Young Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, is not yet three years old when she is startled to discover that her title has been changed from Princess Elizabeth to Lady Elizabeth, unaware that this is due to her now bastard status. Soon afterwards she learns that her mother committed treason and has been executed. As she journeys into adulthood, she deals with the introduction of three new stepmothers, the deaths of two and finally the loss of her adored father, the King. After the passing of Queen Jane Seymour as a result of childbirth, Elizabeth becomes determined to remain unmarried. She scarcely escapes unscathed from her flirtatious guardian, Sir Thomas Seymour and learns to guard herself against the whims of her heart. As a young girl she welcomes opportunities to reside at Court and be entertained, in adulthood she becomes wary of the jealousies and perils lurking there and would rather stay away. Her once dear older sister, Mary, is eventually a dangerous force to be guarded against. The Lady Elizabeth, is a well told account of the early life of Queen Elizabeth I, a woman who overcame tremendous challenges to become one of the most successful and cherished rulers of England.