The Stolen Crown
The Sunday Times-bestselling account of the succession of James I by Tudor expert Tracy Borman OBE
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- 13,99 €
Descrição da editora
The explosive, unmissable account of the succession of Elizabeth I from bestselling author Tracy Borman, Chief Historian at Historic Royal Palaces
'Compelling and brilliant' - ALISON WEIR
'A meticulously researched must-read for Tudor enthusiasts'- SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, TEN BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF 2025
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In March 1603, Queen Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, lies dying at Richmond Palace. The queen's ministers cluster round her bedside, urging her to name her successor - something she has stubbornly resisted throughout her reign. Almost with her last breath she whispers that James VI of Scotland should succeed her.
Or so we've been led to believe.
But, as enthralling new research shows, this is not what happened. Elizabeth went to her grave without formally naming an heir. The notion of an approved succession from Tudors to Stuarts is little more than an elaborately constructed fiction - a fiction that went on to have devastating consequences. The Stuart regime rapidly descended into turbulence and uncertainty, conspiracy and persecution, witchcraft and gunpowder.
With a combination of rigorous research and brilliant storytelling, The Stolen Crown takes us behind palace doors to reveal the secret history of the Tudor succession.
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The Stolen Crown published as an instant Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller in the w/c 2025-09-08.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Historians have long considered the ascension of Elizabeth I's successor, James I, a relatively settled matter ahead of Elizabeth's death, but this meticulous account from historian Borman (Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I) suggests a thornier transition. Drawing on a fresh interpretation of royal correspondence, Borman argues that James stole the crown. She lays out her case via an exploration of several technocratic, religious, and interpersonal intrigues. These include the fact that royal succession had been "profoundly destabiliz" by Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, who established that a sovereign could nominate their successor. Elizabeth chose to strategically keep her succession plans secret, effectively inciting a crew of claimants attempting to curry favor. Another quirk was a 14th-century law decreeing "those not born on English soil" couldn't inherit a title, which made James—then James VI of Scotland—a front-runner to those who believed in England's "suzerainty" over Scotland. Yet in a immersive close read of their letters, Borman illustrates how, much to James's chagrin, the two royals' relationship deteriorated over time, due to Elizabeth's dislike of James's misogyny, pro-Catholic policies, and desire for an equal English-Scottish union. The charge of "theft," however, is undermined by the fact that James had "no single, strong competitor" when Elizabeth died. Still, this makes for an enthralling and detailed window into royal family drama.
