Brings one of Europe’s most extraordinary women back to life.

A sweeping new historical novel about James I of England’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth Stuart: the exiled queen who shaped the future of Europe

Sequel to the Queen’s Lender which won the Hawthornden Fellowship, the Lavigny International Writer’s Fellowship and was Longlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award

Acclaimed author Jean Findlay returns with The Bohemian Queen, the sequel to the award-winning The Queen’s Lender and the second novel in her Queens of Europe series. The novel tells the remarkable story of Elizabeth Stuart – daughter of James I of England and VI of Scotland – whose brief reign as Queen of Bohemia helped ignite the catastrophic Thirty Years’ War and reshape Europe forever.

Set against the backdrop of political intrigue, religious conflict and exile, the novel leads to 1620 as Elizabeth, heavily pregnant with her fifth child, flees Prague following the Battle of White Mountain. Married to Frederick, Elector Palatine, Elizabeth had accepted the crown of Bohemia in a move that would plunge Europe into decades of war. But exile does not diminish her influence. Through court politics, diplomacy and dynastic ambition, Elizabeth continues to shape the future of Europe while giving birth to eight more children, ensuring her descendants become woven into the ruling houses of an emerging continent.

Rich in historical detail and psychological insight, The Bohemian Queen explores power, motherhood, survival and female influence during one of Europe’s most turbulent eras.