Beware, Princess Elizabeth (2002) - Plot & Excerpts
I purchased this book in June of 2012. I read it in February of 2014. Why such a long delay between the purchasing and the reading? Well, to be honest, although I felt brave when purchasing it, my spirit wilted within me at the thought of reading yet another snarky princess story. So I waited, and waited, and waited… and then, as I was packing my books just prior to our move in February, I stopped and flipped through it. I immediately recognized that this was no ordinary account.Most princess stories are indigestible tripe-ish diaries which mainly focus on the lack of empathy which the princess perceives in those around her. Although a few historical details are dropped in to give the book texture, they cannot be said to dominate the book.Beware, Princess Elizabeth departs from this tradition entirely. I have never read a novel which was so fully historical in content and so wonderfully novelish in its interest. This book is living, breathing history.Often history feels imposed when included in novels. (Lookin’ at you, Henty.) In Beware, Princess Elizabeth, the history IS the novel. I always knew the Tudors were an interesting batch, but I never realized how fascinating the line of succession, plotting, counter-plotting, and religious climate was between Henry VIII and Elizabeth I’s time.The power-grabbing Seymour brothers. Did you know that Edward Seymour (brother of Jane Seymour, Edward VI’s mother) attempted to grab England’s reins by becoming chief of Edward’s council while another brother, Tom Seymour married Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s widow? And that after Catherine’s death, Tom attempted to marry Elizabeth I and place her on the throne with himself to control her? I didn’t. Now I do.Elizabeth’s fear of plots. Did you know that Elizabeth lived in daily fear lest the love of her supporters be her undoing? Mary longed for an excuse to put Elizabeth away – all she needed was one plot of which she could prove Elizabeth had cognizance.The reason Mary never forced Elizabeth to marry. I never even thought of this. But why didn’t Mary marry Elizabeth off to some foreign nobleman and effectually banish her both from English soil and from the minds of her people? It seems such an easy solution. But to have done so would have been to acknowledge Elizabeth’s legitimacy. See, Mary, staunch Catholic, believed that because her father’s divorce from her own mother, Catherine of Aragon, and subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn had not been sanctioned by the Pope, it could not be considered legitimate. Mary’s hope of naming someone other than Elizabeth as successor to the throne rested upon this belief. To have married Elizabeth off would have been of short-term benefit in terms of getting her out of the country, but would have simultaneously spelled disaster. Fascinating, isn’t it?That’s just the tip of the iceberg; there’s so much more in this book. But, since I’m not trying to rewrite it, I’ll stop here. :)The novel spans the years from Henry VIII’s death to day of Mary’s death. I would love to read another set during Elizabeth I’s reign!Discussion.Ms. Meyer reports on Elizabeth’s attachment to Robin Dudley and also, more troublingly, to Tom Seymour. Although her affection for Tom began before his marriage to her step-mother, they unfortunately (according to this novel) continued after the marriage and, although she knew she should not dwell so often on him in her mind, she does so anyway. She gets control of herself after she realizes just how treacherously she is treating Catherine, whom she loves dearly.The real and possible infidelities of several royals (Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Philip of Spain, etc.) are mentioned.Mary insisted that all Englishmen worship God according to the Catholic faith, including Elizabeth. Elizabeth opted to conform outwardly to Mary’s demand by attending a prescribed number of masses, while worshipping God truly in her heart. This would be a very good point to discuss with children – what does God require of us in worship?Elizabeth frankly reports that she and Mary are viewed as illegitimate children – only she uses a stronger word for it.Conclusion. Superb. Completely recommended for mature readers.Visit The Blithering Bookster to read more reviews!www.blitheringbookster.com
Find the enhanced version of this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....The younger daughter of Henry VIII, Elizabeth’s future was far from certain. She enjoyed the benefits of a royal heir for only a short period, being declared illegitimate about the same time her mother lost her head. She was only returned to the line of succession during Henry’s sixth and final marriage. Her childhood was marked by a series of stepmothers; one dying in childbed, one set aside, one beheaded and one who was lucky enough to be widowed before Henry tired of her. Though a child, I believe she took to heart her father’s inconsistencies, noting the lack of security which supposedly accompanied a marriage.The chances that Elizabeth would ascend the throne were minimal, being behind both her younger brother Edward and older sister Mary in Henry’s Third Succession Act. Both of Henry’s daughters were again struck from the succession by their brother Edward, who left the throne to his cousin the Lady Jane Grey upon his death. Jane’s tenure lasted a mere nine days. Whereafter she was imprisoned in the Tower and eventually executed for high treason.Hailed at her coronation, Mary soon fell into her subject’s disfavor. Her persecution of Protestants earned her the moniker Bloody Mary. A Protestant herself, Elizabeth’s position was a precarious one. Like her older sister before her, she defied her monarch and held to her convictions and much like her sister, lived in fear that her religion would be her death warrant. Discontent soon burned as brightly as Mary’s Protestant subjects, lending support to those who wished to see Elizabeth on the throne. The Wyatt Rebellion gave Mary reason to place her sister in the Tower of London. I imagine the sentence was frightening as prisoners rarely escaped the Tower alive but doubly so for Elizabeth whose own mother was executed on the grounds some eighteen years earlier.Elizabeth as depicted in Beware, Princess Elizabeth is an ambitious young woman. I feel it is a true enough assessment of her character as Queen but premature for the period of Meyer’s story. Elizabeth’s position was never as secure as Meyer implies. Elizabeth also seemed overly confident in her conviction that she would one day rule England. I am sure Elizabeth was aware of the possibility and even took steps to have it realized, but considering the uncertainty that marked her adolescent years I don’t believe she was at any time assured she would take her father's throne. Raised in the knowledge that Queen Anne was beheaded, witness to the trial and execution of Queen Catherine, spectator to the political games that cost Queen Jane so dearly, I remained convinced that Elizabeth was very much aware that the crown offered as much security to a woman as did the state of matrimony. Historically accurate in detail but I found this installment disappointing in its black and white interpretations. It may be appealing to younger readers but even then, I would suggest looking elsewhere for introductory material on the Virgin Queen.
