Elizabeth I--the Virgin Queen--refused to commit herself to any man, although one illustrious suitor after another endeavored to ally himself with her in the most intimate of treaties. In the only history available on this ever-fascinating subject, meet the many men who competed fruitlessly for Elizabeth"s hand and affections. During the intricate marriage negotiations, romance inextricably blended with diplomacy, and Elizabeth played one prospective groom against the other, always exploiting the situation for England"s profit and her own pleasure. Most important among the potential mates: the ambitious, devious Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, suspected of having murdered his wife. Although he never attained the prize he longed for, he was dearly loved by Elizabeth all her life.