“In the last millennium, there have been only six female sovereigns of the British Empire. In this richly compelling narrative of royalty, Maureen Waller delves into the intimate lives of England's queens regnant in delicious detail, assessing their achievements from a female perspective. How to overcome the problem of being a female ruler when the sex was considered inferior? Does a queen take a husband and, if so, how does she reconcile the reversal of the natural order, according to which the man should be the master? A queen's first royal duty is to provide an heir to the throne, but at what cost? Each faced personal sacrifices and emotional dilemmas in her pursuit of political power. Elizabeth I and Victoria each gave their name to an age, presiding over long periods when Britain made significant progress in the growth of empire, prestige, and power. Without Mary II and Anne, the Glorious Revolution of 1688 might not have taken place. With the exception of Mary I, they are among England's most successful monarchs. In the last millennium there have been only six English female sovereigns: Mary I and Elizabeth I, Mary II and Anne, Victoria and Elizabeth II. Maureen Waller has written a fascinating narrative history-a brilliant combination of drama and biographical insight on the British monarchy-of the six women who have ruled England in their own names.
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