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Arbella: England's Lost Queen
An extraordinary life lost in history: the compelling biography of Arbella Stuart spans both Tudor and Stuart courts, and encompasses espionage, a clandestine marriage, imprisonment and eventual death in the Tower of London.
Arbella Stuart was the niece of Mary Queen of Scots and first cousin to James VI of Scotland. Acknowledged as her heir by Elizabeth I, Arbella’s right to the English throne was equaled only by James. Kept under close supervision by her grandmother, but still surrounded by plots -- most of them Roman Catholic in origin -- she became an important pawn in the struggle for succession, particularly during the long, tense period when Elizabeth I lay dying. Her fate was sealed however when, upon James’s succession and having been invited back to court, Arbella made a treasonous marriage for which she was forced to flee England. She was intercepted off the coast of Calais and escorted to the Tower, where she died some years later, alone and, most probably, from starvation.
For fans of historical biography, Arbella is possibly the most romantic heroine of them all. Hers was a story just waiting to be told.
Arbella Stuart was the niece of Mary Queen of Scots and first cousin to James VI of Scotland. Acknowledged as her heir by Elizabeth I, Arbella’s right to the English throne was equaled only by James. Kept under close supervision by her grandmother, but still surrounded by plots -- most of them Roman Catholic in origin -- she became an important pawn in the struggle for succession, particularly during the long, tense period when Elizabeth I lay dying. Her fate was sealed however when, upon James’s succession and having been invited back to court, Arbella made a treasonous marriage for which she was forced to flee England. She was intercepted off the coast of Calais and escorted to the Tower, where she died some years later, alone and, most probably, from starvation.
For fans of historical biography, Arbella is possibly the most romantic heroine of them all. Hers was a story just waiting to be told.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2003
60 people are currently reading
4470 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Gristwood
27 books377 followersSarah Gristwood attended Oxford and then worked as a journalist specializing in the arts and women's issues. She has contributed to The Times, Guardian, Independent, and Evening Standard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
May 23, 2019
Mostly boring but informative
February 20, 2015
Scandal during Tudor and Stuart England was commonplace; especially for those with royal blood running through their veins. This is precisely the case for Arbella Stuart (niece of Mary, Queen of Scots). Having spent much of her youth under a pseudo house arrest with her grandmother (Bess of Hardwick); Arbella raised eyebrows when she tried to take her life and affairs into her own hands which included an unapproved marriage. Sarah Gristwood attempts to showcase this infamous lady’s life in, “Arbella: England’s Lost Queen”.
Gristwood mentions in her introduction that Arbella isn’t truly revealed until the book’s third section. Let it be known: this is not an exaggeration. Although heavily detailed, the early pages of “Arbella” focus more on setting the stage and describing the background of Arbella’s time and family. Gristwood tends to not only venture off on tangents but almost forgets that Arbella is supposed to be the main subject of the text. Granted, the information is hearty and even reveals some lesser-discussed facts regarding the period bringing some reader satisfaction; but “Arbella” is barely about the woman, herself.
This continues as the text proceeds with “Arbella” being somewhat slow as the reader searches for true information regarding Arbella. Gristwood does begin to disperse the text with full quotes and letters written by Arbella at this point; but yet, neither Arbella’s psyche not her life is truly defined.
On a related note, Gristwood has the habit of grazing over areas of Arbella’s life which other authors explain with zeal and energy while overly focusing on trivial matters. Bluntly, this makes Arbella seem like a boring figure which was certainly not the case. Arbella is better illuminated as the book progresses but still not at the level preferred.
One of the major annoyances in “Arbella” is Gristwood’s constant comparison of events in Arbella’s life to that of fictional narratives, plays, or characters. This is tedious, unnecessary, and quite a stretch feeling like a college term paper: unpolished. Also making “Arbella” less academic is the abundance of speculative statements in which Gristwood admits to an absence of source material but claims to know Arbella’s thoughts and/or actions.
The last quarter of “Arbella” follows the marriage, escape, and imprisonment of Arbella and her husband, William. Even though Gristwood provides solid alibi-like facts; the overall presentation is listless and dry, downplaying the entire escapade. The conclusion is also lacking energy, being abrupt and not leaving “Arbella” on a memorable note.
The saving grace after the poor ending is the ‘Epilogue’ which serves as an update to the after effects of the figures studied. This is followed by juicy appendices covering such topics as the theory that Arbella’s tutor was the playwright Christopher Morely, Arbella’s suspected porphyria, and famous places connected to Arbella. These, along with genealogical trees and annotated notes, add depth to an otherwise lean work. It should also be noted that “Arbella” contains two sections of black-and-white photo plates.
Overall, “Arbella” serves as an introduction of Arbella Stuart and isn’t terrible in the academic strain. However, it suffers from execution errors and poor storytelling. Gristwood fails to truly portray Arbella and reveal her life in an educational way to the reader resulting in a slow-paced text. Sadly, the reader doesn’t come away with a true sense or feel for Arbella. “Arbella” is recommended for those interested in the Tudor and Stuart periods but the text will not blow the reader away and is therefore not suggested as an immediate read.
Gristwood mentions in her introduction that Arbella isn’t truly revealed until the book’s third section. Let it be known: this is not an exaggeration. Although heavily detailed, the early pages of “Arbella” focus more on setting the stage and describing the background of Arbella’s time and family. Gristwood tends to not only venture off on tangents but almost forgets that Arbella is supposed to be the main subject of the text. Granted, the information is hearty and even reveals some lesser-discussed facts regarding the period bringing some reader satisfaction; but “Arbella” is barely about the woman, herself.
This continues as the text proceeds with “Arbella” being somewhat slow as the reader searches for true information regarding Arbella. Gristwood does begin to disperse the text with full quotes and letters written by Arbella at this point; but yet, neither Arbella’s psyche not her life is truly defined.
On a related note, Gristwood has the habit of grazing over areas of Arbella’s life which other authors explain with zeal and energy while overly focusing on trivial matters. Bluntly, this makes Arbella seem like a boring figure which was certainly not the case. Arbella is better illuminated as the book progresses but still not at the level preferred.
One of the major annoyances in “Arbella” is Gristwood’s constant comparison of events in Arbella’s life to that of fictional narratives, plays, or characters. This is tedious, unnecessary, and quite a stretch feeling like a college term paper: unpolished. Also making “Arbella” less academic is the abundance of speculative statements in which Gristwood admits to an absence of source material but claims to know Arbella’s thoughts and/or actions.
The last quarter of “Arbella” follows the marriage, escape, and imprisonment of Arbella and her husband, William. Even though Gristwood provides solid alibi-like facts; the overall presentation is listless and dry, downplaying the entire escapade. The conclusion is also lacking energy, being abrupt and not leaving “Arbella” on a memorable note.
