The Virgin Elizabeth | 
pickAlthough I don‘t agree with all of Maxwell‘s ideas presented, it is a good story. I wish we had more history from this part of Elizabeth‘s life.
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pickAlthough I don‘t agree with all of Maxwell‘s ideas presented, it is a good story. I wish we had more history from this part of Elizabeth‘s life.
I think an attempted rape could have occurred by Thomas Seymour, but I think it occurred when Catherine Parr was still alive. I don‘t think Thomas tried anything with Elizabeth after her death except marrying her. I still believe it was a set up, but anything sexual that occurred happened in Cantherine‘s house as opposed to after Elizabeth moved out.
I have a problem with this version. I don‘t think Elizabeth was as naïve as Maxwell makes her. Could she have been flattered by Seymour‘s attention in the beginning? Yes, but I think she soon realized something was very wrong. I don‘t think she was ever in love with the man, even when there were talks of the two getting married. There‘s a reason she woke up and got dressed early, not because she felt bad for Catherine but to protect herself.
The fact that Catherine thought one day they could laugh about everything shows she still hadn‘t fully grasped what has happened. I think at this point, she knows it‘s all Thomas‘ fault, but a part of her heart still forgives him. She‘s still willing to brush it off as a joke when the reality is it‘s a lot more serious.
A part of me wonders if Elizabeth wasn‘t set up by Thomas and Catherine in the end or Catherine and Elizabeth weren‘t set up by Thomas. No matter what happened where, I find it odd that Catherine just happened to walk in right at that time. It almost feels like Thomas set it up that way, and it could be possible asked Catherine to meet him at a certain place where she found him with Elizabeth.
I‘m annoyed that Robin Maxwell rewrote Elizabeth and Thomas‘ relationship from what she wrote in The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn. She wrote in that book that Elizabeth flat out rejected Thomas in the schoolhouse knowing he was only after the crown. She also wrote Catherine found Elizabeth and Thomas together there instead of kissing down by the boathouse.
In a way, Thomas Seymour reminds me of a cult leader. Everyone who should have protected Elizabeth seemed to have cowered under the charisma of Seymour. He had the ability to change everyone‘s minds, mess with the emotions of the teenage Elizabeth, and drive Catherine into hysteria.
This book has been very hard for me to read because of Thomas Seymour‘s abuse of both Catherine Parr and Elizabeth I. Although I‘ve never been physically or sexually abused, I‘ve been emotionally abused, and for that reason, I definitely can see what is happening and feel for both Catherine and Elizabeth.
