great blend of fact and fiction, 08 Sep 2008
this book is about Katherine of Aragon who everybody knows as Henry VIII first wife. this story as about Katherine's life in England before she became his wife. she arrived in england to marry his brother Arthur who tragically died shortly after the marriage, the story follows what happened to her during that time and what happened to her family in spain. the blending of fact and fiction is very interesting and if you enjoy this book i would also recommend authors elizabeth chadwick and georgette heyer as they have also written similar novels.


THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON, 22 Jan 2004
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT,,,, 23 Feb 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

THE EARLY LIFE OF KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT.., 19 Jan 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A heartbreaking story about Katherine of Aragon, 02 Sep 2001
This story about Henry VIII's first wife is a heartbreaking story about a woman brought up in the spanish court.

Katherine came to England to marry Arthur, the Prince of Wales. Arthur is not a strong man and his health gives rise to concern and his father decides that they must wait for a year before the marriage is consumated.

Katherine and Arthur does not mind this and they strike up a fantastic friendship which is thorougly satisfying for both of them. They are given time to fall in love and unlike many other young royal marriages, they are not frightened of the future together. It is unknown whether they did in fact consumate their marriage or not.

Unfortunately Arthur dies before the marriage is officially consumated and Katherine, with only half her dowry paid up, becomes an exile as the king does not wish to send her back to Spain as he would have to repay the dowry.

Henry VIII could restore her to a decent life, if he chose to marry her, but would his conscience allow it?

great blend of fact and fiction, 08 Sep 2008
this book is about Katherine of Aragon who everybody knows as Henry VIII first wife. this story as about Katherine's life in England before she became his wife. she arrived in england to marry his brother Arthur who tragically died shortly after the marriage, the story follows what happened to her during that time and what happened to her family in spain. the blending of fact and fiction is very interesting and if you enjoy this book i would also recommend authors elizabeth chadwick and georgette heyer as they have also written similar novels.


THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON, 22 Jan 2004
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT,,,, 23 Feb 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

THE EARLY LIFE OF KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT.., 19 Jan 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A heartbreaking story about Katherine of Aragon, 02 Sep 2001
This story about Henry VIII's first wife is a heartbreaking story about a woman brought up in the spanish court.

Katherine came to England to marry Arthur, the Prince of Wales. Arthur is not a strong man and his health gives rise to concern and his father decides that they must wait for a year before the marriage is consumated.

Katherine and Arthur does not mind this and they strike up a fantastic friendship which is thorougly satisfying for both of them. They are given time to fall in love and unlike many other young royal marriages, they are not frightened of the future together. It is unknown whether they did in fact consumate their marriage or not.

Unfortunately Arthur dies before the marriage is officially consumated and Katherine, with only half her dowry paid up, becomes an exile as the king does not wish to send her back to Spain as he would have to repay the dowry.

Henry VIII could restore her to a decent life, if he chose to marry her, but would his conscience allow it?

The first Tudor King, 08 Aug 2008
This is another great Norah Lofts novel, concerning Henry VII and his life following the defeat of King Richard III at Bosworth, thus becoming king by conquest.It tells the story or stories of both Henry and his Queen, Elizabeth daughter of Edward IV, and there are chapters on Henry his son, Arthur his eldest, and the Princes Catherine of Aragon. Added to this are the various plots that keep springing up throughout his reign, as the country is anything but settled after the battle of Bosworth, Yorkist plots abound, and Henry never has a peaceful nights sleep, and throughout it all, you feel that he can never quite get used to being a King, and he is a very cold and unfeeling person. I could only feel sorry for his family, and his poor wife, what a mother in law she had to put up with.



great read, 22 Aug 2006
this book really pulled you into the personal thoughts of the characters while clearly following the history of the time. i strongly reccomend this if you like authors such as phillipa gregory

great blend of fact and fiction, 08 Sep 2008
this book is about Katherine of Aragon who everybody knows as Henry VIII first wife. this story as about Katherine's life in England before she became his wife. she arrived in england to marry his brother Arthur who tragically died shortly after the marriage, the story follows what happened to her during that time and what happened to her family in spain. the blending of fact and fiction is very interesting and if you enjoy this book i would also recommend authors elizabeth chadwick and georgette heyer as they have also written similar novels.


THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON, 22 Jan 2004
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT,,,, 23 Feb 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

THE EARLY LIFE OF KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT.., 19 Jan 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A heartbreaking story about Katherine of Aragon, 02 Sep 2001
This story about Henry VIII's first wife is a heartbreaking story about a woman brought up in the spanish court.

Katherine came to England to marry Arthur, the Prince of Wales. Arthur is not a strong man and his health gives rise to concern and his father decides that they must wait for a year before the marriage is consumated.

Katherine and Arthur does not mind this and they strike up a fantastic friendship which is thorougly satisfying for both of them. They are given time to fall in love and unlike many other young royal marriages, they are not frightened of the future together. It is unknown whether they did in fact consumate their marriage or not.

Unfortunately Arthur dies before the marriage is officially consumated and Katherine, with only half her dowry paid up, becomes an exile as the king does not wish to send her back to Spain as he would have to repay the dowry.

Henry VIII could restore her to a decent life, if he chose to marry her, but would his conscience allow it?

The first Tudor King, 08 Aug 2008
This is another great Norah Lofts novel, concerning Henry VII and his life following the defeat of King Richard III at Bosworth, thus becoming king by conquest.It tells the story or stories of both Henry and his Queen, Elizabeth daughter of Edward IV, and there are chapters on Henry his son, Arthur his eldest, and the Princes Catherine of Aragon. Added to this are the various plots that keep springing up throughout his reign, as the country is anything but settled after the battle of Bosworth, Yorkist plots abound, and Henry never has a peaceful nights sleep, and throughout it all, you feel that he can never quite get used to being a King, and he is a very cold and unfeeling person. I could only feel sorry for his family, and his poor wife, what a mother in law she had to put up with.



great read, 22 Aug 2006
this book really pulled you into the personal thoughts of the characters while clearly following the history of the time. i strongly reccomend this if you like authors such as phillipa gregory

Incredible!, 23 May 1999
After reading this book, I find it almost impossible to wait while I search for the out of print ones that came before it and after it. She really weaved this plot ingeniously and brought out the personality of Katharine of Aragon.

great blend of fact and fiction, 08 Sep 2008
this book is about Katherine of Aragon who everybody knows as Henry VIII first wife. this story as about Katherine's life in England before she became his wife. she arrived in england to marry his brother Arthur who tragically died shortly after the marriage, the story follows what happened to her during that time and what happened to her family in spain. the blending of fact and fiction is very interesting and if you enjoy this book i would also recommend authors elizabeth chadwick and georgette heyer as they have also written similar novels.


THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON, 22 Jan 2004
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT,,,, 23 Feb 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

THE EARLY LIFE OF KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT.., 19 Jan 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A heartbreaking story about Katherine of Aragon, 02 Sep 2001
This story about Henry VIII's first wife is a heartbreaking story about a woman brought up in the spanish court.

Katherine came to England to marry Arthur, the Prince of Wales. Arthur is not a strong man and his health gives rise to concern and his father decides that they must wait for a year before the marriage is consumated.

Katherine and Arthur does not mind this and they strike up a fantastic friendship which is thorougly satisfying for both of them. They are given time to fall in love and unlike many other young royal marriages, they are not frightened of the future together. It is unknown whether they did in fact consumate their marriage or not.

Unfortunately Arthur dies before the marriage is officially consumated and Katherine, with only half her dowry paid up, becomes an exile as the king does not wish to send her back to Spain as he would have to repay the dowry.

Henry VIII could restore her to a decent life, if he chose to marry her, but would his conscience allow it?

