Alison Weir is one of Britain’s top-selling historians. She is the author of numerous works of history and historical fiction, specialising in the medieval and Tudor periods. Her bestselling history books include The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth of York and The Lost Tudor Princess. Her novels include Innocent Traitor, Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen and Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession. She is an Honorary Life Patron of Historic Royal Palaces and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She lives and works in Surrey.

"[Weir] gets right inside the head of the Virgin Queen. The reader has a blissful sense of seeing history as it happens." -- Kate Saunders The Times "Politics, historical detail and unfulfilled love in Alison Weir's endlessly fascinating account of Elizabeth I's attempt reconcile her personal passions with public life ... The sheer weight of Weir's scholarship underpins the narrative, making it endlessly fascinating." Sunday Express "The captivating, tempestuous, often hilarious and ultimately poignant story of the extraordinary love affair between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley" Historical Novel Review "With the vogue for Tudor history at its height, this is a brilliant novel that focuses on the volatile relationship with Elizabeth I and the charismatic Lord Dudley." Woman and Home "Based on in-depth knowledge of Elizabeth's court, and the intrigues that swirled around it, the novel has the benefit of both verisimilitude and captivating story-telling." Choice Magazine