Alison Weir

William Grindal and the celebrated Cambridge scholar, Roger Ascham

As queen, she read and conversed fluently in Latin, French, Greek, Spanish, Italian and Welsh.

She had read the New Testament in Greek, the orations of Isocrates and the tragedies of Sophocles

In youth, she was adept at needlework and is known to have embroidered bookbindings.

music, and could play the lute and virginals with virtuosity, as well as sing and write music

walking outdoors, or shooting with a crossbow. Above all, she passionately loved dancing, although prior to her accession she had had little opportunity to indulge in this pastime.

She had learned early on to keep her own counsel, control her emotions, and to behave circumspectly in public, thus giving the lie to any adverse rumours about her.

Elizabeth’s physical health was robust, and she had boundless energy, but her troubled adolescence had made her neurotic and she suffered intermittent panic attacks, irrational fears and bouts of emotional paralysis, when she was incapable of knowing what to do. She could not tolerate loud noises, although she had a quick temper and was not above shouting and swearing at her hapless advisers.

Elizabeth much admired his long, slender fingers

She disliked employing anyone who was ugly, and once turned down an application for a position from a man whose handsome face was marred by a missing tooth