alleges that the mother of Henry, Lord Darnley, was the grand-daughter of Henry VIII.
The finding of the coroner's report into Amy Robsart's death is historical gold but presenting the evidence in a book that is factually incorrect in other ways does it a disservice. There will be readers of this book who, with little knowledge of the period, accept the factual errors as truth and that is unacceptable.
I hope that Mr Skidmore will review his book and put right these mistakes and that, for any future book, he will take the time and trouble to ensure that he is presenting the truth to his readers. For me, these basic errors have spoilt what promised to be an illuminating book and it will be consigned to the back of the book shelves never to be revisited.
Having read it assiduously all that has remained with me is the glaring factual errors in the text and the poor proof-reading that seems to be endemic in much of the publishing world today. In fact, books that have been carefully proof read are increasingly rare.
However, the gratuitous errors that litter this book are the most offensive parts of it. In chapter 9 (page 47 in the hardback edition) Mr Skidmore states that Isabella of Castile was 52 when she gave birth to Catherine of Aragon. A quick check with the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography confirms that, born in 1451, Isabella gave birth to Catherine in 1485 - when she was 34. This is not the only mistake he makes with the age of his protagonists, in chapter 53 (p.316) he has Robert Dudley marrying Lettice Knollys at the age of 36 - when in fact, he was 46.
He also re-writes history when, in chapter 48 (p. 278), he alleges that the mother of Henry, Lord Darnley, was the grand-daughter of Henry VIII.
The finding of the coroner's report into Amy Robsart's death is historical gold but presenting the evidence in a book that is factually incorrect in other ways does it a disservice. There will be readers of this book who, with little knowledge of the period, accept the factual errors as truth and that is unacceptable.
I hope that Mr Skidmore will review his book and put right these mistakes and that, for any future book, he will take the time and trouble to ensure that he is presenting the truth to his readers. For me, these basic errors have spoilt what promised to be an illuminating book and it will be consigned to the back of the book shelves never to be revisited.
February 20, 2016
On 8 September 1560 Amy Robsart, the wife of leading Elizabethan courtier Robert Dudley, was found dead at the bottom of a staircase at Cumnor Place in Oxfordshire, her neck apparently broken. The coroner's jury brought in a verdict of accidental death but others were not so sure and stories that the neglected Lady Dudley had been murdered soon abounded. The passing centuries have only added to the intrigue and this book, 'Death and the Virgin', is merely the latest to try and solve the mystery of Amy's demise. Chris Skidmore gives it a good attempt and he presents a quite plausible theory, which I won't spoil, and does well in re-creating the lead-up to that fatal September morning. The flaw in the book, as in all histories of this incident, is that the main character, Amy Robsart, is largely missing in action. That is not the fault of Skidmore at all, or any other writer, it is just the sad reality that Amy is mostly absent from the historical record. No portrait of her survives (or none that have been identified as her), she was kept away from court by her husband so he could woo Queen Elizabeth which meant she made no mark on aristocratic or diplomatic life. She was simply moved around the countryside, from house to house, until one day she died in a very odd manner and that is all anyone remembers about her. Even her last resting place in the church at Cumnor can no longer be found. This is a great shame as I have the suspicion, and it will only ever be a suspicion, that she was an interesting, bright and perceptive woman who was well aware that her husband had cast her aside in order to hunt a grander prize. Fittingly perhaps, for Amy's sake, he never obtained it.
February 2, 2011
God's legs! Methinks herein dothe moche seem thereof a tragedie plainelie founde to liken that of Princess Diana in our own tymes. What saie thy goode Master Skidmore of this sorie matter that toucheth thy goode Lord of Leicester and the mysfortune of his Lady Amee. How so divers thinges as I learne doth appeare plainelie to suspecte the worse of her Majestie, our quene Ladye Elizabeth.
Skidmore's second work of Tudor history, published 2010. 'Death and the Virgin' is just a fantastic intricate investigation of a 450 year old mystery behind the death of Robert Dudley's wife Amy Robsart.
The author has lifted many previously hidden details from state archives and private letters from the Tudor court of Elizabeth I, to unearth the most fantastic who dunnit of the sixteenth century.
Did the queen's 'favourite' fancy his chances of marriage with the highest in the land? Did Dudley conspire in the murder of his wife to clear a path to Elizabeth? Did Elizabeth know the truth behind Amy Robsart's death? Did Amy fall down a short flight of stairs at Cumnor Place and break her neck accidently?
God's teeth, is the verie plaine trothe ever to be knowen?
Skidmore's second work of Tudor history, published 2010. 'Death and the Virgin' is just a fantastic intricate investigation of a 450 year old mystery behind the death of Robert Dudley's wife Amy Robsart.
The author has lifted many previously hidden details from state archives and private letters from the Tudor court of Elizabeth I, to unearth the most fantastic who dunnit of the sixteenth century.
Did the queen's 'favourite' fancy his chances of marriage with the highest in the land? Did Dudley conspire in the murder of his wife to clear a path to Elizabeth? Did Elizabeth know the truth behind Amy Robsart's death? Did Amy fall down a short flight of stairs at Cumnor Place and break her neck accidently?
God's teeth, is the verie plaine trothe ever to be knowen?
February 14, 2011
Dull and repetitive.
I am not an historian but in a couple of places he takes a tiny inconclusive piece of data, adds a wild supposition and then uses this to back up some point he is making. Which makes me very sceptical about anything else he makes 'educated' guesses about.
The book jumps about all over the place in the time frame covered and there is no appendix or other reference section with known dates for the lay reader to track events against.
He seems to want to be taken seriously as an historian and also to write a smash-hit whodunnit set in the 16th century and these 2 aims are incompatible. He teases as though he has some fantastic 'smoking-gun' but he doesn't. He has a lot of conjecture, some interesting theories and a 450 year old mystery that is probably insoluble - as he says himself. The historian in him won't be drawn to picking a side but the wannabe thriller writer can't resist hinting. And it takes him forever to get there.
I am not an historian but in a couple of places he takes a tiny inconclusive piece of data, adds a wild supposition and then uses this to back up some point he is making. Which makes me very sceptical about anything else he makes 'educated' guesses about.
The book jumps about all over the place in the time frame covered and there is no appendix or other reference section with known dates for the lay reader to track events against.
