Description

‘(A)sensational book by one of our greatest and best-loved historians… Astoundingly good.’ – Alison Weir

‘Masterful, captivating, page-turning, this is solid gold history at its best.’ – Nicola Tallis

‘(A) thought-provoking, impeccably researched, and moving account uncovering how Anne’s family, intellect, and tragedy shaped Elizabeth I’s extraordinary career.’ – Gareth Russell

‘Her extensive research… reveals them as the most dazzling female double act in history.’ – Sarah Gristwood

‘Incredibly well-researched, elegantly written, and overall genuinely ground-breaking,’ – Estelle Paranque

One of the most extraordinary mother and daughter stories of all time – Anne Boleyn, the most famous of Henry VIII’s wives and her daughter Elizabeth, the ‘Virgin Queen’.

Anne Boleyn is a subject of enduring fascination. By far the most famous of Henry VIII’s six wives, she has inspired books, documentaries and films, and is the subject of intense debate even today, almost 500 years after her violent death. For the most part, she is considered in the context of her relationship with Tudor England’s much-married monarch. Dramatic though this story is, of even greater interest – and significance – is the relationship between Anne and her daughter, the future Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth was less than three years old when her mother was executed. Given that she could have held precious few memories of Anne, it is often assumed that her mother exerted little influence over her.
But this is both inaccurate and misleading. Elizabeth knew that she had to be discreet about Anne, but there is compelling evidence that her mother exerted a profound influence on her character, beliefs and reign. Even during Henry’s lifetime, Elizabeth dared to express her sympathy for her late mother by secretly wearing Anne’s famous ‘A’ pendant when she sat for a painting with her father and siblings.

Piecing together evidence from original documents and artefacts, this book tells the story of Anne Boleyn’s relationship with, and influence over her daughter Elizabeth. In so doing, it sheds new light on two of the most famous and influential women in history.