The Virgin's Lover

By Philippa Gregory

Book Overview

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and "queen of royal fiction" (USA TODAY) comes a riveting and scandalous love triangle between a young woman on the brink of greatness, a young man whose ambition far exceeds his means, and the wife who cannot forgive them.

In the autumn of 1558, church bells across England ring out the joyous news that Elizabeth I is the new queen, yet one woman hears the tidings with utter dread. She is Amy Dudley, wife of Sir Robert, and she knows that Elizabeth's ambitious leap to the throne will draw her husband back to the center of the glamorous Tudor court, where he was born to be.

Elizabeth's excited triumph is short-lived. She has inherited a bankrupt country where treason is rampant and foreign war a certainty. Her faithful advisors warns her that she will survive only if she marries a strong prince to govern the rebellious country, but the one man Elizabeth desires is her childhood friend, the ambitious Robert Dudley. As the young couple falls back in love, a question hangs in the air: can he really set aside his wife and marry the queen? When Amy is found dead, Elizabeth and Dudley are suddenly plunged into a struggle for survival.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743269268
• ISBN13: 9780743269261
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Touchstone
• Length: 441 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Court intrigues

This is another wonderful book by Phillippa Gregory which I think surpasses her others. The story of the passionate love affair between Elizabeth 1 and Robert, Lord Dudley settles, for me, many questions which have previously been a puzzle. Yes of course this is purely supposition but it makes complete sense and it could well have been played out in this manner. Dudley came from a line of courtiers who were well known for treachery...his father and brother were executed for treason, but, despite this, Dudley's overweening vanity and arrogance had convinced him that he could marry Elizabeth and become King. The fact that he was already married to his childhood sweetheart, Amy Robsart, was something that he was sure could be overcome by divorce. Amy was a secret Papist and refused to be divorced to clear the path for his marriage. Elizabeth was clearly besotted with Dudley but, as was ever her way, refused to take a stright line and was certainly NEVER going to share her throne with any man.The death of Amy is explained in a logical way, which along with other aspects of history, could well be the true answer. It's a fabulous read for any lover of historical fiction.

A great read

Here's one for the many fans of the Tudor period in English history. Gregory's novel depicts the notorious love affair between Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I. In reality whether the two were technically lovers is unknown, but the relationship scandalized the Court nevertheless. Gregory does an excellent job of depicting the complexity of the two main characters. She portrays Elizabeth at times as emotional, indecisive and far too easily influenced, but at the same time clever, manipulative and fiercly protective of her perogatives as Queen. Dudley truly loves her, but is also engaged in a brutal power game played by the many factions at court. In the end, Elizabeth's sense of her own destiny wins out, as she realizes that marriage to almost anyone would necessarily mean a lessening of her own power. She also astutely realizes that her availability as a marriagable woman is a potent political tool to keep the monarchs of Europe off-balance and perpetually guessing. Gregory deftly lets us see glimpses of the woman Elizabeth will become--she truly was her father's daughter. Gregory's style is vivid and fast-paced--I lost a few hours' sleep as I was engrossed in this one. Highly recommended.