Estelle Paranque sifts through hundreds of French letters and ambassadorial reports to construct a fuller picture of early modern Anglo-French relations, highlighting key events such as the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, the imprisonment and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the victory of England over the Spanish Armada in 1588.

1. Introduction: In Valois Eyes.- 2. "her so evil and dangerous will": Long Live the Queen and Diplomatic Games, 1558–1565.- 3. "a rock": Between Peace and Conflict—An Intriguing Queen, 1568–1570.- 4. “a germayne sister”: The Impact of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre’s on Representations of Queen Elizabeth—August 1572–June 1574.- 5. "he will have the honor to marry her this time": Last Chance to Marry the "Frog," 1579–1581.- 6. "declared herself as our enemy": Crisis, Confrontation, and Secret Correspondence, 1584–1588.

This book examines the first thirty years of Elizabeth I’s reign from the perspective of the Valois kings, Charles IX and Henri III of France. Estelle Paranque sifts through hundreds of French letters and ambassadorial reports to construct a fuller picture of early modern Anglo-French relations, highlighting key events such as the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, the imprisonment and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the victory of England over the Spanish Armada in 1588. By drawing on a wealth of French sources, she illuminates the French royal family’s shifting perceptions of Elizabeth I and suggests new conclusions about her reign.

“Drawing on a treasure trove of manuscripts that have never before been translated or published, this massively researched book offers a valuable new perspective on the first thirty years of Elizabeth I’s reign. Even readers thoroughly familiar with her reign will be jolted into fresh perceptions by re-encountering the story from the French point of view.” (Ilona Bell, Clarke Professor of English Emerita, Williams College, USA) “In this fascinating study, Estelle Paranque has examined thousands of letters between the French ambassadors to England and their royal masters—many little known to English scholars and translated here—to provide a wealth of new insight into how Elizabeth I was represented among foreign observers, while also allowing us to hear her own thoughts in reported speech. The picture that emerges is of a very different Elizabeth I than the one with which we’re familiar. This sparkling new work gives us what historians long for: a fresh perspective on one of England’s best-loved queens.” (Suzannah Lipscomb, Reader in Early Modern History, University of Roehampton, UK)

Offers the first full-length study of French royal representations of Elizabeth I Draws upon hundreds of newly translated and published documents Appeals to students and scholars of early modern Europe, Elizabethan history, early modern diplomatic relations, and Anglo-French relations

GPSR Compliance The European Union's (EU) General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is a set of rules that requires consumer products to be safe and our obligations to ensure this. If you have any concerns about our products you can contact us on ProductSafety@springernature.com. In case Publisher is established outside the EU, the EU authorized representative is: Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbH Europaplatz 3 69115 Heidelberg, Germany ProductSafety@springernature.com