What do You think about Beware, Princess Elizabeth (2002)?
tIn the historical fiction book Beware, Princess Elizabeth, by Carolyn Meyer, the theme is to persevere against all odds. This book takes place in the 1500's in London, England and the outskirts of London. The titular protagonist is a teenage Princess Elizabeth, who is a bit of a rebel, and the future queen of England. After her father, King Henry VIII dies, his last wife dies, and finally her half brother dies, the kingdom of England is left in the hands of Elizabeth's sister Mary. Mary is the daughter of King Henry's first wife, who hated Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn, and therefore, hates Elizabeth. Under Mary's rule, Elizabeth is in constant danger, forced to convert to Catholicism, and is put under arrest in the Tower of London. After countless betrayals, repeated imprisonments, and being treated like a common peasant, she still ascends the throne, but not after a long and painful journey to get there.tWhile this book is aimed more towards girls, with its protagonist being a princess, it still has the adventure, beheadings, and various other elements that could make it appealing to boys as well. This is a really good book, and shows an insight to one of England's greatest monarch's days before she was queen. It also shows how little those of stature cared for each other. After her father's death, Elizabeth remembers the death of her father's fifth wife: "My mother was not the only wife my father sent to the Tower and then had put to death. I was eight years old when his fifth, Catherine Howard, was sentenced to die. All the nervous excitement of this latest execution could not be kept from me, and it was as if my own mother's execution were being repeated. I wept, I cried out, for days I could neither sleep nor eat. Kat, frantic to calm me, summoned the court physician to prescribe a sleeping draught. When I awoke it was over. I listened as servants whispered how Catherine Howard's head had been caught in a basket, her blood sopped up by crones with handkerchiefs, her body carried off for burial. The way it must have been for my mother, I thought, and I have thought of it many times since that day. Remembering Catherine Howard's death has always struck terror to my heart." (17-18.) This is an example of how ruthless the monarchs were at this point, and how even eight year old Elizabeth could be in danger. It also shows how empathetic Elizabeth is, even when thinking of the woman who faced the own doom as her own mother. This story is a lot like other stories of women in power at this time. Elizabeth is forced to perservere against the odds that she faces, and these odds are only increased by her gender. This book is a fantastic read for anyone who loves adventure and a bit of a history lesson at the same time.
—Katie S.
A couple if days ago I finished an awesome book called Beware Princess Elizabeth. This great book written my by Carolyn Meyer, is about Princess Elizabeth's teen years and up. Betrayal, lost love and murder, what more must a princess endure? Princess Elizabeth's mother Anne Boleyn was beheaded my her father Henry VIII, her evil half sister Mary locks her in a tower and keeps her prisoner, and her young brother dies of a deadly disease. This book is a fact filled, historical fiction novel. I learned so many things about Princess Elizabeth I had no idea about before! Elizabeth has to face many dangers and roadblocks in her way, especially Mary's religious views. Mary is Catholic and Elizabeth is Protestant. Mary will kill anyone who disagrees with her or stands in her way! This is a great book. I would rate this four stars! I would recommend this book to anyone interested in, well, Princess Elizabeth!
—Alyssa
Queen Elizabeth I is famous for being one of England’s most powerful monarchs ever, even though she reigned in a man’s era. But what do you really know about her, especially about her formative teen years? Well, after reading Beware, Princess Elizabeth you’ll definitely know why Elizabeth became such a powerful, influential ruler.Unlike her older sister Mary, Elizabeth does not really remember a time when she was the favourite at court. She is first overshadowed by her boy-king brother upon her father’s death, then imprisoned during the tumultuous reign of her older half sister. She spends much of her young adulthood as the forgotten, ill-favoured bastard daughter of King Henry VIII and his hated second wife Anne Boleyn. Readers will sympathize with her as she struggles through religious reforms, a jealous half sister and broken dreams of love.Carolyn Meyer takes readers on a wonderful journey through Tudor England, being historically accurate and entertaining at the same time. With a relatively fast-paced plot and well developed characters, this is a fitting addition to the enormous volume of literature on Elizabeth I. You will be able to see the woman behind the legend and that is one of the best parts of historical fiction.I give this book 4/5 stars.
—Carrie Slager
