Estelle Paranque

Paranque's academic journey spans several institutions. She earned a BA in English Studies and a Master in History from Aix-Marseille University, then completed her PhD at University College London in 2016. Over the years, she has taught at Queen Mary University of London, King's College London, the University of Winchester, and the New College of the Humanities (now part of Northeastern University London). She also became an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Warwick's Centre for the Study of the Renaissance. Since autumn 2017, she has been associated with the New College of the Humanities, eventually becoming an Associate Professor there.

Her published works reflect her deep engagement with early modern queenship. Her first book, Elizabeth I of England Through Valois Eyes, came out in 2018. She followed with Blood, Fire and Gold: The Story of Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici (2022), which was named The Times Book of the Week and appeared on Smithsonian's list of the 10 best history books of 2022. Her third book, Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn, was published in 2024. Paranque also co-edited essay collections, including Colonisation, Piracy & Trade in Early Modern Europe and Forgotten Queens in Medieval and Early Modern Europe. As of 2024, she has been working with computer scientists and historians to translate 50 letters of Mary Queen of Scots written in a medieval French cipher.