Young Elizabeth

Elizabeth I and Her Perilous Path to the Crown

Nicola Tallis

The first definitive biography of the young Elizabeth I in over twenty years—drawing on a rich variety of primary sources—tracing her tumultuous path to the crown.

Queen Elizabeth I is renowned for her hugely successful reign that makes her, perhaps, the most celebrated monarch in English history. But what of the trials she faced in her challenging early life?

Her status as a princess didn’t last long—when she was less than three years old, her mother—the infamous Anne Boleyn—was brutally beheaded and Elizabeth was relegated to the title of bastard. After losing several stepmothers, she then faced predatory attentions and illicit flirtations from her stepfather, Thomas Seymour, which ultimately forced Elizabeth to leave her home.

But these were only the beginning of Elizabeth’s problems. Later, she became implicated in a plot to overthrow her half-sister, Mary, and faced interrogation and imprisonment in the very tower in which her mother died. Adamantly protesting her innocence, Elizabeth endured the interrogation and was eventually released. Her popularity as a royal increased from that point on, and she finally became queen at the age of twenty-five. Expert historian Nicola Tallis draws on a variety of primary sources—from the queen herself as well as those closest to her—to provide an extensive and thorough study of the Virgin Queen’s perilous journey to the crown.

Looking at Elizabeth as a human being rather than a political chess piece, her narrative explores the dangers and tragedies that plagued Elizabeth's early life, revealing the queen to be a young women who drew strength from her various plights as she navigated one of the most thrilling paths to the throne in the history of the monarchy.

Nicola Tallis achieved a first-class bachelor’s degree with honors in history from Bath Spa University. She also has an MA in Public History from Royal Holloway College, University of London. Nicola has been passionate about English history all of her life, and has worked as a curator, lecturer, and historical researcher. She is currently the resident historian for Alison Weir Tours. Crown of Blood, her first book, is the result of five years of research on the Grey family.

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Endorsements & Reviews

“An insightful biography. Tallis builds a thorough, credible recreation of the queen’s formative decades, providing insight into the proud, determined, insecure, and singular ruler she became. Tudor enthusiasts won’t want to miss this.” Publishers Weekly

“Elizabeth I is one of the most popular figures in history, but this stunning portrayal gives us vivid and compelling new insight into the real woman behind the public image. Told with all of the author’s characteristic verve and eye for fascinating period detail, the story of the Virgin Queen’s turbulent path to the throne is at once surprising, revealing and utterly irresistible. This is Elizabeth I as you have never seen her before.” Tracy Borman, author of Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I

“Sparkling, pacey and page-turning, Nicola Tallis’s brilliant new study of the early life of Elizabeth I is an outstanding achievement. Combining new research with an engaging style, it ticks every box. Highly recommended!” Alison Weir, author of The Lady in the Tower

“Tallis has all the skill of a Tudor portrait painter, imbuing her study with immense detail, striking realism and vibrant colour. Her Elizabeth is so perfectly captured, she peers out from the pages at you with steely dark eyes. Taken as a whole, it is a comprehensive and captivating picture of Gloriana’s upbringing.” Joanne Paul, author of The House of Dudley

“The key to the legend of Elizabeth I lies in the violence, tragedy and heady danger of her first twenty-five years. She lost her parents, siblings, freedom and innocence far too soon, but emerged as one of the most iconic rulers in English history. Nicola Tallis charts this extraordinary story with sensitivity, scholarship and compassion, shedding light not only on Elizabeth’s apprentice years, but also her complete character.” Jessie Childs, author of The Siege of Loyalty House

"A remarkable achievement. Tallis brings to life the glowing girl behind the iconic mask of the later Virgin Queen. With a wealth of detail unfamiliar even to Elizabethan scholars, it represents a vital contribution to our understanding of the woman and her age. Fresh, vibrant, and scholarly, this is history at its very best.” Sarah Gristwood, author of The Tudors in Love

"The future Elizabeth I served one of the most dramatic apprenticeships of any queen of England, with her life subject to the twists and turns of the unstable politics of her day. In Young Elizabeth, Nicola Tallis takes a forensic view of the princess’s difficult early life, using her considerable expertise as an historian to paint a dramatic and believable portrait of a girl whose future never seemed certain. Nicola Tallis brings to life the girl who would later become England’s most iconic ruler.” Dr. Elizabeth Norton, author of The Lives of Tudor Women

"This sparkling study of the youth of England’s most famous queen is firmly based on a wealth of original sources. It will delight readers who think they know Elizabeth and those who have yet to become acquainted with her perilous path to the throne." Linda Porter, PhD, author of The Myth of "Bloody Mary" and Crown of Thistles: The Fatal Inheritance of Mary Queen of Scots

“You cannot fully comprehend Queen Elizabeth I without understanding her hardship and struggles before rising to power. Nicola Tallis’s Young Elizabeth is the biography we needed on these years before Elizabeth was crowned Queen. Compelling, well-researched, and illuminating, this is a must-read for any Tudor lovers.” Dr. Estelle Paranque, author of Blood, Fire and Gold: The Story of Elizabeth I & Catherine de Medici

“Empathetic, thoughtful, and well-written. In this story of the Virgin Queen’s rise to power, Tallis has proved again why she is fast emerging as one of Britain’s most popular historians.” Gareth Russell, author of The Palace: From the Tudors to the Windsors, 500 Years of British History at Hampton Court