Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, England, 1544 c.3 (The Royal Diaries)

by Kathryn Lasky

Hardcover, 1999

Status

Check shelf

Call number

J 92 RD ELI c.3

Publication

Scholastic Inc. (1999), 240 pages

Description

In a series of diary entries, Princess Elizabeth, the eleven-year-old daughter of King Henry VIII, celebrates holidays and birthdays, relives her mother's execution, revels in her studies, and agonizes over her father's health.

Local notes

2206-217

User reviews

LibraryThing member Whisper1

The setting of this book is 1544 when Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII, is twelve years old. Through her young astute eyes we observe court life filled with intrigue, back stabbing, poisoning, pomp and decay.

At an early age Elizabeth knew that life could be ended suddenly at the whim of her

corpulent, obese, powerful and illogical father. When she was a mere toddler, her mother Anne Boleyn lost her life as her head was violently severed. Unable to produce a male heir, instead, Anne birthed Elizabeth.

Thoroughly researched, Lasky tells the story of Elizabeth's quest to gain the love of her cruel and fickle father. In favor one minute, banished from court the next, Elizabeth never knew which way the wind would blow.

An intelligent child, she watched as the ladies with their white powered faces and gold dresses danced and spun as the dandies gave phony praise and homage to their King. All too soon, the gaiety could change and the music abruptly end.

When Henry became obsessed with Anne Boleyn, his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was a liability that had to be disposed of. Tearing England apart, Henry married Anne, leaving behind a heart broken wife and his daughter Mary.

Mary harbored a long and bitter enmity against Elizabeth. Navigation of Mary's hatred was never an easy thing. Edward, Elizabeth and Mary's half brother and heir to the throne was a sickly, frail child. Elizabeth lived in fear of Edward's illness which might necessitate Mary becoming Queen when their father died.

The book contains interesting tidbits of the filth and germ filled castles wherein bed bugs bit at night and lice infested the wigs worn by court ladies.

Moving from castle to castle when the stench became overpowering, the rats were manifold as thousands of them fed on discarded garbage left everywhere.

Amid the lavish splendor of tapestry and courtly balls, the plague and the pox were an ever increasing threat. Sewage ran freely in the streets and in the River Thames.

The court was an unsanitary, vile place filled with people who would betray. A court favorite could rise one day, only to be carted off to the tower the next.

The book is a mere snap shot in history of Elizabeth's life before she, at the age of 25, obtained the throne and ruled England for 45 glorious years.

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LibraryThing member Miss_Elisabeth

This book was not completely historically correct, and did not follow, in my mind, what we know of Elizabeth as a person. A bit to feminist, which Elizabeth most certainly wasn't, knowing the culture at that time.

LibraryThing member Hamburgerclan

Wonderful book about Elizabeth I from a wonderful author.

c.

LibraryThing member AngelaB86

Written as the diary of Princess Elizabeth, about her life in Henry VIII's court with his 6th wife and her half-sister, Mary. A great series for young girls!

One feature of the Royal Diaries series is once the story is finished, the author includes a section which is only facts: pictures/portraits

of the main characters, family trees, a "What life was like in (insert name) lived" to help the reader distinguish between what we know about the characters, what we assume from artifacts found, and what the author made up to help the story along.

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LibraryThing member t1bclasslibrary

This pretend diary of Queen Elizabeth I gives us a peek into her young life and its many tribulations. Elizabeth enjoys herself considerably when at court, but when exiled from her father is miserable. Her bright and interesting personality shows through even in this fictional account of her

childhood.

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LibraryThing member anitapotter

i loved this book gave me a whole new perspective of a bastard sh had to strive for her fathers love and she got it a couple of times it is before Catherine Parr married Thomas Seymour

LibraryThing member sgerbic

Reviewed April 2000

What fun this book was to read. Lasky tells the story of Elizabeth's life during the last years of Henry VIII's life, through the eyes and ears of his daughter. Her talent for details of everyday life were wonderful..."taking a bath every 3 weeks, combing nits out of your hair."

