The Titian Portrait

by Derek Ansell

February 1554, Guildhall, London. Queen Mary the 1st, England's first queen regnant, is about to make the most important, rallying speech of her life. Her good friend and advisor, Sir Francis Englefield, is with her all the way, supporting her Roman heritage. Mary plans to marry the Catholic Prince of Spain, Philip II, much against the advice of her parliament and most of the people. Even before the lavish wedding ceremony at Salisbury Cathedral, Mary finds she is deeply in love with Philip. Juggling the tasks of governing a country, putting down rebellions and keeping Philip in England rather than Spain, Mary faces an overwhelming amount of challenges. Soon, sweeping changes, civil unrest and war turn their country upside down. In vivid detail, Derek Ansell's The Titian Portrait follows the life of Mary I, a queen in her own right and an almost forgotten figure in history.

316 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2021

About the author

Derek Ansell was a British novelist and biographer.

Reviews

[Derek Ansell]

I tried to show Mary, good, bad, warts and everything, in a rounded picture. She was much misunderstood and badly treated by her husband Phillip II of Spain. It was a good thing she had a powerful statesman, advisor and good friend in Sir Francis Englefield. His Englefield House still stands today in Theale, Berkshire, UK

[Rosie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read