The first Tudor King, 08 Aug 2008
This is another great Norah Lofts novel, concerning Henry VII and his life following the defeat of King Richard III at Bosworth, thus becoming king by conquest.It tells the story or stories of both Henry and his Queen, Elizabeth daughter of Edward IV, and there are chapters on Henry his son, Arthur his eldest, and the Princes Catherine of Aragon. Added to this are the various plots that keep springing up throughout his reign, as the country is anything but settled after the battle of Bosworth, Yorkist plots abound, and Henry never has a peaceful nights sleep, and throughout it all, you feel that he can never quite get used to being a King, and he is a very cold and unfeeling person. I could only feel sorry for his family, and his poor wife, what a mother in law she had to put up with.



great read, 22 Aug 2006
this book really pulled you into the personal thoughts of the characters while clearly following the history of the time. i strongly reccomend this if you like authors such as phillipa gregory

Incredible!, 23 May 1999
After reading this book, I find it almost impossible to wait while I search for the out of print ones that came before it and after it. She really weaved this plot ingeniously and brought out the personality of Katharine of Aragon.

Europe's most beautiful royal Princess who refused to be merely a bartered commodity , 12 Aug 2008
Mary was the fifth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. Henry VIII were close when they were children - he named his daughter, the future Queen Mary, after her and the warship Mary Rose was also named in her honour.Known in her youth as one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe and favorite sister of the King, she did not escape the typical fate of royal princesses. Since royal princesses were commonly regarded as a bartered commodity she was marrried off for politcial reason. Her husband became King Louis XI of France, 34 years older than the 18 year old golden child of the Tudor dynasty. Butr she strucked a deal with Henry VIII - her next husband would be of her choosing. 3 months she was Queen of France - and then she was "La Reine Blance" - the Dowager Queen as her husband had died.

She was almost already in love with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, when she married the King. Henry knew of his sister's feelings but sent Brandon to bring Mary back to England, he made the Duke promise that he would not propose to her. However, the couple married in secret in France. Technically this was treason, as Brandon had married a Royal Princess without Henry's consent. The King was outraged, Due to the intervention of Wolsey, and Henry's affection for both his sister and Brandon, the couple were let off with a heavy fine.

This is a story to good to be missed by the Queen of romantic novels, Jean Plaidy, and in 1964 her novel on Mary was published. This is No 9 of her 11 novels in the Tudor saga.

Jean Plaidy was at the height of her creative powers and that shows. She is a superb storyteller and it is a pleasure to read. The plot is nicely set and evoles in a great fashion. The Tudor Court is splendidly descripted. Jean Plaidy researched her subjects well and - even it is a novel - it does not mean that this is far removed from the real events. This is one of the strengths of her writing.

Mary, the "French Queen" as she was known till her death, is nicely remembered in this excellent by Jean Plaidy.




THE YOUNGER SISTER OF KING HENRY VIII..., 03 Jul 2004
Jean Plaidy, renowned writer of historical fiction, who is also known to her legions of fans as Victoria Holt, wrote two books about the Tudor princesses. One is titled "The Thistle and the Rose" and is about Margaret Tudor, the older sister of King Henry VIII. This book takes a look at his younger sister, the beautiful, headstrong Mary, who was his favorite. The author, as always, weaves an interesting work of historical fiction gathered from the facts that are known about her subject.

The Princess Mary, in keeping with the traditions of the time, was not in control of own fate. Used as a political pawn through the rites of betrothal, she was finally married off to the sickly King of France, Louis XII, who was more than forty years her senior. Beautiful, vivacious, passionate about her feelings, and headstrong, the teenage Mary went kicking and screaming to the altar, as she was secretly in love with her brother's then best friend, Charles Brandon, a commoner whom King Henry VIII eventually elevated and upon whom he conferred the title of Duke of Suffolk. Before leaving for France, Mary extracted a promise from her brother that he would allow her to marry whom she chose the second time around.