Gross! I could just sell the vomit and crap whose smells forced the court to move on. Everything written was factual as far as is known, I think the relationship with Robin Dudley was a bit over exaggerated, but the rest seemed well researched. Her adoration for her father was so childlike, even though she knew he had her mother killed. I liked that the author has Elizabeth visit her mother's grave and learn all the details of the beheading. A really good line was when Elizabeth says that if the sun doesn't go around the earth then England isn't the center of the universe, then her father might be upset. Wonderful! This book is written for a young female adult but I learned plenty. Can't wait to start the other two "diaries" I picked up as well.

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LibraryThing member hgcslibrary

In a series fo diary entries, Princess Elizabeth, the eleven year old daughter of Henry VIII,celebrates holidays and birthdays, relives her mother's execution, revels in her studies, and agonizes over her father's health.

LibraryThing member megjwal

The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor by Kathryn Lasky

This historical fiction story is about Queen Elizabeth I. This fictional diary depicts what Elizabeth’s pre teen and early teenage thoughts were about her life and family. Elizabeth fears of her father beheading her

because he beheaded her mother. King Henry IIIV a man that cannot keep on woman for long and had no use for another daughter. Elizabeth believes she may someday become Queen even though her father has a desire for a male heir. Will it happen and if it does how will she rule?

I love this story because it gives insight into what Elizabeth might have thought being a young lady. I must say I do not envy the danger she was in at times for being heir to the throne. I wonder what I would have done if I was in her shoes.

I would use this book with 2nd through 6th grade students. I would use this to discuss some of Europe’s most promonient monarchies. I would recommend this book to the student’s assigned with getting some insight into who Elizabeth I was.

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LibraryThing member frozenplums

I'm not really one for stories told through diary entries - I feel like they tend to be very childishly written (perhaps unsurprisingly) - but this was a very good book. This is the book that began my unhealthy obsession with Tudor history. I find history in general fascinating, but the Tudors are

like a modern day soap opera - it's spectacular.

A truly entertaining read!

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LibraryThing member Beammey

I really enjoyed this book! It was interesting to see Elizabeth's view on things, on her family, on her country, what was going on at the time. England was a crazy place. And I knew a bit about the Elizabethan era, but this just explained so much more, even if it was a work of fiction. Very well

done. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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LibraryThing member librisissimo

Suitable for the target demographic (teen girls). Although, so far as I can tell, the historical events are accurate, and the author has not taken a noticeably anachronistic viewpoint, nonetheless this is a fictional work that attempts to tell Elizabeth's story in the first person, which

necessarily involves supposition and interpolation of knowledge she might not have had at the time.
I am not a fan of "diary novels", as too much outside information is lost or improbably shoe-horned in, but this one is okay.

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LibraryThing member oddandbookish

This was a reread for me. I believe I originally read this book sometime during middle school and I remembered that I really liked it. I read a bunch of the Dear America and Royal Diaries books but I would always get them from my school library. Now I’m going to try to buy the ones I liked so I

can relive my childhood.

Reading this now as an adult is such a different experience, but I still enjoyed it.

The author did an amazing job imagining what a young Elizabeth I would be like. There was a nice blend of innocence and tragedy to her character.

I also really liked the little tidbits about life at court, like how often they took baths (spoiler alert: it’s not very often).

Overall, this is a great middle grade book for kids who want to learn more about Elizabeth I.

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LibraryThing member justagirlwithabook

I don't remember much of these books as individual books, but I remember reading them all as a young, avid reader. I think that ultimately these books are the reason why I love historical fiction novels so much. They all did such a great job of taking me to a different time and place and making it

come alive, seeing the world through an older, historical lens. I highly recommend any of the Dear America books to younger readers who love history and need to get hooked on reading!

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