He seems to want to be taken seriously as an historian and also to write a smash-hit whodunnit set in the 16th century and these 2 aims are incompatible. He teases as though he has some fantastic 'smoking-gun' but he doesn't. He has a lot of conjecture, some interesting theories and a 450 year old mystery that is probably insoluble - as he says himself. The historian in him won't be drawn to picking a side but the wannabe thriller writer can't resist hinting. And it takes him forever to get there.
December 6, 2014
As you can tell from the books that I've read, that I'm a bit of a Tudor history buff. This book was intriguing, in that, it brought several different suspects in the death of Amy Robsart, be them people or disease. After reading this book, to me, there was no dramatic evidence to support either of these, so I can imagine, Amy's death is still remains a bit of a mystery. The most convincing cause of her demise is the least dramatic - that it was an accident and no misdeeds ever took place. Poor Amy died, her husband Robert suffered accusations for her death and Queen Elizabeth never got to marry the one man she loved most.
June 13, 2011
Having long been fascinated by the mysterious death of Amy Robsart and after reading the varied reviews, both positive and negative, of Chris Skidmore’s Death and the Virgin Queen I just had to pick it up and check it out for myself. What’s that saying about curiosity again?! Well, it didn’t kill me, but it sure did almost bore me to death!
Death and the Virgin Queen attempts to reconstruct the time leading up to and the events on the day that Amy Robsart, wife to Elizabeth’s favorite Robert Dudley, was found dead at the bottom of a staircase at Cunmor Place starting one of history’s most tantalizing mysteries. He explores the various theories surrounding her death – did Amy commit suicide or was the fall accidental and related to the rumors of her being ill, did Robert have her killed so that he could be with Elizabeth or was she killed by Robert’s enemies as a way to get revenge (he was much hated at court) and further sully his name and reputation and shows the different bits of evidence available to support each theory. However, with there being little information on Amy and her whereabouts, there is quite a bit of “she could have been” and “she most likely” in the book.
The synopsis tells us that Death and the Virgin Queen puts an “end to centuries of speculation”, but I didn’t find this to be true for myself. In fact, it seems to have drummed up more questions than answers and only offers the authors’ assumptions at what may have happened. I also felt that it was a very dry read and I usually love non-fiction, but I found it hard it keep my attention on it. It was also quite repetitious and almost a little too in-depth on Elizabeth and her reign. I realize the author needs to set the story, but it seemed as if Amy’s death was an afterthought. All in all, it was interesting to read the theories surrounding her death but I didn’t feel like anything new and definitive was brought to the table. Unless some piece of concrete evidence is unearthed, we will probably always wonder what happened to Amy.
Death and the Virgin Queen attempts to reconstruct the time leading up to and the events on the day that Amy Robsart, wife to Elizabeth’s favorite Robert Dudley, was found dead at the bottom of a staircase at Cunmor Place starting one of history’s most tantalizing mysteries. He explores the various theories surrounding her death – did Amy commit suicide or was the fall accidental and related to the rumors of her being ill, did Robert have her killed so that he could be with Elizabeth or was she killed by Robert’s enemies as a way to get revenge (he was much hated at court) and further sully his name and reputation and shows the different bits of evidence available to support each theory. However, with there being little information on Amy and her whereabouts, there is quite a bit of “she could have been” and “she most likely” in the book.
The synopsis tells us that Death and the Virgin Queen puts an “end to centuries of speculation”, but I didn’t find this to be true for myself. In fact, it seems to have drummed up more questions than answers and only offers the authors’ assumptions at what may have happened. I also felt that it was a very dry read and I usually love non-fiction, but I found it hard it keep my attention on it. It was also quite repetitious and almost a little too in-depth on Elizabeth and her reign. I realize the author needs to set the story, but it seemed as if Amy’s death was an afterthought. All in all, it was interesting to read the theories surrounding her death but I didn’t feel like anything new and definitive was brought to the table. Unless some piece of concrete evidence is unearthed, we will probably always wonder what happened to Amy.
February 3, 2012
I had been looking forward to this book for awhile ever since I ran across it in a library book sale. It seemed like a very interesting book. I was sadly disappointed by the book though. Don't get me wrong I learned quite a bit from this book, it just didn't deliver on its main point of having new information in the death of Robert Dudley's wife, Amy Robsart (very little of the book actually focuses on the death in question). It is however a fascinating read if you want to learn more about Dudley's relationship with Elizabeth I. I just did not get what I wanted out of the book.
The book is also in bad need of an editor. Whole portions of text seem to be copied and pasted throughout the book. Several times I worried that I had misplaced my bookmark because I felt I had read the exact same passage before. The author seems overly fascinated by how much everything cost. Dudley's expenses seem accounted for down to the last shilling and it just got overly boring reading about exactly how much money was spent. The author also takes small historical facts and makes wild suppositions about how these small things prove that Amy was murdered (instead of having an accident) and that Robert Dudley was complicit in it. He hears hoof-beats and immediately thinks zebras instead of horses.
Like I said, this was a fascinating read about the relationship between the queen and Dudley but since that is not what I came for I am only giving it 2 stars. It was an ok book and I learned a lot from it.
Genre Bingo: Your Choice
Royalty Reading Challenge: Read a Royalty related book set in the 16th or 17th century
The book is also in bad need of an editor. Whole portions of text seem to be copied and pasted throughout the book. Several times I worried that I had misplaced my bookmark because I felt I had read the exact same passage before. The author seems overly fascinated by how much everything cost. Dudley's expenses seem accounted for down to the last shilling and it just got overly boring reading about exactly how much money was spent. The author also takes small historical facts and makes wild suppositions about how these small things prove that Amy was murdered (instead of having an accident) and that Robert Dudley was complicit in it. He hears hoof-beats and immediately thinks zebras instead of horses.
Like I said, this was a fascinating read about the relationship between the queen and Dudley but since that is not what I came for I am only giving it 2 stars. It was an ok book and I learned a lot from it.
Genre Bingo: Your Choice
Royalty Reading Challenge: Read a Royalty related book set in the 16th or 17th century
June 14, 2011
Scandal? Maybe. But I think 'scandal that rocked the Throne' was overstating things a bit. Frankly I think the book was too long for what Skidmore actually had to say about 'the scandal'. A fair amount of the book was, I think, supposed to be background and context but felt more like unnecessary filler. Granted I'm familiar with Queen Elizabeth's life and reign, so maybe someone who'd never heard of the Tudors would find the information helpful.