Comforted by her brother's promise, Mary would make the most of her relatively brief sojourn in France, where her beauty and charm would capture the devotion of her French subjects, as well as the roving eye of the charming but married Francois, nephew to King Louis XII and his heir. After biding her time, the ailing King of France died, freeing Mary from her marriage to the kindly, infirm man whom she did not love.

Freed from the bonds of her distasteful marriage, Mary, hearing rumors that her brother was again trying to marry her off for political advantage, went into action. When Charles Brandon, who had gone to France at the express command of King Henry VIII in order to escort Mary back to England, arrived in France, Mary asked him to marry her before securing her brother's permission. Brandon finally agreed, though not without some trepidation, as such an act could be viewed as treasonous. Mary, however, was firm in her belief that, in the end, her brother would not deny her her heart's desire and would keep his promise to his favorite sister. So, they eloped before sailing back to England, aided by Francois, who was now the King of France.

This an interesting work of historical fiction of a Tudor princess about whom relatively little has been written. Ms. Plaidy expertly weaves those known facts into a compelling narrative that brings her story to life, though it leaves the reader wanting to know more than is provided by the author. Still, fans of Ms. Plaidy, of which I am one, will not be disappointed.

great blend of fact and fiction, 08 Sep 2008
this book is about Katherine of Aragon who everybody knows as Henry VIII first wife. this story as about Katherine's life in England before she became his wife. she arrived in england to marry his brother Arthur who tragically died shortly after the marriage, the story follows what happened to her during that time and what happened to her family in spain. the blending of fact and fiction is very interesting and if you enjoy this book i would also recommend authors elizabeth chadwick and georgette heyer as they have also written similar novels.


THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON, 22 Jan 2004
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT,,,, 23 Feb 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

THE EARLY LIFE OF KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT.., 19 Jan 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A heartbreaking story about Katherine of Aragon, 02 Sep 2001
This story about Henry VIII's first wife is a heartbreaking story about a woman brought up in the spanish court.

Katherine came to England to marry Arthur, the Prince of Wales. Arthur is not a strong man and his health gives rise to concern and his father decides that they must wait for a year before the marriage is consumated.

Katherine and Arthur does not mind this and they strike up a fantastic friendship which is thorougly satisfying for both of them. They are given time to fall in love and unlike many other young royal marriages, they are not frightened of the future together. It is unknown whether they did in fact consumate their marriage or not.

Unfortunately Arthur dies before the marriage is officially consumated and Katherine, with only half her dowry paid up, becomes an exile as the king does not wish to send her back to Spain as he would have to repay the dowry.

Henry VIII could restore her to a decent life, if he chose to marry her, but would his conscience allow it?

The first Tudor King, 08 Aug 2008
This is another great Norah Lofts novel, concerning Henry VII and his life following the defeat of King Richard III at Bosworth, thus becoming king by conquest.It tells the story or stories of both Henry and his Queen, Elizabeth daughter of Edward IV, and there are chapters on Henry his son, Arthur his eldest, and the Princes Catherine of Aragon. Added to this are the various plots that keep springing up throughout his reign, as the country is anything but settled after the battle of Bosworth, Yorkist plots abound, and Henry never has a peaceful nights sleep, and throughout it all, you feel that he can never quite get used to being a King, and he is a very cold and unfeeling person. I could only feel sorry for his family, and his poor wife, what a mother in law she had to put up with.



great read, 22 Aug 2006
this book really pulled you into the personal thoughts of the characters while clearly following the history of the time. i strongly reccomend this if you like authors such as phillipa gregory

Incredible!, 23 May 1999
After reading this book, I find it almost impossible to wait while I search for the out of print ones that came before it and after it. She really weaved this plot ingeniously and brought out the personality of Katharine of Aragon.