The saving grace after the poor ending is the ‘Epilogue’ which serves as an update to the after effects of the figures studied. This is followed by juicy appendices covering such topics as the theory that Arbella’s tutor was the playwright Christopher Morely, Arbella’s suspected porphyria, and famous places connected to Arbella. These, along with genealogical trees and annotated notes, add depth to an otherwise lean work. It should also be noted that “Arbella” contains two sections of black-and-white photo plates.
Overall, “Arbella” serves as an introduction of Arbella Stuart and isn’t terrible in the academic strain. However, it suffers from execution errors and poor storytelling. Gristwood fails to truly portray Arbella and reveal her life in an educational way to the reader resulting in a slow-paced text. Sadly, the reader doesn’t come away with a true sense or feel for Arbella. “Arbella” is recommended for those interested in the Tudor and Stuart periods but the text will not blow the reader away and is therefore not suggested as an immediate read.
October 6, 2020
This biography covers a period of history I know far less about than the preceding Tudor period, although as a young girl, Arbella lived in the fading years of Elizabeth's reign. The problem with the book is that little is known of her until her strange attempt in her late teens to break out of her grandmother, Bess of Hardwick's control, by arranging a marriage between herself and a relative, at which point she was interrogated by an emissary of the Queen's council and wrote a series of hysterical and rambling letters. The author puts forward the theory that Arbella suffered from porphyria, the same disease which induced periods of 'madness' in the later George III, and that this is to blame for her irrational behaviour at various times in her life.
After the accession of her cousin James VI of Scotland to the English throne as James I, things improved for Arbella who became a lady-in-weighting to his wife Ann of Denmark. But life in the court had many perils and was also horrendously expensive, a point the author makes well. As time went on, Arbella, ageing especially in 17th century terms, sought to marry but as a near relative to the royal family was thwarted by political concerns, and this eventually lead to tragedy. The book concludes with an epilogue which follows the fortunes of the other actors in the drama, and also more tenuously traces her influence - the character in The Duchess of Malfi may be based upon her and one of the ships taking the colonists to North America was named the Arbella.
The problem I found was that I found the book quite boring in places and a chore to finish. I was interested though that, contrary to a lot of penmanship of the time and preceding, which was done in a very ornate and, for modern readers, difficult to read style, Arbella's was easy by comparison - I could make out nearly every word in a reproduced example. The author comments on this but does not attempt to explain it. So all in all, I would rate this an OK 2 stars only.
After the accession of her cousin James VI of Scotland to the English throne as James I, things improved for Arbella who became a lady-in-weighting to his wife Ann of Denmark. But life in the court had many perils and was also horrendously expensive, a point the author makes well. As time went on, Arbella, ageing especially in 17th century terms, sought to marry but as a near relative to the royal family was thwarted by political concerns, and this eventually lead to tragedy. The book concludes with an epilogue which follows the fortunes of the other actors in the drama, and also more tenuously traces her influence - the character in The Duchess of Malfi may be based upon her and one of the ships taking the colonists to North America was named the Arbella.
The problem I found was that I found the book quite boring in places and a chore to finish. I was interested though that, contrary to a lot of penmanship of the time and preceding, which was done in a very ornate and, for modern readers, difficult to read style, Arbella's was easy by comparison - I could make out nearly every word in a reproduced example. The author comments on this but does not attempt to explain it. So all in all, I would rate this an OK 2 stars only.
June 6, 2013
3.5 stars, a nice biography. The author admits that the title is a bit dramatic, but at one time Arbella Stuart, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I, really did come very close to the throne of England.
Arbella was the great-granddaughter of Henry VIII’s older sister Margaret. When it became clear that Elizabeth was not going to produce an heir, Arbella’s claim to the throne, by the strict law of inheritance, was second only to that of King James of Scotland. For many years the English-born Arbella seemed a better candidate for the throne than the foreign James.
Almost certainly Elizabeth could have chosen Arbella to succeed, but the Queen resolutely declined to name any heir at all, claiming it would be “to require me in my life to set my winding sheet before my eye”. Elizabeth dangled Arbella’s hand in marriage before the princes of Europe, just as she had dangled her own hand decades earlier - and with as little honest intent. Meanwhile she kept Arbella isolated from the court, in luxurious but rigorous confinement with her famous grandmother, Bess of Hardwick. (Good book about Bess: Bess of Hardwick: Empire Builder.)
Three times in her life Arbella rebelled, seeking to marry without the sovereign's permission, which for someone with her bloodline was tantamount to treason. Her intentions are in dispute. Was she trying to gain the throne, either for herself or her descendants? Or perhaps she simply wanted to get married and start a family, which was the only reasonable ambition for a woman of her rank in the Tudor age (notwithstanding Elizabeth’s contrary example).
Her choice of husbands is the kicker: she chose men from the Seymour family, who were descended from Henry VIII”s other sister Mary, and hence were also high in the line of succession. A marriage which combined the two bloodlines was a serious threat, first to Queen Elizabeth and later to King James. However, there were very few available men of Arbella’s rank, and it could be argued that her choices were natural and appropriate.
Arbella died aged 30, almost literally wasting away while imprisoned in the Tower of London, kept separate from her lawful husband.
The book includes an appendix discussing the possibility that Arbella was afflicted with that royal malady, porphyria.
Arbella was the great-granddaughter of Henry VIII’s older sister Margaret. When it became clear that Elizabeth was not going to produce an heir, Arbella’s claim to the throne, by the strict law of inheritance, was second only to that of King James of Scotland. For many years the English-born Arbella seemed a better candidate for the throne than the foreign James.
Almost certainly Elizabeth could have chosen Arbella to succeed, but the Queen resolutely declined to name any heir at all, claiming it would be “to require me in my life to set my winding sheet before my eye”. Elizabeth dangled Arbella’s hand in marriage before the princes of Europe, just as she had dangled her own hand decades earlier - and with as little honest intent. Meanwhile she kept Arbella isolated from the court, in luxurious but rigorous confinement with her famous grandmother, Bess of Hardwick. (Good book about Bess: Bess of Hardwick: Empire Builder.)
Three times in her life Arbella rebelled, seeking to marry without the sovereign's permission, which for someone with her bloodline was tantamount to treason. Her intentions are in dispute. Was she trying to gain the throne, either for herself or her descendants? Or perhaps she simply wanted to get married and start a family, which was the only reasonable ambition for a woman of her rank in the Tudor age (notwithstanding Elizabeth’s contrary example).
Her choice of husbands is the kicker: she chose men from the Seymour family, who were descended from Henry VIII”s other sister Mary, and hence were also high in the line of succession. A marriage which combined the two bloodlines was a serious threat, first to Queen Elizabeth and later to King James. However, there were very few available men of Arbella’s rank, and it could be argued that her choices were natural and appropriate.
