The Virgin’s Lover

Written by Philippa Gregory

Narrated by Rupert Penry-Jones

Sumptuous historical novel set in the court of Elizabeth I. By Philippa Gregory, the bestselling author of THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL and THE QUEEN’S FOOL.

Elizabeth I has acceded to the throne of England, a position she has waited and schemed for all her life. She is surrounded by advisers, all convinced that a young woman cannot form political judgements. Elizabeth feels that she can rely on just one man: her oldest friend, Robert Dudley. It is soon plain that he is more than merely a friend.

In a house in the countryside waits a very different woman, Amy Robsart – Robert’s wife. She has no taste for life at court and longs for the day when her husband will return home. She has loved him since she was a girl, but now they are adults she hardly sees him.

Meanwhile, the pressure grows for Elizabeth to marry, for it is unthinkable that a queen should rule on her own. Elizabeth’s preference is clear, but he is unavailable. But what if the unthinkable were to happen…

Philippa Gregory blends passion, personalities and politics in this stunning novel of the Tudor court and a country divided.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 19, 2007
• ISBN: 9780007259915

Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory is an internationally renowned author of historical novels. She holds a PhD in eighteenth-century literature from the University of Edinburgh. Works that have been adapted for television include A Respectable Trade, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool. The Other Boleyn Girl is now a major film, starring Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Eric Bana. Philippa Gregory lives in the North of England with her family.

Reviews for The Virgin’s Lover

[feralchicken · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of the early years of Elizabeth I's reign, focussing on her relationships with her advisors, particularly the very ambitious Robert Dudley. It is told from the various viewpoints of the protagonists, exploring the motivations and emotions of all those involved.This is a wonderful book. I found it completely gripping the whole way through. Usually I find it hard to empathise with characters I don't like and while these all had their flaws they were compelling and engaging; I wanted to know their stories.What I found most interesting was this portrayal of Elizabeth; it depicts a young, malleable and at times, weak, woman. She relies heavily (far too much) on the men around her and has little confidence in her own strength. All I've ever learnt about her in history is how she ruled like a king, so it was intriguing to see her shed in a completely different light. I would love to read Gregory's take on the rest of Elizabeth's life, to learn how she developed as a woman and a monarch.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Even though I started reading this reluctantly, and regretted buying it;Even thought I was almost entirely sure what would happen in the end;Even though I didn't feel any compassion for any character until the final chapter;Even though I haven't wanted to slap someone this much since reading Bridgit Jones's Diary;I still could not put this down.

[tonyasb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have long been interested in the Tudors. Actually, one of my fascinations has been Jane Grey (not a Tudor but close enough). I saw Lady Jane when I was in high school and it has been one of my favorite movies since. I know an awful lot of useless things and one of them is the life of Jane Grey. She was a tragic figure. I read a wonderful book of historical fiction on her life about a year or so ago called Innocent Traitor, by Alison Weir.Anyway, The Virgin's Lover is another book of historical fiction about the romance between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley (not coincidentally, the brother of Jane Grey's husband, their father was terribly ambitious). I really enjoyed this book. I was constantly on the edge of my seat as if I didn't already know what was going to happen! The only criticism I have is that I really didn't like Queen Elizabeth in this book. I've always thought of her as a strong woman who did not need to lean on men to rule. She was painted very differently in this book; fairly weak. Although, she stood up for herself in the end, throughout the book I kept thinking: "Why are you so weak and stupid?"

[jazzdreamer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was an excellent read. Queen Elizabeth is in love with another woman's husband. Robert Dudley married Amy dudkey when they were both young. Robert and Elizabeth have been friends since they were both children.Robert and Elizabeth fall in love but they both know that their love is wrong. Neither can openly admit that they love eachother, however, the whole world seems to already know. When Amy Dudley hears the rumors that her husband is in love with the queen, she tries to ignore them in hopes that they are false. Later in the book, Robert tells her that the rumors are true and he requests that she accept getting a divorce. She however, isn't too keen on the idea. When Amy mysteriously dies, Robert is suspected as the murderer. Robert eventually realizes who is behind this horrible deed..............but can he continue to love the woman who killed his wife? And what becomes of his reputation? To find out, read The Virgin's Lover. You will feel closely connected to the characters and you wont feel like putting the book down.

