Beware, Princess Elizabeth

"Beware, Princess Elizabeth" is a fictional account of Elizabeth I's teenage and young adult years, from the time her father, King Henry VIII, died when she was 13 to when she became queen of England in 1559 at age 25. "Lady Elizabeth" as she was known during that time had a lot to fight against, and worry about after the death of her father. Her mother, Anne Boleyn, had been executed by order of her father when Elizabeth was not yet three years old. Subsequently, she was declared illegitimate. With the death of Henry VIII, Elizabeth lost her main protection. Her younger brother, Edward, had become king, and Elizabeth found herself under suspicion for a while because of her association with Tom Seymour who was accused of wanting to show more kidnap the king, and of scheming to marry her. She knew him because he had married her stepmother after her father's death. Those charges proved groundless, but that was one early scare she had as a teenager. Edward VI died of tuberculosis in 1553, at age 15. One of the members of the privy council, John Dudley, had managed to make Edward declare Lady Jane Grey (Henry VIII's great-niece) as his successor, and not his half-sister Mary, as his father's will had stipulated. However, Mary claimed her rights to the throne. Noblemen and common people flocked to her defense because she was popular, and she was declared queen very soon after that. Mary was a fervent Catholic, and she wanted all Protestants (including her half-sister Elizabeth) to convert to Catholicism. They were burned at the stake if they refused, and hundreds of them died that way during her five-year reign. She also had Elizabeth imprisoned in the Tower of London, and then under house arrest in the ruins of Woodstock palace for several months because Elizabeth was accused of supporting Protestants rebelling against Mary. When Mary became sick and understood she was dying, she finally recognized her sister as her successor, and Elizabeth became queen on November 17, 1558. She was crowned on January 15, 1559.

This book is written with Elizabeth as the narrator, which makes the reader privy to her thoughts and emotions, as if the reader were reading a diary. This technique brings Elizabeth closer to the reader who sympathizes with her, and learns about some private facets of her personality. In this book, Elizabeth comes across as a very likeable, witty and determined young woman who faced many perils, and had to overcome many hurdles before becoming queen of England. From what I know about this period of English history, the book seems to be historically accurate. The many characters are well developed, and although the plot may be a bit hard to follow at times for readers not familiar with that period of history, the book is well-written and very enjoyable to read.

I love history, so I usually enjoy any fiction and non-fiction historical reading, but I think that this book would be interesting to read even for young adults who may not particularly like history. It reads as a story of a young adult living in the 16th century while at the same time providing valuable historical and cultural information about that time period. Also, it is not a dull book as it mirrors the eventful times in which the story takes place.

I recommend this book for purchase for a middle school library because I think the type of writing makes it more likely to be enjoyed by Gr. 6-8 students, but also because it ties into the seventh grade social studies standards. show less

in a sentence: Princess Elizabeth, the beautiful bastard child of Henry VIII, struggles through her sister Mary's persecution and her romantic trials through - and eventual abandonment - of marriage. All of this while she is waiting to become Queen of England.

The historical fiction novel is told from the point of view of Elizabeth herself, which creates a memoir sort of feel for the reader. Elizabeth faces some tough stuff, such as having to fake giving up her faith, watching her brother suffer and die on the throne, and then finally face a seemingly never ending persecution from her older sister (whom she already dislikes a great deal, and vice versa) through forcing marriage proposals and moving her around the countryside to live in show more dank and dungey castles. Not exactly a sisterly love to be desired.

The book is very readable, as if you are looking into her personal diary. She is presented in such a real (and young adult) way that it's almost impossible not to feel sorry for her and secretly hate Mary along with Elizabeth's burning passion. The writing quality is solid, and the characters are well developed and relatable. While history may seem boring to some (okay most) young adults, the author presents this in a way that makes it both interesting, informative, and enjoyable. While there were some parts of the novel that seemed redunant, like Elizabeth moving from place to place, Mary's several unsuccesful pregnancies, etc. - the diary-like flow kept you wanting more. That and Elizabeth's wit and insight as well make this novel one that is worth reading and recommending to adults and young adults alike. show less

Someone needs to tell Carolyn Meyer that it's not necessary to describe in detail every single outfit each character wears, and furthermore, that to suddenly introduce a character that tells the protagonist all sorts of detailed information and then conveniently disappears is so blatant a plot device that I'm sure the 12-year-olds this book is directed at will see right through it.

This is a wonderfully written book for younger teens about the life of the young Princess Elizabeth. It gives a fabulous introduction to the intriguing times of Tudor England as Elizabeth struggles to survive the violent rule of her half sister, Mary.

As the daughter of King Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn, the wife he had executed on false charges of adultery simply because she did not birth him a son, the young Princess Elizabeth was at various times pampered, scorned, or simply ignored by her father. She and her young half-brother Edward, the heir to the throne, were close. But Elizabeth and her half-sister Mary - daughter of the woman Henry divorced to marry Anne Boleyn - were barely civil to each other. Mary hated Elizabeth simply for her mother's identity. When the King dies and Edward is crowned, the two sisters manage an uneasy peace - until Edward dies and Mary becomes Queen. Now Elizabeth is in grave danger. There are many reasons her sister could want her out of the way. show more Elizabeth will need all of her wits if she is to survive the dangers of her sister's reign so that someday she can become Queen of England. This was a fascinating portrait of Elizabeth as a teenager and young woman. I highly reccomend this book. show less

Ever since I attempted to read Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, I realized that if I wanted to appreciate that book, I needed to gain a better understanding of the Tudor lineage, personalities and power plays. I asked around for a recommendation for a fictional account that would be easy to follow but was founded on solid research and historical accuracy. That's when an LT friend surprised me by sending me this book in the mail.

As part of the Young Royals series, the short novel is an first person account of Elizabeth's life from the death of her father King Henry VIII, through the trials and tribulations of the reign of her brother Edward VI, followed by the extreme discomfort she suffered throughout her sister Queen Mary's rule. Mary show more Tudor had such a fear that Elizabeth would take the throne from her through an organized rebellion that she banished her and treated her as a prisoner for the better part of her reign.

The simple family tree of the Tudors at the beginning of the book was a great help, and I finally feel like I've got a bit of background understanding of the dynamics at play. I'm not sure what I'll follow up with, but at least I am no longer completely in the dark. show less

Story of the teenage life of Queen Elizabeth 1st as she struggles to survive the perils of being in line for the throne of England. This book continues on from "Mary, Bloody Mary" but you do not have to have read the first to understand the second; you only have to have some knowledge of the period in history in terms of which royal should succeed the other. In fact, I found it a little disconcerting that the heroine of the first book is now made out to be the cold, calculating and often slightly insane monarch of this one, as there was no real inclination of this character trait in the first book. ( I read one straight after the other). Admittedly, this book is from her rival's point of view, but I still found her descriptions of Mary show more to ring hollow.

Basically, this is about Elizabeth, Henry VIII 's daughter, who is imprisoned and impoverished by her jealous half-sister Mary, but not killed because she is loved by the people of England. There is also lots of court intrigue - who can she trust ? - and her first love ( an older man who actually marries her step mother) turns out to betray her in his quest for power. There are also a few beheadings and burnings at the stake as Mary tries to bring the country back to the Catholic religion and punishes those who don't support her as heretics. Elizabeth must keep all her wits about her - feigning a belief in Catholicism, publically supporting Mary , etc - if she is to survive these dangerous times. show less