While the mystery surrounding Amy Dudley's death was interesting, Skidmore failed to convince me that the scandal posed any real danger to Elizabeth's throne. Moreover, I think Skidmore overused direct quotes. Large chunks of text were direct quotes from letters and other written records. They were probably meant to convince the reader Skidmore's assertions and conclusions were correct, but in reality the repeated bits of what is, to modern eyes overblown and confusing language, merely made reading slower, more difficult and less interesting.
Overall, I think the book would have been interesting if it had only been 1/4 to 1/3 of the actual length and if Skidmore had maintained a tighter focus on Amy's death and the 'scandal' that resulted and cut the direct quotes.
While the mystery surrounding Amy Dudley's death was interesting, Skidmore failed to convince me that the scandal posed any real danger to Elizabeth's throne. Moreover, I think Skidmore overused direct quotes. Large chunks of text were direct quotes from letters and other written records. They were probably meant to convince the reader Skidmore's assertions and conclusions were correct, but in reality the repeated bits of what is, to modern eyes overblown and confusing language, merely made reading slower, more difficult and less interesting.
Overall, I think the book would have been interesting if it had only been 1/4 to 1/3 of the actual length and if Skidmore had maintained a tighter focus on Amy's death and the 'scandal' that resulted and cut the direct quotes.
January 8, 2013
Note: this should NOT be read by people who don't already know how they feel about Elizabethan history and have at least a basic knowledge of it to start with. The second you can probably get around because this gives a very detailed account of events leading up to Amy's death as well as what happens immediately afterwards, but this is NOT for someone just wanting to dip their toes into history surrounding Queen Elizabeth I. You will more than likely be too bored by this. For people who DO already know that they'll like this book, even if it contains information you were already aware of (I was already aware of roughly 85% of the information in this book,) then I do recommend it, because I personally thought it was worth the read, even already knowing almost all of the events and theories that Skidmore describes.
Skidmore has new evidence and theories to present to the reader about Amy Dudley's death that, while it still doesn't provide any conclusions or definitively solve the 450 year old mystery, it strengthens certain theories and weakens others. For the passionate lover of Elizabeth I and the biggest personal scandal that occurred during her rule (save for the execution of Mary Queen of Scots,) this is worth picking up.
Skidmore has new evidence and theories to present to the reader about Amy Dudley's death that, while it still doesn't provide any conclusions or definitively solve the 450 year old mystery, it strengthens certain theories and weakens others. For the passionate lover of Elizabeth I and the biggest personal scandal that occurred during her rule (save for the execution of Mary Queen of Scots,) this is worth picking up.
March 30, 2018
I decided to read this book immediately after reading another book from the Tudor period, about the ill-fated Grey sisters. I had enjoyed the narrative history lesson which the previous book had provided me and I wasn't quite ready to check out of Tudorville yet.
I'm glad I'd had the educational experience provided me by the aforementioned book, because I think if I had gone into this one as ignorant as I'd gone into the former, I would've been more than a bit lost. However, I can see how individuals much more educated in Tudor lore would be bored by the tedium of fact after fact, quote after quote, name after name.
It never does get around to answering any questions, but does provide a lot of interesting information. It gives insight into how people lived, Queen Elizabeth's relationship with her favourite at court, and of course her majesty's vacillating temperament.
I'm glad I'd had the educational experience provided me by the aforementioned book, because I think if I had gone into this one as ignorant as I'd gone into the former, I would've been more than a bit lost. However, I can see how individuals much more educated in Tudor lore would be bored by the tedium of fact after fact, quote after quote, name after name.
It never does get around to answering any questions, but does provide a lot of interesting information. It gives insight into how people lived, Queen Elizabeth's relationship with her favourite at court, and of course her majesty's vacillating temperament.
August 8, 2022
This book is centered around the suspicious death of Amy Robsart Dudley, wife of Elizabeth I's infamous favorite and suspected lover Robert Dudley. Skidmore traces the marriage and intersecting lives of Amy, Robert, and Elizabeth in the years leading up to 1560. Amy remains a shadowy figure - only a few pieces of evidence exist to illuminate her life. But her death is explored in detail, and many theories are explored, evidence examined, and I finished this book impressed with the author's historical skills (tracing the connections of several jurors was particularly interesting.) Overall, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the death of Amy Robsart as well as the relationship between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley.
July 28, 2013
I came into this book knowing almost nothing about Elizabeth’s reign. I’ve recently read The Lady Elizabeth, which got me wondering about her reign and this book was in the library so it seemed like the place to start.
This book focusses very much on the relationship between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley. Now I’m very curious: were they in love or was Elizabeth using him as a guard/foil to keep other suitors at bay? Was she teasing with him to keep him at her side?
Elizabeth had an unconventional upbringing for a royal child: she was a princess, then she was a bastard and could never sit on the throne, then she was third in succession and would probably never sit on the throne, then she was Queen. I wonder if this back and forth of status, especially when younger, made a difference in her education about the monarchy & its duties/roles? This book doesn’t deal with this aspect of ruling. However, Elizabeth seemed to spend her earlier life trying to avoid marriage. As the last in a royal line, wouldn’t she want to have an heir to carry on the succession? Why would she knowingly end the Tudor reign? All houses wanted their line to continue, yet Elizabeth didn’t seem to have this idea.
On the other hand, I could see her possible reasons for not marrying. She witnessed a lot in her youth: Catharine Parr dies of childbirth, Lord Seymour (a married man) flirts with her in rather inappropriate ways, she witnessed shifting loyalties as her brother and sister lay dying and learned the fickleness of the court, her life was in danger because of her succession rights, etc. In her reign she didn’t want to see people’s loyalty leave her when she was sick, she didn’t want to endanger people’s lives by naming them as a successor or give people a reason to leave her side to side with her named successor, she wanted to be THE person of power in England and marrying would put her husband above her. Robert Dudley, her good friend and possibly a true love, was the perfect foil. She could enjoy a man’s company without any of the discomforts and dangers of a marriage. Kind of a “eat your cake and have it, too” situation.
But what about the succession of the Tudors? Somehow I would have thought that every monarch had this in the front of their minds. Elizabeth didn’t seem to have this thought.