[karenleefield · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If this is an indication of history, then they were a nasty lot back then. Power hungry. Mean. Self centered. I don't think it's like that today, but then again, maybe I lead a sheltered life.Robert Dudley turns his back on his wife, because he sees fame and fortune if he can hook up with the Queen. He uses the fact that they were childhood friends to worm his way in. I didn't read "love" in this story anywhere. He was motivated by self interest.The Queen isn't sure what to do. Does she love him? I don't think so. She never truly trusts him. How could she? Many reviewers state she was unable to make a decision, but she made a clear decision. She knew what she was doing. She knew the end result.And Amy Dudley? She loved her husband, but she didn't fight for him. She let him plot and scheme and was thrown away like a bit of old rag. But she didn't deserve the treatment she received.Without giving away the ending, I believe the ending was right for Dudley and the Queen.Regardless if the historic facts are right or not, I enjoyed the storyline. The characters were not likable, but that seems right for the rotten roles they played. But the writing of such characters was done well, in my opinion.This wasn't the best of Gregory's books, but it was still a well written book that tells a good, if twisted, story.

[ktleyed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm torn over this book. One side of me enjoyed reading about a young Queen Elizabeth, head over heels in lust/love with the charming and gorgeous Robert Dudley during her first two years as queen. But, the other side of me couldn't stand how whiny and spineless she appeared! She couldn't make a single decision by herself! Thank heavens for her advisor, William Cecil, who was just about the only character in the book I liked! As for Amy, Dudley's wife, I didn't care for her either, she was more pathetic than Elizabeth at her worst! I'm afraid I wasn't sympathetic to anyone in this book, with the exception of Cecil.Don't get me wrong the book was pretty good, and I loved reading about court life and the brief war against France in Scotland and the demise of Mary of Guise and all that. Gregory weaves a vivid and lush picture of 16th century England, but it would have been more enjoyable if the author had not portrayed Elizabeth as such a nincompoop! Over and over again she would beg her advisor "Help me! You must help me! I don't know how! Save me from him (Dudley), I cannot say no to him!" Come on! I can't believe the real Elizabeth was like this! Maybe if she was a young 16 or 17 year old girl and her first love, but by this point, Elizabeth was 25 and a young woman. The book kept on harping on the fact that she didn't know anything and needed non-stop advice and calming down (she was always nervously picking at her nails) as if she was a skittish mare that needed her Master of the Horse (Dudley) to lay his hands upon her to calm her (an ongoing theme throughout the book *rolls eyes*) Still, in spite of these flaws, the book kept me interested and reading to the end to see what happens, since I was unaware of this whole affair of Elizabeth's, and apparently it really happened and they remained in love with each other for life.

[barraclough_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I Just started it but so far I like it. In the style of the Queens' Fool.

[lizziebee_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I have read most of Philippa's other books and I found this one very hard to get into. Out of all the stories I liked Amy Dudleys the best.

[lindymc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This novel begins with Elizabeth gaining the throne, and deals with her relationship with Robert Dudley. I find it interesting that in The Queen's Fool, Dudley was a very likeable character, and his wife Amy is portrayed as so weak as to be a near cypher. In Virgin's Lover, we Dudley's arrogance and ruthless ambition; he's manipulative, selfish. And Amy, though weak, is a sympathetic character. Although Elizabeth proved to be a strong and capable ruler, historically, in this book we do not see that strong woman. These early years of her reign were a time of turmoil as the noblemen jockeyed for positions of influence.I wish I had more a definitive answer regarding Amy's murder.

[kw50197 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting read but a tragic tale which I don't intend to re-read often.

