The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase

Tucked away in the country estate of her beloved father, Lord Calverley, young Nell de Lacey feeds her hungry mind with philosophy, language, and studies of science. Her mother, once a devoted lady-in-waiting to Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr, would rather her daughter stop dabbling in the grand affairs of men and instead prepare for her eventual duties as a wife. She knows all too well what menace lurks in royal courts.

But Nell’s heart yearns for something more, and a chance meeting with Princess Elizabeth, then a prisoner of the Tower of London, pushes her closer toward finding it. Now, years later, Nell’s chance arrives when she is summoned to serve as a lady-in-waiting to the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth. Nell is entranced by the splendor and pageantry of royal life, unaware of the danger and deception that swirls around the monarch and her courtiers.

But a lingering rumor about nine unaccounted for months in the Virgin Queen’s past reignites when the flame-haired Nell—a mirror image of Her Majesty both physically and intellectually—arrives at court. Quickly she catches the eye not only of the cunning Elizabeth, but of those who would see the queen fail. With strong evidence to connect Elizabeth to her newest maid of honor and the politics of England in turmoil, the truth could send Nell and those she loves to the Tower to join in the wretched fates of those who’ve gone before her.

Engrossing and enlightening, The Virgin Queen’s Daughter brings to life one of the greatest mysteries of one of the greatest monarchs. Ella March Chase’s vivid storytelling gives due credence to a daughter who might have been and a mother who never was.

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What if Queen Elizabeth 1 really was as unvirginal as some claim and had a secret child? That's the premise behind this fresh and original debut novel by Ella March Chase which came out in 2008. The story follows Nell de Lacey, a young noble woman raised in the country who becomes a lady in waiting to the newly crowned queen. Having been fed lessons philosophy, language and science as a child, her intellect and close resemblance to Elizabeth draws to her the attention of not only the queen, but her enemies. Rumors of 9 missing months years before don't help, and it all comes to a head as the truth about the queen's past (and Nell's) makes it's way to the monarch herself, and Nell awaits her fate in the infamous Tower of London. Well written, thought provoking and breezy read, I read this sooner than I thought and am eagerly awaiting her new novel which comes out August 2. The depictions of the pageantry & intrigues of court life is also well presented. Fans of the Elizabethan era should definitely read this! 4 out of 5 stars