The dazzling new biography of one of history's most misunderstood queens Elizabeth Stuart is one the most misrepresented - and underestimated - figures of the seventeenth century. Labelled a spendthrift more interested in the theatre and her pet monkeys than politics or her children, and long pitied as 'The Winter Queen', the direct ancestor of Elizabeth II was widely misunderstood. Nadine Akkerman's biography reveals an altogether different woman, painting a vivid picture of a queen forged in the white heat of European conflict. Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James VI and I, was married to Frederick V, Elector Palatine in 1613. The couple were crowned King and Queen of Bohemia in 1619, only to be deposed and exiled to the Dutch Republic in 1620. Elizabeth then found herself at the epicentre of the Thirty Years' War and the Civil Wars, political and military struggles that defined seventeenth-century Europe. Following her husband's death in 1632, Elizabeth fostered a cult of widowhood, dressing herself and her apartments in black, and conducted a long and fierce political campaign to regain her children's birthright - by force, if possible - wielding her pen with the same deft precision with which she once speared boars from horseback. Through deep immersion in the archives and masterful detective work, Akkerman overturns the received view of Elizabeth Stuart, showing her to be a patron of the arts and canny stateswoman with a sharp wit and a long memory. On returning to England in 1661, Elizabeth Stuart found a country whose people still considered her their 'Queen of Hearts'. Akkerman's biography reveals the impact Elizabeth Stuart had on both England and Europe, demonstrating that she was more than just the grandmother of George I. "An extraordinary biography of a much-maligned and much-forgotten queen... Akkerman knows her archive as few have ever done, and demonstrates how to resurrect an early modern woman." -- Suzannah Lipscomb, Books of the Year 2021, BBC History Magazine "[A] masterful transformative biography." -- Noel Malcolm, The Daily Telegraph "This excellent book sheds light on a part of Scottish history - and European history - that is too little known. It is also a reclamation of a figure of genuine significance and strength." -- Stuart Kelly, The Scotsman "Akkerman's sensitivity to literary and cultural symbolism deeply enriches this biography ... After all the macho chevaliers who served her in life, this Elizabeth has found a superb and sisterly champion in death." -- Kate Maltby, The Spectator "As a political biography, and as a sensitive exploration of the position of a royal woman, Nadine Akkermans book is excellent." -- Jean Wilson, Times Literary Supplement "Akkerman situates astonishingly comprehensive research against an even more complicated background, rooting her account in diplomatic reports, Elizabeth's own correspondence and numerous illustrations... [Her] erudite, pacey narration of the frustrations, downturns and highlights of Elizabeth's life make for compelling reading. I was gripped." -- Anna Groundwater, Literary Review "[Akkerman's book] comprises both personal and political history in which, seamlessly, Elizabeth's reported giggles at her wedding to Frederick of the Palatinate and her dislike of purgatives keep company with â and are as well handled as â Count Mansfeld's military advances on Breda." -- Steven Veerapen, Aspects of History "This new biography surpasses all earlier studies of Elizabeth Stuart." -- Thomas Pert, The Seventeenth Century "A goldmine for the Stuart enthusiast who wants to know everything about the fascinating and often misleadingly depicted Elizabeth Stuart, British princess and titular queen of Bohemia, and the times she lived in." -- Eva Bonde, Historiskan "Akkerman convincingly succeeds in developing a portrait of a remarkable woman." -- Sven Externbrink, Redaktion sehepunkte "This is a scholarly and fascinating account of both an extraordinary woman and of the time in which she lived. Using original source materials, much of which has not been seen before, Dr Akkerman is particularly skilled at showing how easily women can be misrepresented or erased from history." -- Kate Mosse "This is an important scholarly biography, of interest to those who work on British and European political, cultural, and religious history; court culture; and women's history; plus, it is readily accessible to anyone who enjoys a good, historical read." -- Georgianna Ziegler, Folger Shakespeare Library (Emerita), Early Modern Women "In Queen of Hearts , Nadine Akkerman combines matchless archival expertise with a story-teller's instinct to give new life to one of the seventeenth century's most misunderstood women. A gripping tale." -- Natalie Zemon Davis, Nadine Akkerman is Professor in early modern Literature and Culture at Leiden University and author of the critically acclaimed Invisible Agents: Women and Espionage in Seventeenth-Century Br