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More than a man, less than a woman.

Queen Elizabeth the First has always been one of my favorite historical figures. As a child, I remember reading quite a lot of historical fiction centered on Elizabeth prior to her ascension. Last year for Christmas I asked for this biography on Elizabeth because I have heard positive things about Alison Weir's nonfiction on the Tudors. And this year, at age 25, I felt a sudden urge to read it. Turns out, Elizabeth was coronated when she was 25. She ruled for over 40 years and is likely the most well-known female sovereign in the Western tradition.

At 25 years old, she was at last in control of her destiny, and having lived in one kind of constraint or another for her whole existence so far, she was determined to preserve her independence and autonomy.

Liz was not a particularly friendly person, but her charisma was definitely present in her daily interactions with the court. She lived a life unlike anyone else has ever known. Extremely educated, a horseback rider, a hunter, a devout Christian... Elizabeth was surrounded by male courtiers and, without placing too much of a 21st-century lens on her, she did not subscribe to traditional gender roles. She herself described her gender as more than a man, less than a woman which I found deeply sentimental. History remembers her for her cult of virginity, her defeat of the Spanish Armada, the omnipresent succession question, but I was drawn in by the smaller moments.

For all this, there still remained in Elizabethan society a deeply ingrained prejudice against female sovereigns in general. The unhappy example of Queen Mary seemed to confirm the general view that women were not born to rule.

Beautifully researched and written, but I recommend an interest in Elizabethan history before reading.