Elizabeth's Rival - The Tumultuous Tale of Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester

'Nicola Tallis, one of our great popular historians.' Alison Weir

The first biography of Lettice Knollys, one of the most prominent women of the Elizabethan era.

Cousin to Elizabeth I - and very likely also Henry VIII's illegitimate granddaughter - Lettice Knollys had a life of dizzying highs and pitiful lows. Darling of the court, entangled in a love triangle with Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I, banished from court, plagued by scandals of affairs and murder, embroiled in treason, Lettice would go on to lose a husband and beloved son to the executioner's axe. Living to the astonishing age of ninety-one, Lettice's tale gives us a remarkable, personal lens on to the grand sweep of the Tudor Age, with those closest to her often at the heart of the events that defined it.

In the first ever biography of this extraordinary woman, Nicola Tallis's dramatic narrative takes us through those events, including the religious turmoil, plots and intrigues of Mary, Queen of Scots, attempted coups, and bloody Irish conflicts, among others. Surviving well into the reign of Charles I, Lettice truly was the last of the great Elizabethans.

About the author

Dr Nicola Tallis is a British historian and researcher. Her debut book, Crown of Blood: The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey, was published to wide praise. She has previously lectured at the University of Winchester and worked with Historic Royal Palaces and the National Trust.

Report

Stunning ... Nicola Tallis brings this remarkable woman out of the shadows and dazzlingly to life. It is a story of love, loss, intrigue and betrayal, and is told with customary finesse by one of our most talented historians. Not to be missed. Tracy Borman

Product details

• Authors: Nicola Tallis, Tallis Nicola
• Publisher: Michael O'Mara Publications
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 15.11.2018
• EAN: 9781782439240
• ISBN: 978-1-78243-924-0
• No. of pages: 448
• Dimensions: 129 mm x 198 mm x 32 mm
• Weight: 431 g
• Illustrations: 2 x 8pp colour plate sections
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; England, European History, Biography: historical, political & military, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Royalty, HISTORY / Modern / 16th Century, British & Irish history, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / General, Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700, Biography: historical, political and military, c 1500 to c 1600, Later 16th century c 1550 to c 1599