The other part of this book, the death of Amy, was interesting but more of a background story. There just aren’t a lot of details to go on, especially 450 years after the fact. However, Skidmore does bring the known details to this book. Like I said at first, I don’t know much about Elizabeth’s reign or the time she lived, but some of the conclusions that Skidmore was hinting at don’t seem plausible. Could/Would Dudley (and the Queen) conspire to kill Amy so that Dudley could marry the Queen (who often stated to Dudley that she could not & would not marry one of her subjects , a person below her in standing)? Why was Amy so impatient, secretive and angry on the morning of her death? Why would anyone want to poison Amy, a forgotten wife living away from court and never involved in any affairs? It was a mystery then and is still a mystery today.
As a layperson, I found this book very interesting. I can’t say whether it would have appeal to anyone who knows Elizabeth’s life story already. It focusses on the two events of Amy’s death and Elizabeth’s skirting around her suitors & her (possible) love for Robert Dudley. I will read more about Elizabeth. She is an interesting character.
This book focusses very much on the relationship between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley. Now I’m very curious: were they in love or was Elizabeth using him as a guard/foil to keep other suitors at bay? Was she teasing with him to keep him at her side?
Elizabeth had an unconventional upbringing for a royal child: she was a princess, then she was a bastard and could never sit on the throne, then she was third in succession and would probably never sit on the throne, then she was Queen. I wonder if this back and forth of status, especially when younger, made a difference in her education about the monarchy & its duties/roles? This book doesn’t deal with this aspect of ruling. However, Elizabeth seemed to spend her earlier life trying to avoid marriage. As the last in a royal line, wouldn’t she want to have an heir to carry on the succession? Why would she knowingly end the Tudor reign? All houses wanted their line to continue, yet Elizabeth didn’t seem to have this idea.
On the other hand, I could see her possible reasons for not marrying. She witnessed a lot in her youth: Catharine Parr dies of childbirth, Lord Seymour (a married man) flirts with her in rather inappropriate ways, she witnessed shifting loyalties as her brother and sister lay dying and learned the fickleness of the court, her life was in danger because of her succession rights, etc. In her reign she didn’t want to see people’s loyalty leave her when she was sick, she didn’t want to endanger people’s lives by naming them as a successor or give people a reason to leave her side to side with her named successor, she wanted to be THE person of power in England and marrying would put her husband above her. Robert Dudley, her good friend and possibly a true love, was the perfect foil. She could enjoy a man’s company without any of the discomforts and dangers of a marriage. Kind of a “eat your cake and have it, too” situation.
But what about the succession of the Tudors? Somehow I would have thought that every monarch had this in the front of their minds. Elizabeth didn’t seem to have this thought.
The other part of this book, the death of Amy, was interesting but more of a background story. There just aren’t a lot of details to go on, especially 450 years after the fact. However, Skidmore does bring the known details to this book. Like I said at first, I don’t know much about Elizabeth’s reign or the time she lived, but some of the conclusions that Skidmore was hinting at don’t seem plausible. Could/Would Dudley (and the Queen) conspire to kill Amy so that Dudley could marry the Queen (who often stated to Dudley that she could not & would not marry one of her subjects , a person below her in standing)? Why was Amy so impatient, secretive and angry on the morning of her death? Why would anyone want to poison Amy, a forgotten wife living away from court and never involved in any affairs? It was a mystery then and is still a mystery today.
As a layperson, I found this book very interesting. I can’t say whether it would have appeal to anyone who knows Elizabeth’s life story already. It focusses on the two events of Amy’s death and Elizabeth’s skirting around her suitors & her (possible) love for Robert Dudley. I will read more about Elizabeth. She is an interesting character.
August 23, 2012
The title implies this book is about the mysterious death of Amy Dudley, but there are only about 50 pages on it. While the focus on the book is elsewhere, the author, Chris Skidmore, does help the reader interpret what little is known of Amy, her teen age marriage (unusual for its day), her few surviving letters, her moving from host family to host family, and the reports of an illness, from the few scraps of surviving materials.
Also, the author heightens your awareness of the impact of Amy's suspicious death on Elizabeth, Dudley and others in the court. The death occurs two years into Elizabeth's reign. If Amy was murdered so that Dudley could take the hand of the Queen of England, the culprits suffered the consequences of its opposite effect. The suspicious death made it impossible for Elizabeth to accept Dudley's marriage proposal.
There is a lot of material, much of it new to me, about the many who pressed their marriage suits in the first half of Elizabeth's reign. There is more, too, on how Elizabeth was pressured to take a husband. Skidmore has the clearest presentation I've seen yet of the facts on and interpretations of the proposed marriage of Robert Dudley to Mary Queen of Scots. There is a lot more about Dudley, how he became an earl, his finances, gambling and his other flirtations.
Both Sweet Robin: A Biography of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester 1533-1588 and Elizabeth & Leicester: Power, Passion, Politics present a more sympathetic portrait of Robert Dudley. This book shows a more manipulative side of him. He surely is cold towards Amy, whom he lodges with host families while he is absent for months at a time. His treatment of Douglas is not much better.
It is hard for modern readers to understand the psychology of a man who experienced the beheading of a father and grandfather at the hands of a monarch. These gruesome deaths and that of Elizabeth's mother are surely part of their bond, but also may have created a need in Robert Dudley to be near the monarch. Was Dudley capable of murdering his wife, or did he carry himself in a way that his retainers would think this murder was something he wanted? Would he, and/or Elizabeth rig a jury as Skidmore suggests?
While Skidmore emphasizes some ideas and excludes others, he raises points of interest and presents more detail on this early part of Elizabeth's reign. Some reviewers have suggested that Skidmore's theory be reworked into a novel, which is a pretty good idea. Comment | Permalink
Also, the author heightens your awareness of the impact of Amy's suspicious death on Elizabeth, Dudley and others in the court. The death occurs two years into Elizabeth's reign. If Amy was murdered so that Dudley could take the hand of the Queen of England, the culprits suffered the consequences of its opposite effect. The suspicious death made it impossible for Elizabeth to accept Dudley's marriage proposal.
