Elizabeth I:  The Voice of a Monarch
Queenship and Power Series

Palgrave MacMillian

by Ilona Bell

207 pages

Bell demonstrated the attitudes Queen Elizabeth I held toward marriage and her power through the use of the Parliamentary Speeches (most notable of 1566) and her continued dealings with suitors, Courtiers and Counselors.  Usually considered a life-long attitude, Bell placed Elizabeth arguments for not claiming that she would rule as a virgin in the 1580s rather than earlier. 

Elizabeth’s effect on culture was vast and touched upon the visual and literary arts.  Taking advantage of her Classical and extensive education, Elizabeth was able to send messages clearly and to a wide audience while simultaneously being ambiguous and private when she etched messages on glass or buried others within printed pages.  Bell’s discussion and analysis of the “Woodstock” stanzas was in-depth and enthralling. Elizabeth’s childhood, fraught with danger and intrigue, taught her how to use evasive and obtrusive language and by covering several examples extensively, Bell gives the reader valuable insight into the works of Queen Elizbeth I.

Except for some repetitive arguments and statements this is a stellar resource.