Arbella died aged 30, almost literally wasting away while imprisoned in the Tower of London, kept separate from her lawful husband.
The book includes an appendix discussing the possibility that Arbella was afflicted with that royal malady, porphyria.
April 8, 2016
If Alison Weir can describe this work as "utterly compelling...an exquisite jewel of a book", then who am I to argue. 'Arbella-England's Lost Queen', published 2003 is certainly a very well written and accomplished biography. Where the narrative becomes entwined in Elizabethan power politics involving Tudor and Stuart genealogies with further Stuart-Lennox, Seymour-Grey and Cavendish family lines into the mix, Sarah Gristwood has produced a vivid and authoritative portrait.
While very many of the main players in both Elizabeth's and James I's court are featured in this tragic tale, it is the figure of the little known Arbella Stuart, a faint shadow across the pages of English history, that the author places under the historian's spotlight.
To think that Arbella was mostly confined for a quarter of a century in the wilds of Derbyshire with the daunting Bess of Hardwick during the latter years of Elizabeth's reign, followed by her incarceration in the Tower at the pleasure of James, it is quite admirable just how much detail is packed into five hundred pages of text.
If that were not enough, this book contains so many little intriguing threads woven into the story. Did Arbella Stuart inherit the royal malady of Porphyria from Margaret Tudor? An ailment that travelled all the way to George III.
Was Arbella's tutor at Hardwick Hall, one Morley, none other than spy and playwright Christopher Marlowe?
Was John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi, written in 1614, based on the real life tragedy of Arbella Stuart?
(I saw this play performed in Manchester in 1980...the Duchess was played by a very tasty 35 year old Helen Mirren.)
One thing I'm sure of, it is only right that the hidden history of characters such as Arbella Stuart do not languish, maligned and forgotten.
While very many of the main players in both Elizabeth's and James I's court are featured in this tragic tale, it is the figure of the little known Arbella Stuart, a faint shadow across the pages of English history, that the author places under the historian's spotlight.
To think that Arbella was mostly confined for a quarter of a century in the wilds of Derbyshire with the daunting Bess of Hardwick during the latter years of Elizabeth's reign, followed by her incarceration in the Tower at the pleasure of James, it is quite admirable just how much detail is packed into five hundred pages of text.
If that were not enough, this book contains so many little intriguing threads woven into the story. Did Arbella Stuart inherit the royal malady of Porphyria from Margaret Tudor? An ailment that travelled all the way to George III.
Was Arbella's tutor at Hardwick Hall, one Morley, none other than spy and playwright Christopher Marlowe?
Was John Webster's play The Duchess of Malfi, written in 1614, based on the real life tragedy of Arbella Stuart?
(I saw this play performed in Manchester in 1980...the Duchess was played by a very tasty 35 year old Helen Mirren.)
One thing I'm sure of, it is only right that the hidden history of characters such as Arbella Stuart do not languish, maligned and forgotten.
July 20, 2012
Reading this book was like walking through Alice in wonderland’s looking glass and being able to be a part of that beautiful garden, or like opening Pandora’s Box and encountering the sparking jewel inside. This historical biography of one of England’s forgotten Queen’s is the most breathtaking and captivating thing that I have read this year, and which certainly raises the standard for this particular genre. Sarah Gristwood brings this period within history to life in stunning vivid color, where you are able to picture the clothes, the elegance and decadence and the atmosphere of the different environments. Beautifully detailed that delved into meticulous depth I was transported back in time, where I was able to connect to those who lived in the past in such a personal and intimate way. I found Lady Arbella Stuart’s story one that was heartfelt, truly fascinating and quite extraordinarily remarkable, being something that needs to be read about and not hidden away unknown. Comparables between the Tudor’s and the Stuart’s were looked at as well as their differences, the writer weaving a web of timelines that entwined a labyrinth of individuals together. Being one of the most turbulent and memorable periods within our history, here the author captures its essence realistically whilst saving the lost Queen from her hideaway. A woman with a most eccentric and obscure life this account is one that touches your heart and soul, with its mixture of melodrama, sympathy and tragedy. The research that the author has gone into is extensive, but it is how she ultimately puts it down on paper that really captures your attention and brings this individual from the past to life before your very eyes. Complete with the most stunning paintings and photographs this is a book to treasure for all time, as something that is distinctive and that little bit different. She may not be as eminent as Henry VIII or her Cousin Elizabeth I, but once you read this you certainly will then feel that she in many ways is now more impressive and esteemed.
As a fervent reader of historical fiction, non-fiction and biographies alongside being a aficionado of the Tudor era in particular, I was hence keen to delve deeper into the past and find out more about those figures who were less known but just as interesting as those persons whom we all recognize and love. This was a highly readable narrative that was thoroughly engaging and which had me absorbed within its pages for hours on end. This is certainly a volume which you will be unable to put down, therefore I finished reading it in record time as well as being left with the sensation of wanting to find out even more about Arbella as she had altogether mesmerized me. A book that I would recommend to those who love the Tudor’s, anything connected with the history of England and those who enjoy historical literature at its very best. Beautiful: simply stunning.
As a fervent reader of historical fiction, non-fiction and biographies alongside being a aficionado of the Tudor era in particular, I was hence keen to delve deeper into the past and find out more about those figures who were less known but just as interesting as those persons whom we all recognize and love. This was a highly readable narrative that was thoroughly engaging and which had me absorbed within its pages for hours on end. This is certainly a volume which you will be unable to put down, therefore I finished reading it in record time as well as being left with the sensation of wanting to find out even more about Arbella as she had altogether mesmerized me. A book that I would recommend to those who love the Tudor’s, anything connected with the history of England and those who enjoy historical literature at its very best. Beautiful: simply stunning.
December 28, 2011
I read this a few years ago, so my memory could be faulty. Arbella was born to the wrong parents at the wrong time in history and in the wrong place of history. As I recall, some historians wonder about medically induced mental illness. On the other hand, the woman certainly had plenty of reason to be depressed without blaming any illness. Her guardian, Bess of Hardwick was one tough woman with no kind side to her. She was all ambition. The main strike against Arbella consisted of two items: She was female, which wasn't as much of a problem as it would have been one generation earlier, but she was brought up Catholic, which was a disaster for Arbella. I imagine that James would have managed to get the throne anyway, but it would have been much more undecided if Arbella had been a member of the Church of England. It might have helped if Arbella had ever been educated to THINK the way Elizabeth was, and Lady Jane Grey. Unfortunately Arbella risked everything for love to the wrong person (naturally), and lost her gamble.