There is a lot of material, much of it new to me, about the many who pressed their marriage suits in the first half of Elizabeth's reign. There is more, too, on how Elizabeth was pressured to take a husband. Skidmore has the clearest presentation I've seen yet of the facts on and interpretations of the proposed marriage of Robert Dudley to Mary Queen of Scots. There is a lot more about Dudley, how he became an earl, his finances, gambling and his other flirtations.
Both Sweet Robin: A Biography of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester 1533-1588 and Elizabeth & Leicester: Power, Passion, Politics present a more sympathetic portrait of Robert Dudley. This book shows a more manipulative side of him. He surely is cold towards Amy, whom he lodges with host families while he is absent for months at a time. His treatment of Douglas is not much better.
It is hard for modern readers to understand the psychology of a man who experienced the beheading of a father and grandfather at the hands of a monarch. These gruesome deaths and that of Elizabeth's mother are surely part of their bond, but also may have created a need in Robert Dudley to be near the monarch. Was Dudley capable of murdering his wife, or did he carry himself in a way that his retainers would think this murder was something he wanted? Would he, and/or Elizabeth rig a jury as Skidmore suggests?
While Skidmore emphasizes some ideas and excludes others, he raises points of interest and presents more detail on this early part of Elizabeth's reign. Some reviewers have suggested that Skidmore's theory be reworked into a novel, which is a pretty good idea. Comment | Permalink
July 25, 2024
Having consumed many Elizabeth I biographies I was not disappointed with this addition to my shelf.
This book focusses on the lead up to, circumstances surrounding and long-term consequences of one event quite early into a long reign: the suspicious death of Amy Dudley, wife of the queen's favourite.
There are so many other factors and events defining Elizabeth I's long reign than this one unsolved mystery. But for those seeking elaboration on why Elizabeth remained the 'Virgin Queen', married only to England, this, while by no means a sole explanation, is important reading.
Here is an episode marred by an absence of hard facts, gaps which too many historians have glossed over, filled in with flimsy theory and conjecture. Someone needed to address it as Chris Skidmore has. There have been flimsier attempts, but this is the most thorough I have encountered.
Skidmore frames his case as he wants it viewed. That's fair and understandable. Like others, he has his own takes on this mystery, cherry picking his points from a range of possibilities. So, in some respects this is little more soundly conclusive than any other such works. Even so, this is admirably exhaustive, effectively eliminating some views while arguing Skidmore's theories well.
Without unearthing some more conclusive, less circumstantial evidence (a growing possibility as methodology becomes more sophisticated), we can never know for certain. There will always be reasonable doubt, hence the intrigue and the lure to explore.
It's only natural that Elizabeth's detractors will place her at the centre of this death. It's likewise forgivable that her apologists will debate towards her innocence. I think she was too intelligent be so rash, too calculating and cautious to incriminate herself so.
My leaning has always been that William Cecil or some close affiliate of his was involved, to frame Dudley, create the discomfort it did and rule out all feasibility of Elizabeth marrying Dudley, as this romance was immensely troublesome to her fractious inner ministerial circle, some of whom lobbied for a princely marriage, others pushing other options.
Suicide has never seemed plausible, there being too few stairs involved in Amy's apparently fatal fall.
I won't disclose Skidmore's well-reasoned conclusions here, you'll have to read them for yourselves. I do think that this work transcends the far-fetched conspiracy theory standards of others.
This book focusses on the lead up to, circumstances surrounding and long-term consequences of one event quite early into a long reign: the suspicious death of Amy Dudley, wife of the queen's favourite.
There are so many other factors and events defining Elizabeth I's long reign than this one unsolved mystery. But for those seeking elaboration on why Elizabeth remained the 'Virgin Queen', married only to England, this, while by no means a sole explanation, is important reading.
Here is an episode marred by an absence of hard facts, gaps which too many historians have glossed over, filled in with flimsy theory and conjecture. Someone needed to address it as Chris Skidmore has. There have been flimsier attempts, but this is the most thorough I have encountered.
Skidmore frames his case as he wants it viewed. That's fair and understandable. Like others, he has his own takes on this mystery, cherry picking his points from a range of possibilities. So, in some respects this is little more soundly conclusive than any other such works. Even so, this is admirably exhaustive, effectively eliminating some views while arguing Skidmore's theories well.
Without unearthing some more conclusive, less circumstantial evidence (a growing possibility as methodology becomes more sophisticated), we can never know for certain. There will always be reasonable doubt, hence the intrigue and the lure to explore.
It's only natural that Elizabeth's detractors will place her at the centre of this death. It's likewise forgivable that her apologists will debate towards her innocence. I think she was too intelligent be so rash, too calculating and cautious to incriminate herself so.
My leaning has always been that William Cecil or some close affiliate of his was involved, to frame Dudley, create the discomfort it did and rule out all feasibility of Elizabeth marrying Dudley, as this romance was immensely troublesome to her fractious inner ministerial circle, some of whom lobbied for a princely marriage, others pushing other options.
Suicide has never seemed plausible, there being too few stairs involved in Amy's apparently fatal fall.
I won't disclose Skidmore's well-reasoned conclusions here, you'll have to read them for yourselves. I do think that this work transcends the far-fetched conspiracy theory standards of others.
August 7, 2014
Bit of a one-trick pony this. If you're into the Elizabethan era and were hoping for a genuine new insight into what, so conveniently, happened to Robert Dudley's wife there is new material, but there's a lot of rehashing too. If you're new to the Elizabethans then it's pretty much all here, and concisely told. There's serious scholarship in this book. Unfortunately this often manifests itself as a list of what people paid for things, which quickly palls: obviously invoices survive better than letters.
For those already steeped in Gloriana, a word to the wise: the revelations are in Part 4 ...
For those already steeped in Gloriana, a word to the wise: the revelations are in Part 4 ...
December 16, 2015
This book deals with the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, wife of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth's much beloved and favorite courtier. The gossip of the day was that Dudley was involved in the death of his wife. With her no longer living, that left him free to marry Elizabeth which was his greatest wish. This did not happen and the book covers the politics of that time with many suitors for Elizabeth's hand. Interspersed in this was material relating to Amy Robsart's death. Much of the information I read in this book was very similar in a book I read previously to this one. It was interesting but the mystery remains.
August 1, 2011
Unlike many books of this sort, the detailed account of the death of the Earl of Leicester's wife doesn't feel padded or stretched out. And the author does get ahold of some new information--though not enough to resolve the case. Made me think that the problem with new theories on a 500-year old mystery is that they raise more questions than they answer. Still, an interesting and well-written book.
