1564: Devon sailor Francis Drake sets out on a journey of adventure.
​
Drake learns of routes used to transport Spanish silver and gold, and risks his life in an audacious plan to steal a fortune.
​
Queen Elizabeth is intrigued by Drake and secretly encourages his piracy. Her unlikely champion becomes a national hero, sailing around the world in the Golden Hind and attacking the Spanish fleet.
​
King Philip of Spain has enough of Drake’s plunder and orders an armada to threaten the future of England.
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, is one of the most intriguing men of the Elizabethan period. Tall and handsome, he soon becomes a ‘favourite’ at court, so close to the queen many wonder if they are lovers.
The truth is far more complex, as each has what the other yearns for. Robert Devereux longs for recognition, wealth and influence. His flamboyant naïveté amuses the ageing Queen Elizabeth, like the son she never had, and his vitality makes her feel young.
​
Based on extensive research, original letters and records of the Elizabethan Court, this new account explores the life of Tudor adventurer, courtier, explorer and poet, Sir Walter Raleigh, who has been called the last true Elizabethan.
He didn’t dance or joust, didn’t come from a noble family, or marry into one. So how did an impoverished law student become a favourite of the queen, and Captain of the Guard?
The story which began with the Tudor trilogy follows Walter Raleigh from his first days at the Elizabethan Court to the end of
the Tudor dynasty.
Frances Walsingham is the only surviving child of Queen Elizabeth’s ‘spymaster’ Sir Francis Walsingham. Better educated than most men, her father arranges her marriage to warrior poet Sir Philip Sidney. After Philip is killed in battle, Frances becomes Countess of Essex, and is banished from court after her husband Sir Robert Devereaux’s rebellion against the queen. Can she marry for love, if it means turning her back on her faith and all she knows?
​
“A thrilling portrait of a remarkable woman who witnessed the key events of Elizabethan England.”
A Life of Love and Scandal
Lady Penelope Rich is one of the most beautiful and sought-after women in
Elizabethan England. The daughter of the Earl of Essex, she is married to the wealthy Baron Robert Rich. Penelope's life is full of love and scandal. The inspiration for Sir Philip Sidney’s sonnet Astrophel and Stella, she is involved in the Essex Rebellion.
A complex and fascinating woman, her life is a story of love, betrayal, and tragedy.
​
“This is the story of a woman who lived life on her own terms, and it is a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.”