[riofriotex · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Virgin's Lover is about Queen Elizabeth I. Gregory takes a real-life mystery and builds a story around it. The unknown in Elizabeth's life involves the puzzling death of Amy, the wife of Elizabeth's lover, Sir Robert Dudley. Gregory takes a stand on what really happened and builds her case in her stories, creating a believable argument with her use of period details as well as historical and biographical facts.British actress Davina Porter did a great job narrating this abridged story, using various accents from Great Britain to distinguish the female characters. The men all sounded the same, but fortunately there are only two main male characters, Dudley and Sir William Cecil, Elizabeth's main adviser. I really enjoyed this book, and plan to read more of Gregory's Tudor England series of historical fiction.

[Dan Deyoung · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I think this is the only Philippa Gregory book I have read so far that I just didn't like. She made Queen Elizabeth seem like a whining, sniveling, weakling and it just didn't sit right with me.

[moonkey_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found this book quite heavy going, it bored me in places and I only really got into it about half way through. Still the historical side of it was interesting and I will probably try The Other Boleyn Girl which I've heard good things about.

[jeannemarkert · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In the autumn of 1558, church bells across England ring out for joy with the news that Elizabeth I is the new queen. But in the country Amy Dudley, wife of Sir Robert Dudley knows that Elizabeth's ambitious leap to the throne will draw her husband back to his former life at the glamourous Tudor courts where he was born & his childhood friend. This book presents a queen on the brink of greatness, a young man whose ambition exceeds his means, & the wife who cannot forgive them & is then murdered by her husband.

[jacketscoversread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Philippa Gregory is unable to reach the success of The Other Boleyn Girl with The Virgin’s Lover. While I still enjoyed the The Virgin’s Lover I was far from impressed because I know what Gregory is capable of producing.The writing was still beautiful, as always, but the story line, though taken from history and elaborated upon, was lacking. This time the story was not told from one person’s perspective, but several. I think it gave the story less dimension because you found yourself unable to figure out who you wanted to root for and she usually has such engaging, sympathetic characters that you get attached to them almost immediately like Mary Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl.The ending was a bit sudden, so much that I thought I had at least twenty more pages to go and next thing I know I’m reading that author’s note. And I’m still scratching my head over the ending.The body of the novel was good. A little jumpy in the beginning but it begins to smooth itself out.I loved seeing a different side of Elizabeth. We are usually presented with her as a tough-as-nails queen, unwavering and unyielding. Here she is shown as an outcast at first, ruthless in her rise to power, blinded by love/lust, and manipulative as she grows into her place as a queen.

[amandacb_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I adore Tudor England, and found this book tedious. Totally tedious. The plot plods, Elizabeth is under-developed (if you can imagine such a thing), and the language/style is awkward.

[cindyloumn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had a hard time getting into this book. Finally did. It's about Queen Elizabeth and Robert Dudley. Their romance and his wanting to be king. He was married, and it tells her story, Eliz's and Amy, his wife, who is killed towards the end of the book Ruining his reputation, as it's thought he killed her.6/26/05

[deequa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoy her historical fiction. I think she does a great job of combining historically accurate information with great storytelling. One of my favorite authors of this genre.

[tahoegirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Liked it, I learned a lot. Not my favorite in the series.

[deweyquilt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Virgin's Lover is the 5th Tudor Court novel of Phillippa Gregory. The pace of the writing has slowed since her earlier novels, but she certainly keeps up with the teachery and duplicity of court life with extraordinary sharpness of wit. I wanted to see Elizabeth as she has been portrayed by so many: formidable, fearless and resolutely single minded in her ambitions for her country and for the crown. In the Virgin's Lover she is utterly in thrall to Dudley and at his beck and call. She can do nothing without him at her side. She is nervous and weakened without his counsel and struggles to make important decisions of state without his guidance. At first I felt rather short-changed at this rendering of a supposedly strong woman, however, I ended up rather enjoying seeing a different portrayal of Elizabeth, as she no doubt would have been in the early days of her reign. This fictional account of her has certainly whet my appetite to learn more about the monarch, based on historical research. For me, the real star of the show is William Cecil. He is truly masterful in his cold handed way of double dealing and balancing the many conflicting interests at court. Gregory has created a masterpiece in him. I would certainly like to know more about him in life.The Virgin's Lover must be taken for what it is, a gripping and enthralling insight into Tudor court life, and the humanity behind the legends and figures in history. I would heartily recommend this to anyone wanting a little intelligent escapism.