May 28, 2011
Anyone who's a fan of Queen Elizabeth I should pick up this book. It's a good look at the death of Robert Dudley's wife, Amy, who was found at the bottom of a staircase with a broken neck. If not for this "accident?" would Elizabeth have married Dudley? The argument continues...
March 28, 2011
Its an interesting topic, but, wow Skidmore repeats himself a lot. Padding much?
February 6, 2019
On September 8, 1560, a young woman’s body is discovered at Cumnor Place alone at the bottom of the stairs with her neck broken with no other marks on her body. This would have been declared an accidental death by normal people, however, the woman was anything but a normal woman; this was the wife of Robert Dudley, Amy Robsart. It was because of who she was and who her husband was that people speculated that foul play was afoot.
For centuries, the death of Amy Robsart has caught the imagination of many people, including Chris Skidmore. In his book “Death and the Virgin Queen: Elizabeth and the Dark Scandal that Rocked the Throne”, Skidmore takes a deeper look into this mysterious death of Amy Robsart. If you have read Alison Weir’s “Mary, Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley”, you will enjoy the way that Skidmore writes this book because it is very similar. The quote that really summed up his researching approach towards this mystery is as follows: “ For the historian, the truth is neither impossible nor improbable: it can only be, quite simply, whatever remains.”
Skidmore starts off by explaining the relationship between Amy and Robert before Elizabeth became Queen. These were two people who were in love, but once Robert Amyrobsartbecame the Master of the Horse for Elizabeth, Robert changed. He was at home less and Amy had to take over the household affairs. It is through letters that Amy wrote that Skidmore is able to paint a picture for us about how their household worked. The day that Amy died was very peculiar in the fact that she wanted to be left alone; her husband was with the Queen miles away. The original jury found that this was a case of accidental death, however, Skidmore decided to take a deeper look into the case. He decided to explore the possibility of accidental death by stairs, the possibility of a medical explanation on why Amy could have fallen down the stairs, and he found the original coroner’s report, which portrays a different story. The amount of research Skidmore pours into this one accidental death is admirable. The one issue I have with the book is the fact that he describes the type of staircases and the details of the coroner’s report but he doesn’t show pictures of these things so it’s a bit hard to visualize what he is talking about.
The story about Amy’s death, however, does not end with her death, in fact, it only starts the rumor mill around Robert Dudley’s involvement. As Dudley gets closer to Elizabeth and has his affairs with Douglas Howard and Lettice Knollys (who would become his second wife), rumors fly and comparisons are made to Amy. People did not like the fact that Robert was so close to the Queen and was thinking about marrying Elizabeth. People started to believe that Robert killed his wife in order to marry the Queen and so slanderous writings about Dudley were being passed around, including the Leicester’s Commonwealth.
In this book, Chris Skidmore channels his inner history detective in order to discover the truth about the death of Amy Robsart. There is something so fascinating about the mystery of her death that has kept the interest in it alive for so long. Skidmore’s book is a fantastic introduction to the death of Amy and the effects that her death on those who she cared about, especially her husband Robert Dudley. If you enjoy Tudor mysteries, the relationship between Robert Dudley and Queen Elizabeth, or Amy Robsart, this is the book for you.
For centuries, the death of Amy Robsart has caught the imagination of many people, including Chris Skidmore. In his book “Death and the Virgin Queen: Elizabeth and the Dark Scandal that Rocked the Throne”, Skidmore takes a deeper look into this mysterious death of Amy Robsart. If you have read Alison Weir’s “Mary, Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley”, you will enjoy the way that Skidmore writes this book because it is very similar. The quote that really summed up his researching approach towards this mystery is as follows: “ For the historian, the truth is neither impossible nor improbable: it can only be, quite simply, whatever remains.”
Skidmore starts off by explaining the relationship between Amy and Robert before Elizabeth became Queen. These were two people who were in love, but once Robert Amyrobsartbecame the Master of the Horse for Elizabeth, Robert changed. He was at home less and Amy had to take over the household affairs. It is through letters that Amy wrote that Skidmore is able to paint a picture for us about how their household worked. The day that Amy died was very peculiar in the fact that she wanted to be left alone; her husband was with the Queen miles away. The original jury found that this was a case of accidental death, however, Skidmore decided to take a deeper look into the case. He decided to explore the possibility of accidental death by stairs, the possibility of a medical explanation on why Amy could have fallen down the stairs, and he found the original coroner’s report, which portrays a different story. The amount of research Skidmore pours into this one accidental death is admirable. The one issue I have with the book is the fact that he describes the type of staircases and the details of the coroner’s report but he doesn’t show pictures of these things so it’s a bit hard to visualize what he is talking about.
The story about Amy’s death, however, does not end with her death, in fact, it only starts the rumor mill around Robert Dudley’s involvement. As Dudley gets closer to Elizabeth and has his affairs with Douglas Howard and Lettice Knollys (who would become his second wife), rumors fly and comparisons are made to Amy. People did not like the fact that Robert was so close to the Queen and was thinking about marrying Elizabeth. People started to believe that Robert killed his wife in order to marry the Queen and so slanderous writings about Dudley were being passed around, including the Leicester’s Commonwealth.
In this book, Chris Skidmore channels his inner history detective in order to discover the truth about the death of Amy Robsart. There is something so fascinating about the mystery of her death that has kept the interest in it alive for so long. Skidmore’s book is a fantastic introduction to the death of Amy and the effects that her death on those who she cared about, especially her husband Robert Dudley. If you enjoy Tudor mysteries, the relationship between Robert Dudley and Queen Elizabeth, or Amy Robsart, this is the book for you.
March 7, 2020
Death and the Virgin Queen by Chris Skidmore
Reviewed March 7, 2020
Growing up with a mother who was fascinated by the Tudors and greatly admired Queen Elizabeth I, it should come as no surprise that while no lover of the Tudors myself, I not only have a sneaking admiration for Good Queen Bess but have long been aware of who Robert Dudley and Amy Robsart were. Heck, I even visited the ruins of Kenilworth Castle years ago, on my one visit to the UK. Once I started reading Death and the Virgin Queen, I discovered what I knew was sketchy at best.
