Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne
by
I was unsurprised to find this often-unforgiving exploration less empathic than bluntly incisive. I was able to factor in that Starkey was famously tagged misogynistic by historian Lucy Worsley in a heated moment of sensitive scholarly debate. Even his famous sobriquet as the 'rudest man in Britain' I knew was partly just the result of an old television debate panel beat-up.
I took into account that reviews of Starkey's own more recent TV documentaries unfairly drew on this aspect of him, calling him 'pompous' and 'acerbic'. David Sarky was one nickname.
I could therefore put aside Starkey's overt dismissal of other historians' ideas here. His provocative, self-opinionated manner is partly a contrivance, I knew.
This is a great historian of our time, a master of his genre, no mere popular history writer. To enjoy his quality, we must compromise by accepting his style. The effort is worth it.
Elizabeth's early years are undoubtedly what forged much of her persona. These are finely scrutinised without sentiment or bias. Starkey's erudite points are masterfully fleshed out, eloquently phrased and expertly documented.
Elizabeth's formative years of being pampered royal heiress then shunned royal bastard are satisfyingly cited as one trigger of her later infamous episodic neurosis.
Her much-debated time spent in Queen Catherine Parr's house is examined at length. So is the overwhelming probability of her being systematically seduced by her stepfather, the scheming Thomas Seymour, Baron Sudeley, who lost his head for his treasonous shenanigans. This well covered ground, consistent with general consensus, shines the obligatory light into Elizabeth's later famous reluctance towards open romance.
Her confusing return to royal favour under brother Edward offers context as plots thicken around replacing her and half-sister Mary with Lady Jane Grey, the nine days queen who then lost her head on the block under the more rightfully placed Queen Mary I.
Elizabeth's subsequent persecution as heir again, under childless Mary, is well explained, with the effect of Elizabeth growing shrewder, a defining feature she would put to great use once on her throne.
Her potential involvement in Protestant plots to dethrone Catholic Mary is perhaps contentiously asserted, with Starkey gratuitously cherry picking to back up his conjecture. We are left with little doubt that she was at least privy to more than she owned up to being involved in, all of which she naturally denied to save her own neck.
A superbly written study, by a talented academic, of perhaps England's most popular queen. Notwithstanding its conspicuous departure from kinder, more feministic angles, this important book deserves its place on our shelves.