[dslynn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Philippa Gregory always makes our historical characters come alive and this novel is not disappointing. You actually feel part of the young queen's court and see many of her enemies. Truly skillful pro and con listings of available husbands, for Queen Elizabeth, with a unique murder mystery twist involving the young queen's true love interest. Long after the final page, one wonders if young Queen Elizabeth murdered the spouse of her lover?

[susanpenter_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book, it is my favourite of Gregory's Tudor series that I have read do far, I find the relationship between Elizabeth and Robert believable bearing in mind the Royal upbringing and the regular infatuations her father went through.

[carterchristian1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good read. Makes the reader to look further into historical facts to backup or refute the story.

[littlebookworm_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Written relatively well, but I so disagree with Gregory's interpretation of history that I couldn't enjoy it. I know that it is fiction, but it grated on me so much that I will be avoiding her books from now on. Her Elizabeth is weak, silly, and definitely not the beloved monarch that Elizabeth I actually was.

[cheriepie69_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's 1558, and Elizabeth, daughter to King Henry VIII and 2nd wife Anne Boleyn, has just been crowned Queen of England. After the brief but strict reign of her Catholic half-sister Mary, what is England to expect from the Protestant Princess who wants to abolish the Catholic ways? In a country full of turmoil, Sir Robert Dudley, longtime friend of Elizabeth since their days growing up at court together, seeks to better his position and maneuver himself into a position of power at Elizabeth's side. But what of his wife: the forgotten Amy Dudley who doesn't come to court but instead remains back home in the country, forever waiting for her husband to put aside his ambitions and return home to her, for the love of a good woman. Unfortunately, the only love Dudley's seeking is the Queen's. But to what lengths will he go to achieve his means?This was another great read in the Tudor series! Though the work itself is considered fiction, the author bases the stories themselves on fact. Of course, we cannot truly know everything that went through the minds of Elizabeth, Robert, William Cecil, and the others as not as much was recorded in the way of diaries and actual day-to-day events. But despite that, Ms. Gregory is able to take the facts from numerous sources and build a very real feeling story that draws you right in and makes you feel as if you were right there in the Renaissance period, experiencing everything firsthand along with the rest of the court. It's as if she's reconstructed history right before your very eyes!I was never much for History in school; it was always one of my worst subjects and I could never garner enough interest to retain the facts that were constantly drilled into my head. However, the way these stories are composed by Ms. Gregory, I enjoy them so much that I actually find myself easily retaining all the information I so easily forgot before, even long after I finished the book. My high school history professor would be so proud! LOL

[christy5778 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Deliciously entertaining.

