After the death of Henry VIII and Edward VI (Elizabeth's half brother), Elizabeth's status as sister and would-be successor to the Catholic queen Mary put her in a dangerous position. But the education she received from life itself would prove far more valuable for the monarch-to-be. She received a first-rate academic education, excelling in languages and rhetoric and exhibiting a strong interest in the Protestant religion her father had established in England. Starkey finds that Elizabeth's early years ran the gamut from days of snug security as the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and Henry's heir apparent, to the years of uncertainty after her mother's execution whenĮlizabeth was separated from court and virtually forgotten. David Starkey's Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne explores the terra incognita of Elizabeth's early years, and the result is nothing short of captivating. But while the history of her rule is fascinating, the story of how her remarkable character was forged seems vital to a full understanding of the woman who led England into a new age of prosperity, power, and artistic achievement. Most biographies focus on the years of her reign, during which she proved herself as adept a ruler - and as shrewd an operator - as England had ever seen. The legend of Elizabeth I, the untouchable, charismatic Virgin Queen, is a powerful and enduring one.
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