The Men Who Would Be King

For more than half a century, Elizabeth I was pursued by kings, princes, and nobles from across Europe. During the marriage negotiations, romance blended with diplomacy as suitor after suitor endeavored to ally himself with her in the most intimate of treaties. Yet not one of these illustrious rivals managed to secure his quarry. Even Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester-the most persistent of all the suitors to the queen-never won her, though he was dearly loved by Elizabeth all her life.

Josephine Ross studied English at London University. Upon graduating, she worked for Vogue magazine before being commissioned to write her first book. Since then, she has written television drama scripts and a number of histories and biographies, including The Tudors and The Monarchy of Britain. She lives in London with her husband, the historian James Chambers.