March 23, 2024
2.75 stars
Arbella Stuart was the great-granddaughter of Margaret Tudor (Henry VIII’s oldest sister). She should have been a possibility to be queen, but was bypassed. Both Elizabeth I and James I kept her at bay, and wouldn’t even allow her to marry (in the line of succession, you need permission to marry since they will likely want a politically advantageous marriage). Eventually, she just gave up and chose who she wanted to marry and married in secret (to the great-great-grandson of Mary Tudor (Henry VIII’s youngest sister)). It wasn’t long before they were found out and imprisoned.
This was nonfiction and felt a bit dense through much of it. As I tend to often mention in my reviews of historical biographies of women, even if they were royalty, there often seems to be little information on them, so much of the “action” is actually what’s taking place around them. Arbella’s marriage and attempt to escape the Tower were the most interesting part (and likely where there was the most information to use for this biography). I feel like a fictional account of her life might make things a bit more interesting.
Arbella Stuart was the great-granddaughter of Margaret Tudor (Henry VIII’s oldest sister). She should have been a possibility to be queen, but was bypassed. Both Elizabeth I and James I kept her at bay, and wouldn’t even allow her to marry (in the line of succession, you need permission to marry since they will likely want a politically advantageous marriage). Eventually, she just gave up and chose who she wanted to marry and married in secret (to the great-great-grandson of Mary Tudor (Henry VIII’s youngest sister)). It wasn’t long before they were found out and imprisoned.
This was nonfiction and felt a bit dense through much of it. As I tend to often mention in my reviews of historical biographies of women, even if they were royalty, there often seems to be little information on them, so much of the “action” is actually what’s taking place around them. Arbella’s marriage and attempt to escape the Tower were the most interesting part (and likely where there was the most information to use for this biography). I feel like a fictional account of her life might make things a bit more interesting.
December 7, 2024
Arbella is an excellent reading adjunct to mainstream Tudor-Stuart characters, especially after exhausting other material and craving more of the genre.
For anyone fascinated by such royal genealogies, Arbella's lineage is a feast to behold: great-great granddaughter of Henry VII and first cousin of James VI & I, she was descended from both of Henry VIII's sisters, Margaret and Mary. Her claim to the throne was therefore doubly, triply threatening to the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I, her first cousin twice removed.
Her formidable maternal grandmother, Bess of Hardwick, another of my favourites, became Arbella's ward when she was orphaned at 7. Arbella spent her childhood cloistered away in Bess's various gilded cages, receiving private tuition considered fit for her rank (archived dispatch documents have triggered speculation that poet Christopher Marlowe was one tutor).
Bess, a well practised keeper for years entrusted with jailing Mary of Scots, now had Arbella's safeguard in mind. Tight house security to prevent kidnappings, agenda-driven friendships and romances left the girl isolated, lonesome but deeply conscious of her royal lineage. Periodically invited to Elizabeth's court for royal scrutiny, she proved not so socially adept, a tad precious and disinclined to kowtow, so was not embraced by the vain queen.
Repeatedly sent away again, she always resumed her stately seclusion, the powers that be wanting her watched in this age of plots to dethrone and assassinate Elizabeth. Continuing home education into her twenties, Arbella acquired several languages and mastered the lute, viol and virginals. She was a restless soul, suspected by some of carrying her great grandmother Margaret Tudor's porphyria, famously passed down to cause the madness of King George III.
Her ambitious marriage suitors included the Pope's brother, the Duke of Parma's son and ... William Seymour Lord Beauchamp and later 2nd Duke of Somerset (whose grandfather Edward 1st Earl of Hertford had incurred Elizabeth's wrath for secretly marrying Lady Catherine Grey, sister of 'nine days queen' Jane, without royal permission). Later ones included Ludovic Stuart, 2nd Duke of Lennox, then even the King of Poland! With Arbella's marriage requiring royal approval, none of these suspicious sounding matches materialised - such men were believed acquisitive of her claim to the throne.
Weary and frustrated, Arbella eventually settled on William Seymour who, as grandson of Lady Catherine Grey, was sixth-in-line to the throne himself, intensifying Arabella's threat to the crown. With history appearing to repeat itself and royal permission denied they married secretly in 1610. The result was their separate house arrests under King James, in various stately homes.
After feigned illness and transfers, Arbella escaped dressed as a man (Shakespeare's cross-dressed heroine of Cymbeline has been read as a reference to Arbella) to meet her husband and flee to France. With her husband not making it to port on time she sailed alone, only to be captured at sea by King James' men, and henceforth imprisoned in the Tower of London. She never again saw her husband who, after arriving at port late and missing her, reached safety abroad at Ostend.
Arbella was made the focus of the 1603 Spanish Government funded 'Main Plot', involving Sir Walter Raleigh, to oust King James, replacing him with Arbella. However, seeing parallels between this and the Lady Jane Grey plot that saw her ancestor beheaded, cautious Arbella, already up to her neck in strife, immediately reported the plot when asked to agree in writing to Philip of Spain. This, however, only saved her neck from the block.
Arbella remained in the Tower until her death in 1615, which she helped along by starving herself.
Another tragic Tudor-Stuart descendent well worth the drama. Sarah Gristwood's fine craftsmanship equals that of her contemporaries.
For anyone fascinated by such royal genealogies, Arbella's lineage is a feast to behold: great-great granddaughter of Henry VII and first cousin of James VI & I, she was descended from both of Henry VIII's sisters, Margaret and Mary. Her claim to the throne was therefore doubly, triply threatening to the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I, her first cousin twice removed.
Her formidable maternal grandmother, Bess of Hardwick, another of my favourites, became Arbella's ward when she was orphaned at 7. Arbella spent her childhood cloistered away in Bess's various gilded cages, receiving private tuition considered fit for her rank (archived dispatch documents have triggered speculation that poet Christopher Marlowe was one tutor).
Bess, a well practised keeper for years entrusted with jailing Mary of Scots, now had Arbella's safeguard in mind. Tight house security to prevent kidnappings, agenda-driven friendships and romances left the girl isolated, lonesome but deeply conscious of her royal lineage. Periodically invited to Elizabeth's court for royal scrutiny, she proved not so socially adept, a tad precious and disinclined to kowtow, so was not embraced by the vain queen.
Repeatedly sent away again, she always resumed her stately seclusion, the powers that be wanting her watched in this age of plots to dethrone and assassinate Elizabeth. Continuing home education into her twenties, Arbella acquired several languages and mastered the lute, viol and virginals. She was a restless soul, suspected by some of carrying her great grandmother Margaret Tudor's porphyria, famously passed down to cause the madness of King George III.
