Upon her father's ascension to the throne of England, Elizabeth Stuart (1596-1662) was thrust into the fairytale existence of a princess of great wealth and splendor, and her German husband would claim the throne of Bohemia. The events of the Thirty Years' War drove Elizabeth from the throne, however, earning her the nickname "Winter Queen" for the brevity of her reign. As Nancy Goldstone relates here, in Golden Age Holland, the queen raised four remarkable daughters: scholarly Elizabeth, artistic Louisa, beautiful Henrietta, and the formidable Sophia, who fulfilled the promise of her great-grandmother Mary and reshaped the British monarchy.

"Goldstone's forthright and often witty asides keep this complicated story bowling along at a terrific pace.... Lively and well-researched."—NYTBR