Historical person
Arbella Stuart
1575–1615
Arbella Stuart was the only child of Charles Stuart, Earl of Lennox, and Elizabeth Cavendish. Through her father she descended from Margaret Tudor and Henry VII, placing her close to the English succession. Raised largely under the supervision of her grandmother Bess of Hardwick, Arbella grew up amid persistent speculation that Elizabeth I might name her heir or that foreign powers might use her claim.
After James VI of Scotland inherited the English throne, Arbella remained vulnerable because any marriage could create a rival royal line. In 1610 she secretly married William Seymour, another descendant of Henry VII. Both were imprisoned; their attempted escape failed when Arbella was intercepted at sea. She died in the Tower of London in 1615. Her surviving letters reveal intelligence, frustration and a determined effort to control a life repeatedly constrained by dynastic politics.
Non Fiction
Non Fiction featuring Arbella Stuart (1 book)
Biographies, histories and other non-fiction are listed separately from the historical novels above.