And when Mary took the Crown after the young Edward passed away, she cracked down on England to return to “the old religion” and align itself with Spain and the Habsburgs. The religious divide between the Mary and Elizabeth, as well as the bad blood between their mothers, was enough to slowly and surely drive a wedge between the sisters. Elizabeth understood from an early age the importance, for herself and for the Crown, to maintain control over her own lands and legacy without a man taking that from her. Perhaps Elizabeth’s early negative experiences with Thomas Seymour instilled within her the belief that she must keep men at an arm’s length, for any man close to her only ever wanted her for her power.

Historians are split on the relationship between the two: was it sexually abusive or was it consensual? The famous assault in the garden where Elizabeth had her gown cut up certainly points to abuse. Even though Thomas in fact married Catherine Parr after Henry’s death, Thomas seems to have preferred Elizabeth as his wife despite her age. He was a guardian to Elizabeth after Catherine Parr’s death, but the relationship between him and Elizabeth is fraught with speculation. Another adult who shaped her experience as a young woman was Thomas Seymour, brother of the late Jane Seymour. Catherine had slightly “radical” religious beliefs at the time, and I believe Elizabeth absorbed those qualities, which only enhanced her Tudor qualities of ambition, confidence, and independence. From what I gather, Catherine was actually kind and nurturing to Henry’s children and even led by example. She, along with her siblings, was shuffled among different guardians after her stepmother, Catherine Parr died. This case may also be due to the fact that both Elizabeth and Edward were Protestant, while Mary remained a staunch Catholic like her mother.Īlthough a princess, Elizabeth did not necessarily have a great childhood. Elizabeth, however, was closer to Edward in age and seemed to perhaps have a stronger bond with him than Mary. While Edward was alive, the young women commiserated their lot with each other, yet held tenderness toward their younger brother. Growing up, Elizabeth and Mary suffered much the same in being “de-legitimatized” in favor of their younger half-brother Edward, whose mother was Jane Seymour. One point I’ve always found interesting was the “frenemy” relationship Elizabeth had with her half-sister, Mary, whose mother was the Spanish Catherine of Aragon.

I knew a bit about Elizabeth’s upbringing before reading this book, but Starkey filled in the gaps and offered interesting information regarding the young Elizabeth’s interactions with those around her. Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey focuses on Elizabeth Tudor’s childhood and rise to power, rather than the majority of Elizabeth biographies that focus on her entire life or just her reign.

Elizabeth i david starkey