Her ambitious marriage suitors included the Pope's brother, the Duke of Parma's son and ... William Seymour Lord Beauchamp and later 2nd Duke of Somerset (whose grandfather Edward 1st Earl of Hertford had incurred Elizabeth's wrath for secretly marrying Lady Catherine Grey, sister of 'nine days queen' Jane, without royal permission). Later ones included Ludovic Stuart, 2nd Duke of Lennox, then even the King of Poland! With Arbella's marriage requiring royal approval, none of these suspicious sounding matches materialised - such men were believed acquisitive of her claim to the throne.
Weary and frustrated, Arbella eventually settled on William Seymour who, as grandson of Lady Catherine Grey, was sixth-in-line to the throne himself, intensifying Arabella's threat to the crown. With history appearing to repeat itself and royal permission denied they married secretly in 1610. The result was their separate house arrests under King James, in various stately homes.
After feigned illness and transfers, Arbella escaped dressed as a man (Shakespeare's cross-dressed heroine of Cymbeline has been read as a reference to Arbella) to meet her husband and flee to France. With her husband not making it to port on time she sailed alone, only to be captured at sea by King James' men, and henceforth imprisoned in the Tower of London. She never again saw her husband who, after arriving at port late and missing her, reached safety abroad at Ostend.
Arbella was made the focus of the 1603 Spanish Government funded 'Main Plot', involving Sir Walter Raleigh, to oust King James, replacing him with Arbella. However, seeing parallels between this and the Lady Jane Grey plot that saw her ancestor beheaded, cautious Arbella, already up to her neck in strife, immediately reported the plot when asked to agree in writing to Philip of Spain. This, however, only saved her neck from the block.
Arbella remained in the Tower until her death in 1615, which she helped along by starving herself.
Another tragic Tudor-Stuart descendent well worth the drama. Sarah Gristwood's fine craftsmanship equals that of her contemporaries.
May 15, 2012
Arbella Stuart was a big freakin' deal in the last days of the Elizabethan era & the first chunk of the rule of James I. Yet you only hear her discussed by British history nerds: she somehow dropped to the very edges of history.
This book does an excellent job of giving a very intimate-feeling portrayal of Arbella's difficult life & its tragic conclusion, which is a real feat, considering she herself didn't leave behind that much written material. Gristwood obviously did a great deal of digging, & it pays off.
The reader, while enjoying the way the story takes you so thoroughly back to its time, will at the same time spend most of the book reflecting on just how much it stank to be a member of the royal family without actually being the one wearing the crown.
This book does an excellent job of giving a very intimate-feeling portrayal of Arbella's difficult life & its tragic conclusion, which is a real feat, considering she herself didn't leave behind that much written material. Gristwood obviously did a great deal of digging, & it pays off.
The reader, while enjoying the way the story takes you so thoroughly back to its time, will at the same time spend most of the book reflecting on just how much it stank to be a member of the royal family without actually being the one wearing the crown.
July 23, 2011
This book offers a great insight into a key player in the plots and intrigue that surrounded the question of succession when Elizabeth I's reign came to a close. Despite her strong position, equal in fact to that of James, she has been largely forgotten in the realms of popular history. I doubt there are many outside of the history academics who would be aware that James even had a serious rival for the throne, unless they had read this book of course! This is a strong addition to women's history,and this book is great for anyone looking for a different voice to emerge from the rich history of Tudor and Stuart England.
Read
July 6, 2012I read this one because I live fairly near to Hardwick Hall where Arbella spent a large part of her life, and I'm fascinated by her famous grandmother, Bess of Hardwick, herself the subject of a good biograpy.
This is an intriguing tale, well told, and brings the Elizabethan period very vividly to life. But Arbella's life was a sad one, and there's a lot of uncertainty about her erratic behaviour - was she mentally ill? Was she physically ill? Or was she clever and conniving? We'll never know. She remains an elusive character which at times makes it difficult to maintain an interest in her story.
This is an intriguing tale, well told, and brings the Elizabethan period very vividly to life. But Arbella's life was a sad one, and there's a lot of uncertainty about her erratic behaviour - was she mentally ill? Was she physically ill? Or was she clever and conniving? We'll never know. She remains an elusive character which at times makes it difficult to maintain an interest in her story.
did-not-finish
February 17, 2025DNF. I realized I did not really care and when I found out that the actual Arbella is only properly introduced and explored only in the last third of this volume, I lost my will to live for a bit and my will to read this completely.
May 24, 2020
I felt sorry for Arbella. She sure was jerked around by her other royal relatives and had a bad life because she wasn't free to make her own choices, including concerning her choice of husband.
October 30, 2018
I had just finished a wonderfully researched and written book about Bess of Hardwick. This was sloppily written and not too well researched. Very disappointed, which is why I didn't finish it.
June 11, 2023
3.5 stars
This review was first published at the Just A Reader book review blog.
Arbella: England's Lost Queen by Sarah Gristwood is a biography of a less popularly known figure in the Elizabethan era. Arbella Stuart was third cousin (I think that's correct) to Elizabeth I and first cousin to James I. She was, at one time, a serious consideration as heir to Elizabeth's throne. For anyone interested in that era of British history, this biography is a good addition to the field, and gives a great deal of detail on a person who hasn't been written about in as much detail as the more well known figures such as Elizabeth, James, Robert Dudley, and others whose names are recognizable to popular audiences even today.
Gristwood writes with an amazing amount of detail and uses a prodigious amount of source quotes. Arbella seems to have left a large number of letters from which to pull information and, as a possible contender to the throne, her name and events in her life were topics of gossip and letters by a variety of officials of the era - from Cecil to James to foreign ambassadors. Like most documentation from that time period, there are gaps in what has survived and conflicting information slanted by whoever wrote it for their own political purposes.
Arbella's life is a rollercoaster with seemingly more downs than ups. Her fate rests entirely in the hands of other,s and yet she attempts to take control of her own destiny several times. Her royal blood makes her both incredibly valuable and equally dangerous, cutting her off from both the avenues for which she was raised - ruling and marriage. Her attempts to get one or the other are met with hostility by both Elizabeth and James. Arbella seems at all times to keep one eye on her political ambitions which can never help her marital cause. Her family members' ambition is an equal part of the problem as, much like Jane Grey, Arbella is blamed for the plots of others - though neither woman is without ambition.
Arbella: Englad's Lost Queen seems to be the first biography by Gristwood and she does a fair job of it - it's a well-written and engaging read, but Alison Weir's works of the same time period remain my favorites to this point. It may simply be that Gristwood has not found her stride yet and I'm certainly going to read more of her work.
This review was first published at the Just A Reader book review blog.
