"This lavishly illustrated book ties in with a major international exhibition opening at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich on 1 May 2003. Timed to commemorate the 400th anniversary since the death of Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1603, and sponsored by Morgan Stanley, the exhibition brings together a wealth of paintings, manuscripts, fine art objects and personal effects which illuminate Elizabeth's fascinating history. Elizabeth was born at Greenwich and spent her first months at Greenwich Palace, on the site of what is now a World Heritage Site, Maritime Greenwich. The book, containing contributions from a number of well-known experts on Tudor history, will focus on Elizabeth's Court as well as her relationship with the City of London and its increasingly influential mercantile class. It will also reflect the importance of Elizabeth's maritime adventurers, and their role in creating wealth for the crown, burgeoning maritime enterprise and the beginnings of an overseas empire."