The Winter Queen

Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I of England, married Frederic, Elector of Palatine, when they were both sixteen. It was an arranged marriage, but at their first meeting they fell in love, and this love lasted the rest of their lives. When Frederic accepted the disputed crown of Bohemia their troubles began. They were soon known as the Winter King and Queen, for their enemies predicted that their reign would last no longer than the snows. Indeed, within a year of their accession, the Winter Queen was fleeing for her life from Prague. Judith Saxton tells the story of this fascinating woman, through whom almost all the sovereigns of Europe trace their descent.