Arbella: England's Lost Queen by Sarah Gristwood is a biography of a less popularly known figure in the Elizabethan era. Arbella Stuart was third cousin (I think that's correct) to Elizabeth I and first cousin to James I. She was, at one time, a serious consideration as heir to Elizabeth's throne. For anyone interested in that era of British history, this biography is a good addition to the field, and gives a great deal of detail on a person who hasn't been written about in as much detail as the more well known figures such as Elizabeth, James, Robert Dudley, and others whose names are recognizable to popular audiences even today.
Gristwood writes with an amazing amount of detail and uses a prodigious amount of source quotes. Arbella seems to have left a large number of letters from which to pull information and, as a possible contender to the throne, her name and events in her life were topics of gossip and letters by a variety of officials of the era - from Cecil to James to foreign ambassadors. Like most documentation from that time period, there are gaps in what has survived and conflicting information slanted by whoever wrote it for their own political purposes.
Arbella's life is a rollercoaster with seemingly more downs than ups. Her fate rests entirely in the hands of other,s and yet she attempts to take control of her own destiny several times. Her royal blood makes her both incredibly valuable and equally dangerous, cutting her off from both the avenues for which she was raised - ruling and marriage. Her attempts to get one or the other are met with hostility by both Elizabeth and James. Arbella seems at all times to keep one eye on her political ambitions which can never help her marital cause. Her family members' ambition is an equal part of the problem as, much like Jane Grey, Arbella is blamed for the plots of others - though neither woman is without ambition.
Arbella: Englad's Lost Queen seems to be the first biography by Gristwood and she does a fair job of it - it's a well-written and engaging read, but Alison Weir's works of the same time period remain my favorites to this point. It may simply be that Gristwood has not found her stride yet and I'm certainly going to read more of her work.
August 17, 2025
Girl deserved soooo much better. She suffered so much just because of her family connections. She has a lot of interesting parallels to Elizabeth I, but she failed where Elizabeth suceeded.
Her letters sound super interesting I'd like to read them someday.
Her letters sound super interesting I'd like to read them someday.
November 19, 2013
I was entranced by the fate of this poor young woman who was so unmercifully controlled by so many people. She had famous relatives, Bess of Hardwick was her domineering grandmother, Mary, Queen of Scots her aunt, and she was the cousin of James I. Probably she should have been the queen. The political scheming and the crafty court ploys were horrid and she finally rebelled. However, this was not a smoothly told history. I felt the timeline was not straight and the connections not carefully made. Most of the time I was lost in time and had to keep backtracking in the book. Still never sure that I understood all the machinations and who was good and who was evil.
October 20, 2013
Arbella England's Lost Queen is an informative, interesting and slightly awkward read. It is filled with excerpts from letters written in the 16th century and one is obliged to reread these passages several times in order to appreciate the true flavor. I always appreciate the author's attempt to relate places and events to today's world. Alison Weir does this faithfully and Sarah Gristwood also does a great job. I especially liked the Bowes Lyon connection. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.
September 29, 2013
Very interesting and well researched, but the writing style kind of annoyed me... the author uses "ironically" every few pages, about things that are not actually ironic. But still a very interesting book about someone that I knew next to nothing about.
September 28, 2015
Not a ton of information on Arbella but a good read at any rate. It's nice when an author elects to add information about what's going on around the subject at the time instead of filling pages with "We could assume....." or "It's possible......"
November 8, 2017
When I started to read this book it appeared that the order to 'cut to the chase' had been made a little prematurely by the editor, or agent of the author. In effect the beginning was a spoiler, and might have deterred a reader from continuing onwards. This would be a shame, as the story that follows provides an enjoyable read from an author who expertly uses the historical data still available to produce a compelling story.
The subject is a woman called Arbella, a niece of Mary Queen of Scots. These days it isn't guaranteed that everyone knows how Mary lived and died, despite regular reminders in the form of TV documentaries , and any number of books in the history section of your favourite bookstore. Given that the subject of this is the life of a woman in Tudor and Stuart times, and that she is described on the book cover as England's Forgotten Queen, I had an inkling that the story may not end well for Arbella.
The cause of Arbella's not very happy life was Elizabeth the First. She is, quite rightly in my view, regarded as one of the greatest monarchs, but she came with much baggage. Having survived into adulthood with the knowledge that her mother had been seen off in short order by her father, and nearly meeting a similar fate at the hands of her stepsister, no-one could really be surprised that, once on the throne, she would make sure she stayed there. She knew that Arbella had, per the family tree, more royal blood than she. Arbella had descended in part from both the Tudor and Stuart houses, whilst Elizabeth had previously been declared a bastard by her father, although undoubtedly having Tudor running through her veins.
For all that Elizabeth had the heart and stomach of a king, or something like, throughout her reign she was in danger of losing the crown and, perhaps, her life. She is known by many people as The Virgin Queen, and the same people know, or think they know -few things would surprise us these days- that she didn't marry or have children. As the reign progressed in this way, and particularly towards it's end, an heir hadn't been named by Her Majesty. This presented some issues for her government, in terms of a smooth transition but also for her court, and relations who didn't know which person they should be either courting favour with or, perhaps, murdering in the meantime.
Meanwhile, Arbella's problem that was that she was indeed of royal descent, but given the difficulties presented by a Virgin Queen as she grew up,it was unlikely that the country would accept a similar model in the future. Conversely if, as well connected people did then, and sometimes still do now, she married a man with similar, or more likely greater, royal links then the couple could make a bid to be declared rightful successors to the crown. This in turn could lead to power struggles, perhaps civil war.
Arbella's parents both died relatively young, at which point her grandmother, Bess of Hardwick, assumed their duties in bringing up and caring for Arbella. As luck would have it, Bess was a close friend and ally of The Virgin Queen and, with what looks very much like connivance, ensured that Arbella was for all the world like a bird in a gilded cage. Arbella was well educated, and taught the things she needed to progress and survive but kept from meeting any sort of eligible bachelor as mentioned above. This, as can be imagined, and as is extensively described by the author, drove Arbella almost to distraction.
When Elizabeth died and, as expected, James Stuart the sixth of Scotland acceded to the throne with wife and heirs already taken care of, the reader might expect, as I did, that Arbella's problems would be over. I never got the impression throughout reading this book that Arbella actually wanted to be the Queen of England, and I thought that she would have been happy just to be able to live an ordinary, but rich, life from this point on.
James the First seems the furthest thing from the strong and stable, to coin a recent phrase, person to lead the country forward and united, and Arbella's situation didn't improve. The king, and his confidantes still perceived some threat from Arbella who by now had managed to find, and marry William, the Duke of Somerset. This is where the 'cut to the case' instruction comes in. Arbella and William leave the country to live together in France - against the wishes of the king. Will they make it and happily ever after?
Read the book, and skip the prologue, to find out, and you should enjoy it even more than me.
