Elizabeth’s Rival

Living long and reasonably well is at least some sort of revenge. But the adage that best sums up the life of Lettice Knollys is that double-edged blessing: “May you live in interesting times.”

Lettice Knollys, subject of Nicola Tallis’ biography Elizabeth’s Rival, lived to age 91—in effect, the entire Elizabethan age, as well as…