The queen's bed : an intimate history of Elizabeth's court

From the private world of a beloved queen, a story of intimacy, espionage, rumor, and subterfuge Queen Elizabeth I acceded to the throne in 1558, restoring the Protestant faith to England. At the heart of the new queen’s court lay her bedchamber, closely guarded by the favored women who helped her dress, looked after her jewels, and shared her bed. Elizabeth’s private life was of public concern. Her bedfellows were witnesses to the face and body beneath the makeup and raiment, as well as to rumored dalliances with such figures as Earl Robert Dudley. Their presence was for security as well as propriety, as the kingdom was haunted by fears of assassination plots and other Catholic stratagems. Such was the significance of the queen’s body: it represented the very state itself. In __The Queen’s Bed__, the historian Anna Whitelock offers a revealing look at the Elizabethan court and the politics of intimacy. She dramatically reconstructs, for the first time, the queen’s quarters and the women who patrolled them. It is a story of sex, gossip, conspiracy, and intrigue brought to life amid the colors, textures, smells, and routines of the court. The women who attended the queen held the truth about her health, chastity, and fertility. They were her friends, confidantes, and spies—nobody knew her better. And until now, historians have overlooked them. __The Queen’s Bed__ is a revelatory, insightful look into their daily lives—the untold story of the queen laid bare. An Elizabethan expert describes the court of Queen Elizabeth I, painting a vivid picture of the gossip, conspiracy, intrigue, and romantic dalliances that surrounded the monarch and the daily lives of the women that attended her. Queen Elizabeth I acceded to the throne in 1558, restoring the Protestant faith to England. At the heart of the new queen's court lay her bedchamber, closely guarded by the favored women who helped her dress, looked after her jewels, and shared her bed. Her bedfellows were witnesses to the face and body beneath the makeup and raiment, as well as to rumored dalliances with such figures as Earl Robert Dudley. Their presence was for security as well as propriety, as the kingdom was haunted by fears of assassination plots and other Catholic stratagems. Historian Anna Whitelock offers a revealing look at the Elizabethan court and the politics of intimacy. She dramatically reconstructs, for the first time, the queen's quarters and the women who patrolled them. These women were her friends, confidantes, and spies--nobody knew her better. And until now, historians have overlooked them. This is a revelatory, insightful look into their daily lives--the untold story of the queen laid bare.--From publisher description. Shameful slanders -- The Queen's two bodies -- The Queen is dead, long live the Queen -- Familia Reginae -- Not a morning person -- Womanish infirmity -- Disreputable rumours -- Ruin of the realm -- Carnal copulation -- Arcana Imperii -- Smallpox -- Devouring lions -- Ménage à trois -- Visitor to the bedchamber -- Sour and noisome -- Untouched and unimpaired -- Greatly grieved -- Suspicious mind -- The elixir of life -- Barren stock -- Wicked intentions -- Secret enemies -- Want of posterity -- Compass her death -- Beside her bed -- Lewd fantasy -- Blows and evil words -- Kenilworth -- Badness of belief -- Toothache -- Amorous potions -- Froggie went a-courtin' -- Semper Eadem -- The die is cast -- The enemy sleeps not -- In defence of the Queen's body -- Agent provocateur? -- Unseemly familiarities -- Especial favour -- The deed shall be done -- Blow up the bed -- Nightmares -- Secret son? -- Satan's instruments -- Barricaded from within -- Suspected and discontented persons -- Age and decay -- Abused her body -- The physician's poison -- Love and self-love -- Privy matters -- Foolish and old -- Mask of youth -- The poisoned pommel -- Crooked carcass -- Lèse majesté -- Dangerous and malicious ends -- No season to fool -- Age itself is a sickness -- All are in a dump at court -- Deathbed -- Regina Intacta -- The Queen's effigy -- Secret histories. Anna Whitelock. Originally published in 2013 by Bloomsbury Publishing, Great Britain, as Elizabeth's Bedfellows: An Intimate History of the Queen's Court--T.p. verso. Includes bibliographical references (pages 415-441) and index.