Elizabeth and Robert had a life-long and deep affection for one another, and if not for the scandal surrounding the death of Dudley’s wife, they might have married, but that was never to be. Instead, the two of them were forced to deal with the fallout created by the circumstances of Amy’s death (a fall down the steps when she was home alone, breaking her neck and killing her instantly) that was always lurking over them.
Death and the Virgin Queen is more than just a who (if anyone) done it, it also examines how the scandal shaped Elizabeth’s reign. No one really knows the full circumstances behind Amy Robsart’s death. Was it an accident, perhaps caused by a rumored illness? Was it suicide due to depression? Or was it murder, ordered by her husband to get rid of an impediment to his marrying the queen? And even when her death was ruled accidental, Dudley had many enemies who made sure the scandal never completely died away. These were people who didn’t want to see Robert Dudley marry the queen, fearing that he would use such an elevated position to avenge those who had wronged him and his family in the past.
Like many historical mysteries, it is unlikely we will ever know the complete truth about this one, but Chris Skidmore does a great job of trying to put the pieces together and come up with a possible solution. These pieces include finding the original coroner’s report on Amy Robsart’s death, a document that had been missing for over 400 years (thanks to a filing issue). The report shows that contrary to the long-held belief that there were no marks on Amy’s body, she had indeed suffered two gashes on her head. Were these caused by the stone steps she struck as she fell…or something more sinister?
All in all, a very good book and one I feel is worth every one of the 4 stars I rate it.
Reviewed March 7, 2020
Growing up with a mother who was fascinated by the Tudors and greatly admired Queen Elizabeth I, it should come as no surprise that while no lover of the Tudors myself, I not only have a sneaking admiration for Good Queen Bess but have long been aware of who Robert Dudley and Amy Robsart were. Heck, I even visited the ruins of Kenilworth Castle years ago, on my one visit to the UK. Once I started reading Death and the Virgin Queen, I discovered what I knew was sketchy at best.
Elizabeth and Robert had a life-long and deep affection for one another, and if not for the scandal surrounding the death of Dudley’s wife, they might have married, but that was never to be. Instead, the two of them were forced to deal with the fallout created by the circumstances of Amy’s death (a fall down the steps when she was home alone, breaking her neck and killing her instantly) that was always lurking over them.
Death and the Virgin Queen is more than just a who (if anyone) done it, it also examines how the scandal shaped Elizabeth’s reign. No one really knows the full circumstances behind Amy Robsart’s death. Was it an accident, perhaps caused by a rumored illness? Was it suicide due to depression? Or was it murder, ordered by her husband to get rid of an impediment to his marrying the queen? And even when her death was ruled accidental, Dudley had many enemies who made sure the scandal never completely died away. These were people who didn’t want to see Robert Dudley marry the queen, fearing that he would use such an elevated position to avenge those who had wronged him and his family in the past.
Like many historical mysteries, it is unlikely we will ever know the complete truth about this one, but Chris Skidmore does a great job of trying to put the pieces together and come up with a possible solution. These pieces include finding the original coroner’s report on Amy Robsart’s death, a document that had been missing for over 400 years (thanks to a filing issue). The report shows that contrary to the long-held belief that there were no marks on Amy’s body, she had indeed suffered two gashes on her head. Were these caused by the stone steps she struck as she fell…or something more sinister?
All in all, a very good book and one I feel is worth every one of the 4 stars I rate it.
November 19, 2025
Let's just get one thing clear - Death and the Virgin by Chris Skidmore is NOT a book about Amy Robsart. Lady Amy lived and died too quietly to become a heroine. What plucked her from total obscurity was her untimely death and its repercussions for her husband, Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, a favourite and rumoured love interest of queen Elizabeth I.
I am no historian, so most of the factual errors that the book is rife with are just white noise to me. What struck me here was a toxic codependent relationship between Elizabeth I and her favourite "master of the horse" Robert Dudley. She liked him, but she loved her power more. In an age when it was inconceivable for a woman, even the Queen, to openly dismiss marriage - Elizabeth had the grit to tell her Parliament where to shove it when they tried to pressure her into one. She was their god-anointed Queen, and to yield and become Mrs Dudley? Or Lady Habsburg? Well, you should get the drift.
The whole point of Amy Robsart, aka the Wife (and later The Dead Wife) was her being Elizabeth's shield against Robert's incessant attempts to lure her into marrying him. The whole point of Robert was to do the same - but on an international scale.
When the marriage negotiations became too serious and Elizabeth felt compelled to shift gears, she began to lavish Robert with her favours, scandalised the ambassadors and incited a new round of gossip about her intentions. When she felt betrayed by Robert's scheming and siding with literally everyone in the kingdom who could talk her into marriage, she put him firmly into place by calling him "my little dog", "my stable boy" and reminding him of all the sins of his treacherous family ; once she even tried to marry him off to Mary Queen of Scots! At the same time Elizabeth felt dejected without Robert and was flabbergasted when he married Lettice Knollys.
As for the circumstances of Amy's death - well, the evidence is scant, there are no signs of foul play, and there is even the coroner's report exonerating Dudley from any suspicion! Or was the case too neat and tidy?
I am no historian, so most of the factual errors that the book is rife with are just white noise to me. What struck me here was a toxic codependent relationship between Elizabeth I and her favourite "master of the horse" Robert Dudley. She liked him, but she loved her power more. In an age when it was inconceivable for a woman, even the Queen, to openly dismiss marriage - Elizabeth had the grit to tell her Parliament where to shove it when they tried to pressure her into one. She was their god-anointed Queen, and to yield and become Mrs Dudley? Or Lady Habsburg? Well, you should get the drift.
The whole point of Amy Robsart, aka the Wife (and later The Dead Wife) was her being Elizabeth's shield against Robert's incessant attempts to lure her into marrying him. The whole point of Robert was to do the same - but on an international scale.
When the marriage negotiations became too serious and Elizabeth felt compelled to shift gears, she began to lavish Robert with her favours, scandalised the ambassadors and incited a new round of gossip about her intentions. When she felt betrayed by Robert's scheming and siding with literally everyone in the kingdom who could talk her into marriage, she put him firmly into place by calling him "my little dog", "my stable boy" and reminding him of all the sins of his treacherous family ; once she even tried to marry him off to Mary Queen of Scots! At the same time Elizabeth felt dejected without Robert and was flabbergasted when he married Lettice Knollys.