[sensitivemuse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First things first. I recommend you read The Queen's Fool before reading this one. It contains a bit background information and a bit of a foundation to carry you over to The Virgin's Lover. It's not necessary but it's nice to have that extra bit of info in the small moments where the book makes a reference to the past. Besides, The Queen's Fool was a good book so why would you not want to read it? :)There's plenty of intrigue and double crossing in here, so if you're really into that this is the book for you. I love that stuff. I love seeing characters you don't like get the axe because they were too careless and got double crossed. It's just so satisfying. Which brings me to this other point. I hate Robert Dudley. Everything about him made me want to grind my teeth, made me want to jump into the book and punch him in the gonads, or made me want to run a lance into him. I just can't stand the guy. He oozes sliminess and his ambition is just way over the top it made you want to roll your eyes and slap him across the head with a sledgehammer. His arrogance made me want to scream. He was all right at first but once you saw past his true colors you just wanted to curl your lip in disgust at the guy. Either I need serious help, or Ms. Gregory just did a wonderful job at character development and creation here. :P I have never hated a character so much until I came across Robert Dudley. Amy (Dudley's wife) made you want to cringe because she was everything you didn't want her to be. She was the epitome of submissive wife. There were moments where she finally grew a backbone (and you had to cheer for her during those times) but you just can't help but pity the poor woman. Of all the characters in the book I sympathized with Amy the most. It was just painful to see her pain and suffering and the way she fawned at Dudley made you want to pity her, but at the same time be quite disgusted with her. She admirable though. She put up with a lot of issues and crap for that time. It's hard to decide how I feel about Elizabeth. She's whiny. She's NEEDY. She's clingy. She nearly made me want to jab something in my eye. However there were moments where I thought "Heeeey..she's not so stupid after all!" so it's very hard to see Elizabeth in a different view than what you usually see (usually as a very strong character who defied the Spanish Armada). So I thought it was difficult to like her in this novel. I was on the fence with her. Overall, I thought it was a good read. There are romantic parts but not that explicit and quickly done and over with. So to me, they were tolerable. No battle scenes here which was unfortunate but wasn't really the main part of the subject anyway (this book rather focuses on Dudley and Elizabeth). The intrigue of court life was here as usual (all of Gregory's novels have it) so that was good to see. I just really enjoyed the character development and creation in this book.

[calissa_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Virgin's Lover is a historical novel that focuses on the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It tells the tale of the young queen, her lover Robert Dudley, and his wife Amy. Despite being married, Robert Dudley seeks to court the queen and thus gain the crown for himself.I noticed that there was a significant discrepancy between the writing around the story and the story itself with regards to the focus of the tale. The author's note seemed a strange note to end on because it left me with the impression that the book should have been some great mystery or at any rate that it was in some way Amy's story. This was backed up by the blurb and the fact that the opening chapter was written with a focus on Amy. However, Amy herself gets very little stage time and the title gives a better indication of the focus of the story--Robert Dudley. Perhaps this could have been made clearer from the beginning.I was pleased to see that Gregory got rid of the irritating first person perspective she used in The Queen's Fool, however there was plenty else to irritate me in its place. The opening paragraph was particularly annoying and all the more so for being repeated in the next chapter--the metaphor seemed forced the first time and the repetition did it little favour.The characters were, again, thoroughly unlikeable people, with the possible exception of Cecil. The female characters in particular were incredibly weak. Elizabeth's situation did remind me of an abusive relationship at one point, but overall her vacillation and her arrogance did very little to endear her.Though Amy wasn't quite the raving lunatic she was at times in The Queen's Fool she is nevertheless deluded to the point of absolute stupidity. She manages to redeem herself a little after the first 250 pages (during which she still gets very little stage time), but slides back again with the way she grasps onto anything that even remotely resembles hope. I felt like shaking her and telling her to have some self respect.The book does have a few things to recommend it, however. It gets points from me for sharing continuity with The Queen's Fool. It also illustrates very clearly what it means to be pariah in the closing stages of Amy's story when not even her family will shelter her and the doctor refuses to treat her. A sad highlight indeed.Overall, I'm left to conclude that Gregory's work is not really for me

[cariola_6 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Frankly, although I've enjoyed some of Gregory's Tudor novels, I could only stomach 2/3 of this one before I stopped reading it. It was little more than a bodice-ripper. Other readers have complained about the way she portrays Elizabeth, and I have to agree: she's depicted here as a slut and a wimp. The only thing more irritatingly wimpy in the book is Dudley's wife, Amy. I couldn't wait for her to get pushed down the stairs and break her wimpy little neck. I didn't get that far, but I know that, historically, she was either pushed or fell. After reading 2/3 of this book, I'd be willing to give her a shove myself.

[greenefingers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

i didn't enjoy this as much as i was hoping to! i guess there has to be so much conjecture about this subject that you know what you're reading is much more 'fictionalised' than her other books. Still a good read though.