Name: “To Marry or Not to Marry?” A Study of Elizabeth I and Bess of Hardwick with Author Carol Ann Lloyd
Start: 2026-02-20T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-02-20T20:30:00-05:00
Location: 4305 Sulgrave Road, Richmond, VA, United States, Virginia 23221

$\u201cTo Marry or Not to Marry?\u201d A Study of Elizabeth I and Bess of Hardwick with Author Carol Ann Lloyd$

In 16th-century England, two women rose to the top of the political, social, and financial heights of England: Queen Elizabeth I and Elizabeth Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury. The Queen and the woman usually known as "Bess of Hardwick" took two different paths to their ultimate success.
Elizabeth I spent her reign refusing pressure from her council, Parliament, and foreign governments to marry and produce an heir for England. By remaining single, she retained full control of her wealth and power. Elizabeth of Hardwick married a surprising four times, each husband providing greater wealth and prestige in the English court.
The two women had a complicated relationship with marriage, with society's expectations, and with each other. This program traces the two intertwined lives of Elizabeth and Elizabeth and reveals two successful ways of managing life in the 16th century.
Historian and speaker Carol Ann Lloyd is the author of "Courting the Virgin Queen: Queen Elizabeth I and Her Suitors" and "The Tudors by Numbers: The Stories and Statistics Behind England’s Most Infamous Royal Dynasty." A book signing will follow Carol Ann’s lecture.