The subject is a woman called Arbella, a niece of Mary Queen of Scots. These days it isn't guaranteed that everyone knows how Mary lived and died, despite regular reminders in the form of TV documentaries , and any number of books in the history section of your favourite bookstore. Given that the subject of this is the life of a woman in Tudor and Stuart times, and that she is described on the book cover as England's Forgotten Queen, I had an inkling that the story may not end well for Arbella.
The cause of Arbella's not very happy life was Elizabeth the First. She is, quite rightly in my view, regarded as one of the greatest monarchs, but she came with much baggage. Having survived into adulthood with the knowledge that her mother had been seen off in short order by her father, and nearly meeting a similar fate at the hands of her stepsister, no-one could really be surprised that, once on the throne, she would make sure she stayed there. She knew that Arbella had, per the family tree, more royal blood than she. Arbella had descended in part from both the Tudor and Stuart houses, whilst Elizabeth had previously been declared a bastard by her father, although undoubtedly having Tudor running through her veins.
For all that Elizabeth had the heart and stomach of a king, or something like, throughout her reign she was in danger of losing the crown and, perhaps, her life. She is known by many people as The Virgin Queen, and the same people know, or think they know -few things would surprise us these days- that she didn't marry or have children. As the reign progressed in this way, and particularly towards it's end, an heir hadn't been named by Her Majesty. This presented some issues for her government, in terms of a smooth transition but also for her court, and relations who didn't know which person they should be either courting favour with or, perhaps, murdering in the meantime.
Meanwhile, Arbella's problem that was that she was indeed of royal descent, but given the difficulties presented by a Virgin Queen as she grew up,it was unlikely that the country would accept a similar model in the future. Conversely if, as well connected people did then, and sometimes still do now, she married a man with similar, or more likely greater, royal links then the couple could make a bid to be declared rightful successors to the crown. This in turn could lead to power struggles, perhaps civil war.
Arbella's parents both died relatively young, at which point her grandmother, Bess of Hardwick, assumed their duties in bringing up and caring for Arbella. As luck would have it, Bess was a close friend and ally of The Virgin Queen and, with what looks very much like connivance, ensured that Arbella was for all the world like a bird in a gilded cage. Arbella was well educated, and taught the things she needed to progress and survive but kept from meeting any sort of eligible bachelor as mentioned above. This, as can be imagined, and as is extensively described by the author, drove Arbella almost to distraction.
When Elizabeth died and, as expected, James Stuart the sixth of Scotland acceded to the throne with wife and heirs already taken care of, the reader might expect, as I did, that Arbella's problems would be over. I never got the impression throughout reading this book that Arbella actually wanted to be the Queen of England, and I thought that she would have been happy just to be able to live an ordinary, but rich, life from this point on.
James the First seems the furthest thing from the strong and stable, to coin a recent phrase, person to lead the country forward and united, and Arbella's situation didn't improve. The king, and his confidantes still perceived some threat from Arbella who by now had managed to find, and marry William, the Duke of Somerset. This is where the 'cut to the case' instruction comes in. Arbella and William leave the country to live together in France - against the wishes of the king. Will they make it and happily ever after?
Read the book, and skip the prologue, to find out, and you should enjoy it even more than me.
August 25, 2025
Coming into this biography with only a partial understanding of who Arbella Stewart was, I was hoping to come away with a much greater appreciation for a figure in British history and to be really wowed. The fact my final response was 'is that it?' should rather illustrate my disappointment.
The core issue with this biography is that there is ultimately a vast gap between the importance and interest that the author imbues Stewart with and the actual story which is presented to the reader. At the risk of being overly blase about another human being, Arbella was a relative of both Elizabeth and James I, who was briefly considered as a potential successor to the former, was identified as a puppet queen in an alleged plot against the latter, married without permission to another member of the succession and died in captivity after her attempt to flee England with her husband was thwarted.
As such, her story is a series of what if moments, undermined by the fact that none of them actually happened - her chances of succeeding to the throne were miniscule, the Main Plot (if indeed there was one) never happened, her marriage to William Seymour didn't lead to an attempt to take the throne and Seymour returned to royal favour after her death in 1615. That, of course, shouldn't take away from the human tragedy of the situation, but whether it deserves 450 pages of biography or the suggestion she was a 'lost queen' is another matter.
Under the circumstances, an interesting book would still not be beyond the realms of possibility were the author to recognise this deficiency and try a different approach to match it. Alas, the response is a dogged determination to fill up the pages as if minutae and tangents can make up for the lack of genuine substance, from discussions of her penmanship to unending comparisons to the Duchess of Malfi (a play with very tenuous links to Arbella's life and which, in all honesty, is a lot more interesting than this book). It's also not helped by the fact that Gristwood's prose is passable but little more, and she lacks the biographer's skill to pick out particular character traits which bring Arbella to life as a person as opposed to a picture on a wall.
All in all, this was a disappointing book which could have benefitted from being 200 pages shorter, or indeed being part of a wider and more lively examination of the reaction to James I and VI's ascension to the throne.
The core issue with this biography is that there is ultimately a vast gap between the importance and interest that the author imbues Stewart with and the actual story which is presented to the reader. At the risk of being overly blase about another human being, Arbella was a relative of both Elizabeth and James I, who was briefly considered as a potential successor to the former, was identified as a puppet queen in an alleged plot against the latter, married without permission to another member of the succession and died in captivity after her attempt to flee England with her husband was thwarted.
As such, her story is a series of what if moments, undermined by the fact that none of them actually happened - her chances of succeeding to the throne were miniscule, the Main Plot (if indeed there was one) never happened, her marriage to William Seymour didn't lead to an attempt to take the throne and Seymour returned to royal favour after her death in 1615. That, of course, shouldn't take away from the human tragedy of the situation, but whether it deserves 450 pages of biography or the suggestion she was a 'lost queen' is another matter.
Under the circumstances, an interesting book would still not be beyond the realms of possibility were the author to recognise this deficiency and try a different approach to match it. Alas, the response is a dogged determination to fill up the pages as if minutae and tangents can make up for the lack of genuine substance, from discussions of her penmanship to unending comparisons to the Duchess of Malfi (a play with very tenuous links to Arbella's life and which, in all honesty, is a lot more interesting than this book). It's also not helped by the fact that Gristwood's prose is passable but little more, and she lacks the biographer's skill to pick out particular character traits which bring Arbella to life as a person as opposed to a picture on a wall.
All in all, this was a disappointing book which could have benefitted from being 200 pages shorter, or indeed being part of a wider and more lively examination of the reaction to James I and VI's ascension to the throne.
