Sublime

the fate of Nonsuch: what was allegedly one of the greatest palaces in all of Europe was given by a disinterested king to a negligent mistress (Charles II to Barbara Villiers), who set about dismantling it to pay off her gambling debts.

Pivoting requires gyroscopes, and Elizabeth’s were the best of her era. She balanced purposefulness with imagination, guile, humor, timing, and an economy in movement that, however extravagant her display, kept her steady on the tightrope she walked. Philip’s gyroscopes, if he had any, malfunctioned constantly. She, without visible effort, retained

5

Nothing is stable in the realm of power, and even the closest of friends can be transformed into the worst of enemies.