From the private world of a beloved English queen, a story of intimacy, royalty, espionage, rumor, and subterfuge


Queen Elizabeth I acceded to the throne in 1558, restoring the Protestant faith to England. At the heart of the new queen's court lay her bedchamber, closely guarded by the favored women who helped her dress, looked after her jewels, and shared her bed.
Elizabeth's private life was of public concern. Her bedfellows were witnesses to the face and body beneath the makeup and raiment, as well as to rumored dalliances with such figures as Earl Robert Dudley. Their presence was for security as well as propriety, as the kingdom was haunted by fears of assassination plots and other Catholic stratagems. Such was the significance of the queen's body: it represented the very British state itself.
In The Queen's Bed, the historian Anna Whitelock offers a revealing look at the Elizabethan court and the politics of intimacy. She dramatically reconstructs, for the first time, the queen's quarters and the women who patrolled them. It is a story of sex, gossip, conspiracy, and intrigue brought to life amid the colors, textures, smells, and routines of the royal court.
The women who attended the queen held the truth about her health, chastity, and fertility. They were her friends, confidantes, and spies—nobody knew her better. And until now, historians have overlooked them. The Queen's Bed is a revelatory, insightful look into their daily lives—the untold story of the queen laid bare.

From the private world of a beloved queen, a story of intimacy, espionage, rumor, and subterfuge Queen Elizabeth I acceded to the throne in 1558, restoring the Protestant faith to England. At the heart of the new queen’s court lay her bedchamber, closely guarded by the favored women who helped her dress, looked after her jewels, and shared her bed. Elizabeth’s private life was of public concern. Her bedfellows were witnesses to the face and body beneath the makeup and raiment, as well as to rumored dalliances with such figures as Earl Robert Dudley. Their presence was for security as well as propriety, as the kingdom was haunted by fears of assassination plots and other Catholic stratagems. Such was the significance of the queen’s body: it represented the very state itself. In The Queen’s Bed , the historian Anna Whitelock offers a revealing look at the Elizabethan court and the politics of intimacy. She dramatically reconstructs, for the first time, the queen’s quarters and the women who patrolled them. It is a story of sex, gossip, conspiracy, and intrigue brought to life amid the colors, textures, smells, and routines of the court. The women who attended the queen held the truth about her health, chastity, and fertility. They were her friends, confidantes, and spies—nobody knew her better. And until now, historians have overlooked them. The Queen’s Bed is a revelatory, insightful look into their daily lives—the untold story of the queen laid bare. ** History,Non-Fiction,Biography From the private world of a beloved English queen, a story of intimacy, royalty, espionage, rumor, and subterfuge Queen Elizabeth I acceded to the throne in 1558, restoring the Protestant faith to England. At the heart of the new queen's court lay her bedchamber, closely guarded by the favored women who helped her dress, looked after her jewels, and shared her bed. Elizabeth's private life was of public concern. Her bedfellows were witnesses to the face and body beneath the makeup and raiment, as well as to rumored dalliances with such figures as Earl Robert Dudley. Their presence was for security as well as propriety, as the kingdom was haunted by fears of assassination plots and other Catholic stratagems. Such was the significance of the queen's body: it represented the very British state itself. In The Queen's Bed , the historian Anna Whitelock offers a revealing look at the Elizabethan court and the politics of intimacy. She dramatically reconstructs, for the first time, the queen's quarters and the women who patrolled them. It is a story of sex, gossip, conspiracy, and intrigue brought to life amid the colors, textures, smells, and routines of the royal court. The women who attended the queen held the truth about her health, chastity, and fertility. They were her friends, confidantes, and spies—nobody knew her better. And until now, historians have overlooked them. The Queen's Bed is a revelatory, insightful look into their daily lives—the untold story of the queen laid bare. Elizabeth I acceded to the throne in 1558, restoring the Protestant faith to England. At the heart of the new queens court lay Elizabeths bedchamber, closely guarded by the favoured women who helped her dress, looked after her jewels and shared her bed. Elizabeths private life was of public, political concern. Her bedfellows were witnesses to the face and body beneath the make-up and elaborate clothes, as well as to rumoured illicit dalliances with such figures as Robert Dudley. Their presence was for security as well as propriety, as the kingdom was haunted by fears of assassination plots and other Catholic subterfuge. For such was the significance of the queens body: it represented the very state itself. This riveting, revealing history of the politics of intimacy uncovers the feminized world of the Elizabethan court. Between the scandal and intrigue the women who attended the queen were the guardians of the truth about her health, chastity and fertility. Their stories offer extraordinary insight into the daily life of the Elizabethans, the fragility of royal favour and the price of disloyalty.