Most people familiar with the Tudors will know that Elizabeth was in love with Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, her whole life and died with his last letter close. Most will also know that Anne Boleyn was her mother, and it was her cousin, Lettice Knollys, the daughter of Anne Boleyn's niece, who 'stole' married this great love of hers. I've always been endeared by Elizabeth's forbidden love with Leicester and so by proxy, was never a fan of the star of this book -- no other than Lettice Knollys. Robert Dudley had his eye on the crown for years, but even when his wife died and he was free to marry Elizabeth, for the security of her throne and the peace of her realm, she had to spurn him and broke her own heart in doing so. It was Lettice, essentially a younger version of Elizabeth with the same dark eyes and red hair, who he found solace in, and it was Lettice who he married in secret when it became clear that Elizabeth would not. The queen forgave him but she never did, her Boleyn cousin. In the background of the main story of romance, jealousy, ambition and fruitless seduction are the politics of Elizabeth's reign unto nearly her death, a couple of years after she had to order the execution of Robert Dudley's son, a favorite who she adored like something between son and lover."My Enemy, the Queen" is thrilling and suspenseful in a way no other Tudor novel is. It explores an uncharted topic -- the rivalry between Elizabeth and her beautiful Boleyn cousin -- but also a romance and a historical profile (Lettice Knollys) that novelists favoring Elizabeth I so love to malign. While highly enjoyable and highly recommended, "My Enemy the Queen" had its faults, including an awkward lovemaking scene which made very little sense to me -- falling into a closet that is conveniently in the ballroom, really? -- and a poor ending for Robert and Lettice. While these two share enjoyable romantic moments, he is portrayed as (spoiler) trying to poison Lettice, holding true to propaganda of his day which was, well, plainly propaganda -- lies. That was disappointing. He is also portrayed as, for the most part, pursuing Lettice as a second choice, when, as much as I hate to admit it, it is likely that he felt some affection for her given that he risked his royal favor to marry a woman Elizabeth was notorious for disliking."My Enemy" was one of Victoria Holt's (aka Jean Plaidy) last novels, and was a great way to close out a brilliant career. The writing style is a bit more modern, different in that sense from a lot of her older pieces, but in exploring psychological factors and building dramatic and full-blooded plot, she holds true to her usual style, which is timeless genius.
Lettice Devereaux tells the tragic story of Elizabeth I and her love for two men - the Earl of Leicester and the Earl of Essex. One must move past the persona Lettice projects to see the essence of this tale. Lettice's life revolves around court and the Queen who is her cousin. A vain woman who prides herself in her beauty, she falls in love with the queen's favorite, the Earl of Leicester, a womanizing and most ambitious man. He is handsome, charismatic, and devilishly capable of extracting himself from the queen's anger. The queen loves him madly but she loves England more and cannot bear to share her crown with anyone, let alone the Earl of Leicester whose ambition is to become king. Elizabeth adores her people and is, in turn, adored by them. Whenever she goes on progress she stops to talk with them. However, she expects those at court to dance to her smallest whim. Lettice plots to ensnare the Earl and finally marries him in spite of his colorful reputation and the queen's love. For this, the queen abolishes her from court while keeping the Earl by her side. As the Earl ages, he decides to bring Lettice's son, the Earl of Essex, to court. When Leicester dies, the Earl of Essex becomes the queen's favorite but he lacks the maturity and political acumen of Leicester which lead to his downfall. Quotes at the beginning of each chapter give the reader a capsule of what is to occur within. I truly enjoyed this book once I was able to put aside the personality of Lettice who outlives most of the key characters. If you like historical fiction you will enjoy My Enemy the Queen as much as I did.
Do You like book My Enemy, The Queen (1981)?
Told in the 1st person with so much feeling and verisimilitude, I kept forgetting it was a novel I was reading, not actual history although it was well-researched and historically correct. Queen Elizabeth loved two men: the Earl of Leicester and later the Earl of Essex. Leicester married Lettice, a Bolyn cousin of the Queen; it is her story. She was also the mother by a previous marriage of the boy who became Earl of Essex. This love triange with Elizabeth, Lettice and the men they loved is the theme of the book.
—Salsadancer
The court of Elizabeth I from another viewpoint. Interesting read, I was fascinated to learn more about Lettice Knowles. From previous books I have read about the period, I had heard Lettice's name occasionally, and knew there was some speculation about whether or not Henry VIII fathered her mother during his affair with Mary Boleyn. We'll never know. All in all an enjoyable read - not the greatest in the historical fiction genre, but worthwhile to learn more about the secondary players in the times of Elizabeth I.
—Misfit
I had my own struggle to finish this book , I listened to it as an audio book through bus trips on my trip to Korea. I slept in many parts of the story but I didn't miss much because the events were at least once mentioned again and again by Lattice. Many of the characters were shown in a boring and superficial way since it seems that Lattice consider physical appearance as a way to judge people. I hated all men in the story maybe because they were explained by Lattice point of view. All in all one of the books I don't quitely regret listening to it on my bus rides.
—Deena
