Good Queen Bess

HANK: You all have had this experience, I bet. When someone tells you their book idea–and you swoon. You think, in all caps in your mind: THAT IS SUCH A BRILLIANT IDEA!

Followed quickly by: why didn't I think of that?

Followed quickly by: I never would have thought of that.

And that is exactly how I felt when I heard about Queen Bess–a time-travel tale where Queen Elizabeth I is time-traveled to the present, and, as Elizabeth Rex, runs for the highest office in the land. So what if Queen Elizabeth I has never heard of electricity, Netflix, or Uber?

I know. Genius. 

And here is the author to tell us more. (And! A copy of QUEEN BESS to one lucky commenter!)

My Heart Belongs to Elizabeth Tudor

By Maria Vetrano

I have to confess. I’m a Tudor geek, particularly when it comes to Elizabeth Tudor, the English queen who managed to hold onto her crown despite the multitude of threats leveled against her.

Born the Heir Presumptive to the throne of England in 1533, Elizabeth Tudor proved she was a woman of strength, stamina, and sway. From the start, her life was precarious and dangerous, but also filled with signs of promise and predestination.

Reared in a cauldron of fear and suspicion, Elizabeth spent the years of her childhood and early adulthood at the mercy of those in power—her father, King Henry VIII, and her sister, Mary Tudor. Elizabeth’s father had her mother, Anne Boleyn, beheaded on trumped-up charges of adultery. And her own sister, Queen Mary, imprisoned her in the Tower of London on suspicion of treason when Elizabeth was just twenty-one.

Although it looked like Elizabeth was a doomed princess slated to be executed for her place in the succession, or for her religious beliefs, instead, she overcame all the odds and became the Queen of England.

Elizabeth’s reign lasted for forty-five years, from 1558-1603. Under her governance, England became a European power, the arts thrived, literacy improved, and the country was seldom at war. She was a capable leader who not only survived the dangers of her childhood, but multiple assassination attempts, including a papal edict authorizing her execution.

Having loved Elizabeth Tudor since I was seven years’ old—when I first watched the late Glenda Jackson portray her in Masterpiece Theatre’s wonderful miniseries, Elizabeth R—I think of Elizabeth often as I watch today’s political campaigns. 

Even modern politicians could take a few pointers from Elizabeth’s playbook:

·  Connect with your constituents—Each spring or summer Elizabeth would travel on “royal progress,” a type of official procession that would take her from one of her royal places in the London area to the countryside estate of a favored courtier. Though Elizabeth hardly traveled alone—she was joined by an entourage of advisors, courtiers, and servants—she made a point of meeting with her subjects. Instead of keeping them at a distance, she might take refreshment with them or stop to admire pageants staged for her enjoyment. During a period when most European monarchs kept their distance from the commonfolk, Elizabeth embraced them.

·  Patronize the art of drag—As someone who was already familiar with boys playing the female roles in plays, Elizabeth would have no issue with men dressing as women. And as a queen who had 2,000 resplendent gowns in her collection, she would appreciate the ornate attire of the performers themselves. A longtime patron of the arts, Elizabeth would celebrate this unique art form.

·  Oppose price gouging—It infuriated Elizabeth to learn of merchants who hoarded grain to inflate prices. To counter such malefactors, Elizabeth instructed her government to control the price of grain. She also opened government-monitored grain stores to her subjects in times of poor harvest in order to prevent famine.

Elizabeth ruled over four centuries ago. Can you believe it? And, remarkably, some of the tactics she employed during the sixteenth century are still applicable to good governance today.  

HANK: SO great!

And people love swag, too, no matter when, right, Maria? And you have some great swag. Tell us in the comments!

And Reds and Readers, you know how much I love time travel stories. So-- say time travel works.  What real life character would you like to go back and visit? 

 

About QUEEN BESS: A Tudor Comes to Save America

Self-made billionaire Dakota Wynfred will stop at nothing to prevent the reelection of a fictional US president who’s (among other things) targeting her cybersecurity company. And that includes finding a champion who can defeat him.

But it won't be easy because Dakota's champion of choice—though brilliant, politically savvy, charming, and tough enough to survive multiple assassination attempts—happens to have been dead for over 400 years.

So what if Queen Elizabeth I has never heard of electricity, Netflix, or Uber?

Dakota's team of experts travel back in time to convince Elizabeth to leap more than four centuries into the future to embark on a quest to become the greatest woman ruler in history...again.

Learn more about QUEEN BESS: https://www.queen-bess.com/

Maria Vetrano is the author of the new novel, QUEEN BESS: A Tudor Comes to Save America (Regalo Press, publisher; Simon & Schuster, distributor).

Maria lives with her family in Massachusetts. When she’s not writing, Maria is principal of Vetrano Communications, the technology-focused PR and marketing firm that she founded in 2004. She is a graduate of Colgate University with a B.A. in English Literature.