January 11, 2019
Arbella Stuart has come up in several books I have read about the Tudor and Stuart monarchies, but I didn't know much about her beyond the fact that she had some very infamous ancestors and made an unfortunate marriage that landed her in the Tower (of course, who didn't during that time). There's not much more to it than that, although the book does flesh out some of those details and gives a picture of what Arbella's early life was like and her brief time in the courts of Elizabeth I and James I. For Tudor history buffs, the first half of the book is a lot of rehashing of details you probably already knew (and I don't know how many people would pick this book up if they weren't Tudor history buffs). Arbella doesn't really come into play until the latter half of the biography, which made the book drag a bit for me. This book did show me how close Arbella was to the throne and why some of the things that she did were responded to harshly. I also felt incredibly sorry for Arbella and her unfortunately short life that was just trading one set of jailers for another. Overall, I learned quite a bit from the book, I was just a little frustrated at how much of the early part of the book was retread for me.
December 21, 2018
When I was at school, studying for my GCEs, one of my two major history topics was Tudor History. When it came to Arbella Stuart, something of a minor character in the overall Tudor period, our teacher, the redoubtable Miss Brown, spent a whole 2hr session on her, which meant continuing into the Stuart period (which we were not supposed to spend any time on - I had to do that after leaving school). Such was Miss Brown's fascination with the tragedy that was Arbella's life.
In more recent years I have come across Arbella's story from time to time in an indirect way. So, when I saw this at a Book Fair, I bought it to refresh my memory on the subject.
Others have already given outlines in their reviews, so I won't bother doing it again, but the one thing I found interesting, and new to me, was that Arbella may well have suffered from porphyria, a blood disease that brings a form of temporary madness and that plagued the life of George III.
This is a decent biography of a tragic and interesting player in the royal succession of England's crown. The fact that the author sets the scene before delving into Arbella's story will be helpful to those not familiar with the period.
In more recent years I have come across Arbella's story from time to time in an indirect way. So, when I saw this at a Book Fair, I bought it to refresh my memory on the subject.
Others have already given outlines in their reviews, so I won't bother doing it again, but the one thing I found interesting, and new to me, was that Arbella may well have suffered from porphyria, a blood disease that brings a form of temporary madness and that plagued the life of George III.
This is a decent biography of a tragic and interesting player in the royal succession of England's crown. The fact that the author sets the scene before delving into Arbella's story will be helpful to those not familiar with the period.
June 15, 2023
(7.29 on CAWPILE)
I initially didn't know if this was fiction or non fiction as it didn't say anywhere on the dust jacket. However a paragraph into the prologue let me know at once that this was indeed non fiction. The amount of detail that the author went into on what little evidence we have remaining of Arbella's life let me know this would be a very thoroughly thought out book.
This book details the life of Arbella Stuart, a once prospective successor to Elizabeth I. She has since fallen into relative obscurity but was an important player in the throes of Tudor politics. This book goes into meticulous detail about Arbella's life informing us of every scrap of evidence that remains to us of her.
I did find this book overwhelmingly long and the pacing was not particularly gripping. But I did find it was very informative and very thorough. It is not without bias, as nothing in this world is, and it is clear the author grew and affinity for Arbella while writing this book. This is actually a touch I liked as it gave Arbella, even in death, some humanity. Overall I thought this was an insightful and interesting book that I dreaded to pick up but enjoyed while I consumed the words on the page.
I initially didn't know if this was fiction or non fiction as it didn't say anywhere on the dust jacket. However a paragraph into the prologue let me know at once that this was indeed non fiction. The amount of detail that the author went into on what little evidence we have remaining of Arbella's life let me know this would be a very thoroughly thought out book.
This book details the life of Arbella Stuart, a once prospective successor to Elizabeth I. She has since fallen into relative obscurity but was an important player in the throes of Tudor politics. This book goes into meticulous detail about Arbella's life informing us of every scrap of evidence that remains to us of her.
I did find this book overwhelmingly long and the pacing was not particularly gripping. But I did find it was very informative and very thorough. It is not without bias, as nothing in this world is, and it is clear the author grew and affinity for Arbella while writing this book. This is actually a touch I liked as it gave Arbella, even in death, some humanity. Overall I thought this was an insightful and interesting book that I dreaded to pick up but enjoyed while I consumed the words on the page.
May 19, 2023
An eminently readable biography of a mostly overlooked figure, Gristwood does a solid job of balancing the demands of prose and narrative with historical introspection - though the balance doesn't always entirely stick.
I, who knew very little about Arbella beyond vague ideas of her existence, very much enjoyed the glimpse into the unseen (perhaps deliberately concealed) dynastic and social drama of the Tudor-Stuart dynastic handover, but I can see how someone more embedded in the period might want more depth. For my part, I found that some of the reflective writing (both on contextual happenings, and reflecting outward on modern scholarship and ideas) got a bit circular, especially in the middle third of the book, with a lot of repetition and a lack of any radical or original points growing out of any repeated examination.
Nonetheless, if you're looking for a historical biography of someone you've probably never heard of, without too much bogging down in historical detail, this would be a solid choice!
I, who knew very little about Arbella beyond vague ideas of her existence, very much enjoyed the glimpse into the unseen (perhaps deliberately concealed) dynastic and social drama of the Tudor-Stuart dynastic handover, but I can see how someone more embedded in the period might want more depth. For my part, I found that some of the reflective writing (both on contextual happenings, and reflecting outward on modern scholarship and ideas) got a bit circular, especially in the middle third of the book, with a lot of repetition and a lack of any radical or original points growing out of any repeated examination.
Nonetheless, if you're looking for a historical biography of someone you've probably never heard of, without too much bogging down in historical detail, this would be a solid choice!
February 27, 2019
This was a very interesting study of Arbella, and tackled many aspects of her life very well. I particularly enjoyed how she took her royal origins, and how she was treated by the Queen to heart so much that she got above herself and in being the person she assumed she was supposed to be ruined her chances of actually gaining what she aspired to - the succession. Her later life reads like that of an aged actress unable to get any decent parts, who ends up notorious for their love life and scandal associated with it. Throughout it all, Bess of Hardwick lurks like some sort of avaricious Fairy Godmother
July 3, 2018
A most enjoyable book on a woman I never heard of. Sarah Gristwood does a remarkable job of bringing Arbella's story to life complete with wonderful illustrations and pictures to really make the story come alive. She has does an enormous amount of research on a painstaking subject and weaves it all together in a terrific story. A nice break from the reading of the traditionally well known people of the Tudor era.
December 28, 2019
I enjoyed this excursion down an aisle of history of which I was unfamiliar. Poor Arbella! What a wasted life she had. The whims and fears of those in power of imagined and real pretenders to the throne of England make for a bloody and complicated tale. Arbella's protector was no sweet lady either. Bess of Hardwick was one of the most ambitious and ruthless ladies of Tudor England. As an avid student of Tudor history, I found this biography very interesting and worth the read.
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