The Marriage Game
A Novel of Queen Elizabeth I
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4.1 • 34 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
In this compelling novel of Tudor drama and suspense, acclaimed biographer Alison Weir explores one of England’s most scandalous royal love affairs: the romance between the “Virgin Queen” Elizabeth I and her courtier Lord Robert Dudley.
“Entrancing . . . Weir manages to weave actual history and the imagined kind together seamlessly.”—Huntington News
Only twenty-five and newly crowned, Elizabeth vows to rule the country as both queen and king. But her counselors continually press her to form an advantageous marriage and produce an heir. Though none of the suitors have yet worked their way to her throne, the dashing—though married—Lord Robert lays claim to Elizabeth’s heart. Their flagrant flirting, their unescorted outings, and the appointment of Lord Robert to Master of Horse inspire whispers through the court, and even rumors that Elizabeth has secretly given birth to Lord Robert’s child.
Then Robert’s wife is found dead, and universal shock soon gives way to accusations of murder. Despite the scandal, Elizabeth and Robert manage to navigate the choppy political, economic, and religious waters around them. But the greatest obstacle to marriage between the Queen and her true love may come not from outside forces, but from within.
With intricate period detail and captivating prose, Alison Weir examines one of history’s most provocative “Did they or didn’t they?” debates. The Marriage Game maneuvers through the alliances, duplicities, intrigue, and emotions of a woman intent on sovereignty—over her country and herself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Weir deftly follows The Lady Elizabeth, her 2008 novel about the young Elizabeth I of England (1533 1603). Here Weir trains her spotlight on Elizabeth's equivocations over marriage from her accession to the throne in 1558 until the death of her most persistent suitor, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, 30 years later. Weir posits that Elizabeth, deeply scarred by early experience, never intended to marry and had numerous personal and political reasons to avoid it. Yet her council pressured her repeatedly to provide an heir, while innumerable Catholic and Protestant courtiers and royalty sought her hand, hoping to cement an alliance. Elizabeth exasperated everyone with promises, flirting, impossible demands, and prevarication. Lively bedroom scenes and discordant council meetings reveal Elizabeth's complexities, depicting her as a wily coquette determined to rule England alone. Mindful always of England's interests and the vulnerability of her throne, Elizabeth made several anguished decisions regarding both "the marriage game" and her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. A nuanced portrait of Dudley, whose love for Elizabeth remained steadfast despite her vacillation and his other marriages, balances Weir's sympathy for her subject. Weir's credible characters and blend of the personal and political will sweep up readers of this engrossing behind-the-scenes psychological portrait of Elizabeth.