As for the circumstances of Amy's death - well, the evidence is scant, there are no signs of foul play, and there is even the coroner's report exonerating Dudley from any suspicion! Or was the case too neat and tidy?
May 3, 2024
I wasn't sure who the target audience for this book was, as it's too detailled and source-heavy for a casual reader but spends a bit too much time on the general background of Elizabeth & Robert Dudley. It's also not as focussed on Amy Robsart's death as the title seems to suggest - she doesn't die until about 200 pages in! And she's not in it much before that really, as like many women of the period her life is barely attested to in surviving sources.
Initially it seems like the author reckons Robert Dudley was innocent, only for a sudden shift at the very end where it seems he might have murdered her after all. However, the evidence is scant. There's a coroner's report that makes up much of the meat of the issue, though since it's a 16th century coroner's report this mostly seems to involve a group of men looking at the body and looking for obvious signs of foul play. Which is all we can really expect but it does raise the question of how useful the information might actually be for a modern writer trying to solve a murder from several centuries distance.
I think this book was perhaps aiming to be a more scholarly treatment than the publishers wanted, so it has the attention-gripping title and the promise of scandal yet also page upon page of who paid what for a horse and who they employed to look after that horse and oh yeah a woman may or may not have been murdered in here somewhere.
Initially it seems like the author reckons Robert Dudley was innocent, only for a sudden shift at the very end where it seems he might have murdered her after all. However, the evidence is scant. There's a coroner's report that makes up much of the meat of the issue, though since it's a 16th century coroner's report this mostly seems to involve a group of men looking at the body and looking for obvious signs of foul play. Which is all we can really expect but it does raise the question of how useful the information might actually be for a modern writer trying to solve a murder from several centuries distance.
I think this book was perhaps aiming to be a more scholarly treatment than the publishers wanted, so it has the attention-gripping title and the promise of scandal yet also page upon page of who paid what for a horse and who they employed to look after that horse and oh yeah a woman may or may not have been murdered in here somewhere.
September 16, 2017
The title is overly dramatic and rather misleading. (I guess you have to sell books.) But "Death and the Virgin Scandal" is fairly well-written, and I learned a lot. The author does discuss the death of Robert Dudley's wife, but it is really only one part of a much longer and complex story - the story of Queen Elizabeth I's relationship with Robert Dudley, both before and after her coronation. To his credit, Skidmore presents some relatively recently uncovered "evidence" in a convincing, helpful, and non-sensational matter.
What I found most helpful and interesting here was his detailed and convincing detailing of the authorship and sourcing of the so-called "Leicester's Commonwealth," the 1584 libelous pamphlet that first set forth publicly and scandalously the case that Dudley murdered his wife to make it possible to marry the Queen.
What I found most helpful and interesting here was his detailed and convincing detailing of the authorship and sourcing of the so-called "Leicester's Commonwealth," the 1584 libelous pamphlet that first set forth publicly and scandalously the case that Dudley murdered his wife to make it possible to marry the Queen.
May 8, 2018
I knew what I was getting into when I decided to read this, but still, I can't help but be a little disappointed that I was right. The whole thing is really just a (pretty decent) history of Elizabeth and Leicester and a very shaky and sensationalist collection of theories about how Amy Robsart died. It really didn't tell me anything about that that I didn't already know, and the theories that were emphasized had very little evidence to back them up (even the circumstantial evidence was weak). Maybe it was irrational to hope that the author would have some new evidence or new interpretation of evidence that I haven't already come across reading other books or looking at Wikipedia, but it was a hope.
So overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in Robert Dudley's personal life and probably not anyone who actually cares what happened to his first wife.
So overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in Robert Dudley's personal life and probably not anyone who actually cares what happened to his first wife.
December 24, 2025
Quick thoughts while enjoying visiting over the holidays:
> Solid, deeply researched, maybe too much of both included in the book itself.
> Very little actual rocking of the throne or drama about it -- but that's a nicely dramatic flourish to build a framing around.
> I think Elizabeth would have made the same decisions and wound up still unmarried, still not with Dudley, and ending her reign as the virgin queen.
> A lot of interesting tidbits and knowledge here, and all the footnotes and ephemera run down to its source and such details were fascinating to read; some did and some didn't add to the argument about Amy's death affecting events.
> Worth reading if you're interested in this time period, in the history of the British Monarchy, in Elizabeth I, or just history that's told with tons of attendant parts added in.
> Solid, deeply researched, maybe too much of both included in the book itself.
> Very little actual rocking of the throne or drama about it -- but that's a nicely dramatic flourish to build a framing around.
> I think Elizabeth would have made the same decisions and wound up still unmarried, still not with Dudley, and ending her reign as the virgin queen.
> A lot of interesting tidbits and knowledge here, and all the footnotes and ephemera run down to its source and such details were fascinating to read; some did and some didn't add to the argument about Amy's death affecting events.
> Worth reading if you're interested in this time period, in the history of the British Monarchy, in Elizabeth I, or just history that's told with tons of attendant parts added in.
January 23, 2023
A very thorough investigation into the courtship and romance between Lord Dudley and Queen Elizabeth I before and after the death of Lord Dudley's wife, Lady Amy Rosbart. The book was well written and kept it's pace throughout. I also found it fascinating that documents could be misplaced in the 1560s and not found again until over 400 years later. Not just that they were found, but that they survived that long.
In the end, there is no resolution to the question of whether Lady Amy's death was an accident or murder and, even in death, poor Amy wasn't allowed to keep her burial site. Instead her grave was disturbed to allow for more recent burials. A sad ending to a Lady who doesn't seem to have done any harm herself, though may have been the victim of harm from others.
In the end, there is no resolution to the question of whether Lady Amy's death was an accident or murder and, even in death, poor Amy wasn't allowed to keep her burial site. Instead her grave was disturbed to allow for more recent burials. A sad ending to a Lady who doesn't seem to have done any harm herself, though may have been the victim of harm from others.
July 10, 2017
This book contains a lot of detail about Elizabeth and her court-so much detail that Amy and her murder are sometimes lost. There is much about the personalities and drives of Elizabeth and Dudley. The book will appeal to those interested in Tudor history, as young King Edward and Mary show up before Elizabeth, whose coronation is described in detail. The book will also interest those who love crime stories or a who done it(?).
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