The Queen's Bed: An Intimate History of Elizabeth's Court
Whitelock delves deep into the court of Queen Elizabeth I—in fact, into the monarch’s very bedchamber, where she examines the lives, the roles, and the influence of her most favored ladies-in-waiting. Culled from the aristocracy and much more than glorified servants, these women bathed, clothed, and often shared a bed with the queen. In doing so, they bore witness to the political rivalries, social gambits, and personal scandals that perpetually surrounded Elizabeth. Charged with pampering and protecting the queen’s body, they also zealously guarded her secrets—often with very little thanks or consideration—in the fishbowl environment of the Elizabethan court. This intimate history of Elizabeth’s boudoir and the women who populated it approaches a popular biographical subject from an entirely fresh angle, providing an enlightening peek into her private persona. --Margaret Flanagan