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

~ (Author) "I am a forgotten Princess..." (more)
Key Phrases: dear diary, rabbit pie, Princess Mary, Master Grindal, John Ashley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Do you know who I am? I shall tell you. I am Elizabeth, Princess of England, daughter of Henry VIII and his wife Anne Boleyn. I am eleven years old. My mother, once Queen, is now dead. Almost eight years ago, when I was not yet three, Father chopped off her head."

Daughter of a fallen queen, young Princess Elizabeth lives a complicated and dangerous life. She fears her father's famous temper but loves him dearly, noting that she would trade all her jewels just to be noticed by him. She also loves her brother Edward, heir to the English throne, but doesn't like her older sister Mary, who torments her and conspires against her. Kat, her governess, is so worried for Elizabeth's life that she spends hours checking their room for poison whenever they move to a new palace. Court intrigues swirl around her, the French are threatening an invasion, and Kat is clamoring for her to have another bath--that makes nearly six in three months! Through Elizabeth's diary, author Kathryn Lasky brings the Tudor world to life: glittering banquets of peacock, eel, and swan; palaces so stinky that "everyone goes about with their noses buried in pomander balls to hide the stench"; archery contests, where Elizabeth excels; and Latin and logic lessons... where she needs a little work. Some of the history is slightly flawed (a misplaced date or two), but readers will enjoy the great detail as they learn about the childhood of one of England's greatest monarchs. An epilogue, with Tudor family trees, paintings, and background information enhances this already excellent and entertaining book. (Ages 10 and older) --Sunny Delaney

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-This book, one of a new series of fictional diaries focusing on royalty, tells the story of Elizabeth I of England. Lasky's account starts when Elizabeth is 10 and ends almost 3 years later after her father, King Henry VIII, dies. The author provides a clear portrait of upper-class life in 16th-century England-the filthy living conditions, games and recreations, holidays, food, and education. Oddly, there is little mention of clothing. Her study of the young princess focuses on Elizabeth's frequent loneliness and her desperate desire for her father's attention. Readers will enjoy the family intrigues but also will identify with Elizabeth's surprisingly modern doubts and concerns. The book concludes with a family tree, black-and-white portraits, and a historical note; this, however, never mentions what happened to Lady Jane Grey and Robin Dudley, key characters in the story. Unfortunately, the history in the novel itself is not always accurate, and Elizabeth's voice veers inconsistently from contemporary to old-fashioned. Still, it's enjoyable light reading.
Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; 1st Printing edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590684841
• ISBN-13: 978-0590684842
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (137 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,838 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #2 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( L ) > Lasky, Kathryn
  #3 in	Books > Children's Books > Series > Historical > The Royal Diaries
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• This item is part of The Royal Diaries Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elizabeth I : Red Rose of the House of Tudor, November 4, 2000

By	"ssjoshi101" (IL) - See all my reviews

I read this book over and over without once tiring of it. The diary of Elizabeth I, who is possibly England's most famous queen, provides an interesting insight into eleven-year-old Elizabeth's life as a "forgotten princess." She has many needs, and the greatest one is a need for her father's love. Her father is Henry VIII, the English king notorious for having six wives, whom he either beheaded or divorced in succession (with the exception of the last wife, Catherine Parr, who outlived him). Elizabeth calls herself a "forgotten princess" because her father's love for her does not manifest itself as clearly as his affection for Edward, her younger brother, or Mary (later known as the infamous Bloody Mary), her pious older sister. Though her diary mainly centers around her quest for her father's love, there are hundreds of other intriguing details about life in medieval England. There is Elizabeth's determination not to marry after seeing the ultimate fates of each of her stepmothers in succession. Her own mother, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded after being accused of infidelity and witchcraft (neither accusation was true). Elizabeth was only a toddler at the time, so she never knew her mother. She does, however, respect and like stepmother Catherine Parr as she would a mother. Mary is also a major character in the book. A strict Catholic, Mary's religion is directly at variance with the Protestantism of much of England. Mary could be described as pious. Insane is more apt. Mary delights in telling Elizabeth depressing, cruel, and gruesome details about Elizabeth's birth and Anne Boleyn's beheading. Even Mary's jester agrees with Elizabeth that Mary isn't "quite right in the head." Edward, however, is a very devoted younger brother to Elizabeth, although he is not in the best of health. Edward, who is a slightly overweight boy, is constantly criticized by his grotesquely obese father for being inactive and for tiring easily. I awarded this book five stars because I think it accurately portrayed every infinitesimal detail of Elizabeth's life and surroundings, as well as being historically correct (unlike some of the other books in this series).

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The little known Elizabeth - a young girl., November 28, 1999

By A Customer

Red Rose of the House of Tudor is quite a strong name for a book, but Kathy Lasky's book lived up to it's name. It is a diary of Elizabeth the First, following her for three years of her life, from the beginning in which she is in humiliated exile to the last entry where she is just on the brink of gaining power. Lasky gives her Elizabeth personality and spirit, an Elizabeth only hinted at in the history books. Not only does Lasky give information and insight on Elizabeth, but she

introduces us to a well researched royal court, that not only swirls with intrigue, balls and feasts, but an awful lot of garbage and filth, so common to medieval England. It was obvious throughout the book that Lasky had spent months of research on this well-written novel. Red Rose of the House of Tudor is a book that the lovers of history and of tales of royalty will be both entertained and enriched by.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Review of Red Rose of the House of Tudor, January 23, 2000

By	Maggie Skinner (Chatham, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

"I am a forgotten princess." So begins the diary of Elizabeth, Princess of England. She writes in her journal about her life as a daughter of royalty. From her observant eyes, you see a world that you never imagined before, the world of king's daughter in the sixteenth century. She writes in her diary about her late mother, her father and four stepmothers. She also has entries about her god-fearing sister, sickly brother and her friends and enemies in the court. This book was written by Katherine Lasky in 1999 and is done so well, you feel like you are there with Elizabeth, seeing and doing everything that she does. This is an easily read diary, but you must enjoy historical fiction to want to pick it up after you put it down. Elizabeth tells of her suspicions towards certain people, one of which is a family member. She writes of how badly she wants to be queen, and how frightened she is of her diary being discovered and interpreted as treason. She also tells of how her father often banishes her so he can 'forget' his daughter for awhile. This banishment is why she writes of being a forgotten princess. Through it all, Elizabeth manages to have fun with friends and family and is able to find ways to step from the shadows and prove that she is the rightful heir to the crown. All in all, I think this is a great book for people to learn what it was like to be a daughter of royalty in 1544.