Elizabeth's Rival

February 1, 2018
Just when you thought there was nothing new to learn about Elizabethan England, Tallis (Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey, 2016) tells the compelling story of Lettice Knollys (1543-1634), who was close to the queen for years but eventually became her rival.Lettice's mother, Katherine, was most likely the illegitimate daughter of Mary Boleyn and Henry VIII and so half sister to Elizabeth, then Lettice's aunt. Katherine and Elizabeth were raised together and were always very close. As queen, Elizabeth held Katherine and Lettice close to her at court. Both were favorites to the queen, but Lettice was not as wise as her mother and eventually married the queen's suitor, Robert Dudley. That was after her first marriage to Walter Devereux, a marriage that was happy and produced a number of children. Dudley was the only one who really came close to talking Elizabeth into marriage, but it was never to be. After 20 years of waiting, he fell in love with Lettice, now widowed, and they married secretly. The author gives us a number of reasons why he would dare incur the queen's wrath. Lettice offered marriage, heirs, and a stable domestic life, and they plunged ahead. It was a pleasant marriage, but Lettice seemed to throw her status up to the queen, infuriating her more. Dudley was eventually forgiven, but Lettice never was. For years, she sought forgiveness, hoping that her son might use his influence to bring it about. The fascinating connections between the great families of the period show what a small world it was; everyone was a cousin or spouse of someone connected to the queen. In her research, Tallis consulted many household records, correspondence, and a scandalous publication called Leicester's Commonwealth, printed by Dudley's enemies after his death. On the whole, the author provides an informative, well-crafted narrative and easily avoids the confusion of the nobility's many titles.Anyone who loves English royal history will enjoy this new take on a personality surprisingly little mentioned in the history books.

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March 1, 2018

The name Lettice Knollys (1543-1634) may be unfamiliar to many readers, but as Tallis (Crown of Blood) demonstrates in this excellent biography, this English countess is worthy of better recognition, especially among enthusiasts of Tudor history. Knollys's long and colorful life played out against the backdrop of Tudor politics and court intrigue, and she or her family were involved, for better or worse, in almost every significant event of Elizabeth I's reign. As the mother of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, who was executed for treason in 1601, and as the lady-in-waiting who dared to marry the queen's favorite courtier Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Knollys's life was inextricably connected to the monarch's in profound, often tragic, ways. Tallis's meticulous research and understanding of the intricacies of Elizabethan court life allow Knollys to emerge from undeserved obscurity to take center stage as a fearless, strong-willed woman who shared many of the characteristics of her royal rival, and who paid dearly for daring to follow her heart. VERDICT An eminently readable portrait of a fascinating woman. Highly recommended for readers of biography and Tudor history.--Sara Shreve, Newton, KS

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 5, 2018
Tallis (Crown of Blood) has constructed a thorough first biography of Lettice Knollys that also serves as an excellent view of the Elizabethan era from a noblewoman’s perspective. For years the young Lettice was a close companion to Queen Elizabeth I, but this closeness was ruptured when, after the death of Lettice’s first husband, Walter Devereaux, Earl of Essex, Lettice secretly married Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the queen’s “favorite”—one of “those individuals closest to the monarch, who entertained them, were loyal to them, and perhaps offered the most intimate personal connection outside of their family.” Lettice and the queen seldom met again during their lives, and Elizabeth never forgave Lettice for her perceived betrayal. The queen did not display the same lasting rancor toward Leicester, nor did it initially extend to other members of Lettice’s family; her firstborn son, Robert, was for a time the queen’s favorite after his stepfather’s death. Tallis uses Lettice’s 91-year life to showcase the scandals, wars, and rebellions that marked the end of the Tudors and the beginning of the Stuart monarchy. Tallis includes pictures, genealogies, a timeline, an extensive bibliography, and notes to round out this work, which is a great choice for historians and lay readers alike. Agent: Andrew Lownie, Andrew Lownie Literary.