New Books
The Lady Penelope:
The Lost Tale of Love and Politics in the Court of Elizabeth I by Sally Varlow
André Deutsch £18.99
It is 400 years since the death of Penelope Devereux, the brightest star who ever shone at the Court of Queen Elizabeth I.
Forced into marriage with the very rich Lord Rich at the age of 18, when she had just become a maid to her godmother, the queen, Penelope Devereux was the most beautiful woman of her generation and the muse of countless poets and musicians. With her lover, Lord Mountjoy, greatest of all Elizabethan generals, she had five children. She and her brother, the Earl of Essex, Elizabeth's favourite, planned a coup against the government; and when Essex was executed, Penelope walked free, her part in the plot quietly buried. Yet her story ended in tragedy: she died in disgrace, a widow, outcast from court and stripped of her titles. Since then she has been remembered, if at all, simply as “Stella”, the heroine of Sir Philip Sidney’s sonnets. Now the full story of her politicking and her royal ancestry is revealed.
The author has discovered new evidence that Penelope was a direct descendant of Henry VIII. Penelope’s grandmother was the love-child of the king and Mary Boleyn, subject of The Other Boleyn Girl, starring Scarlett Johansson and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Sally Varlow will be talking about her research and the book at Sevenoaks on 30 November; further details on the What’s On pages.
The College at Wye – A Historical Guide
by Paul Burnham
ISBN 0 9546499 0 9
A new history and guide to the older buildings published by the Wye Historical Society. This 74 page book, illustrated in colour throughout and including many previously unpublished pictures, comprises a concise history of the College from 1447 to 2007 and a 'walk round' guide to the older buildings. Written with the help of Donald Sykes, its former Estates Bursar, it will be treasured by all who have been connected with the College.
Copies may be obtained from the Wye Historical Society, c/o Dr Paul Burnham, 24 Chequers Park, Wye, Ashford TN25 5BB. Cost is £6.00, including p&p. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Wye Historical Society’ please.