Europe's most beautiful royal Princess who refused to be merely a bartered commodity , 12 Aug 2008
Mary was the fifth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. Henry VIII were close when they were children - he named his daughter, the future Queen Mary, after her and the warship Mary Rose was also named in her honour.Known in her youth as one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe and favorite sister of the King, she did not escape the typical fate of royal princesses. Since royal princesses were commonly regarded as a bartered commodity she was marrried off for politcial reason. Her husband became King Louis XI of France, 34 years older than the 18 year old golden child of the Tudor dynasty. Butr she strucked a deal with Henry VIII - her next husband would be of her choosing. 3 months she was Queen of France - and then she was "La Reine Blance" - the Dowager Queen as her husband had died.

She was almost already in love with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, when she married the King. Henry knew of his sister's feelings but sent Brandon to bring Mary back to England, he made the Duke promise that he would not propose to her. However, the couple married in secret in France. Technically this was treason, as Brandon had married a Royal Princess without Henry's consent. The King was outraged, Due to the intervention of Wolsey, and Henry's affection for both his sister and Brandon, the couple were let off with a heavy fine.

This is a story to good to be missed by the Queen of romantic novels, Jean Plaidy, and in 1964 her novel on Mary was published. This is No 9 of her 11 novels in the Tudor saga.

Jean Plaidy was at the height of her creative powers and that shows. She is a superb storyteller and it is a pleasure to read. The plot is nicely set and evoles in a great fashion. The Tudor Court is splendidly descripted. Jean Plaidy researched her subjects well and - even it is a novel - it does not mean that this is far removed from the real events. This is one of the strengths of her writing.

Mary, the "French Queen" as she was known till her death, is nicely remembered in this excellent by Jean Plaidy.




THE YOUNGER SISTER OF KING HENRY VIII..., 03 Jul 2004
Jean Plaidy, renowned writer of historical fiction, who is also known to her legions of fans as Victoria Holt, wrote two books about the Tudor princesses. One is titled "The Thistle and the Rose" and is about Margaret Tudor, the older sister of King Henry VIII. This book takes a look at his younger sister, the beautiful, headstrong Mary, who was his favorite. The author, as always, weaves an interesting work of historical fiction gathered from the facts that are known about her subject.

The Princess Mary, in keeping with the traditions of the time, was not in control of own fate. Used as a political pawn through the rites of betrothal, she was finally married off to the sickly King of France, Louis XII, who was more than forty years her senior. Beautiful, vivacious, passionate about her feelings, and headstrong, the teenage Mary went kicking and screaming to the altar, as she was secretly in love with her brother's then best friend, Charles Brandon, a commoner whom King Henry VIII eventually elevated and upon whom he conferred the title of Duke of Suffolk. Before leaving for France, Mary extracted a promise from her brother that he would allow her to marry whom she chose the second time around.

Comforted by her brother's promise, Mary would make the most of her relatively brief sojourn in France, where her beauty and charm would capture the devotion of her French subjects, as well as the roving eye of the charming but married Francois, nephew to King Louis XII and his heir. After biding her time, the ailing King of France died, freeing Mary from her marriage to the kindly, infirm man whom she did not love.

Freed from the bonds of her distasteful marriage, Mary, hearing rumors that her brother was again trying to marry her off for political advantage, went into action. When Charles Brandon, who had gone to France at the express command of King Henry VIII in order to escort Mary back to England, arrived in France, Mary asked him to marry her before securing her brother's permission. Brandon finally agreed, though not without some trepidation, as such an act could be viewed as treasonous. Mary, however, was firm in her belief that, in the end, her brother would not deny her her heart's desire and would keep his promise to his favorite sister. So, they eloped before sailing back to England, aided by Francois, who was now the King of France.

This an interesting work of historical fiction of a Tudor princess about whom relatively little has been written. Ms. Plaidy expertly weaves those known facts into a compelling narrative that brings her story to life, though it leaves the reader wanting to know more than is provided by the author. Still, fans of Ms. Plaidy, of which I am one, will not be disappointed.

Boring, 04 Jun 2008
I found this book very boring despite the potentially facinating subject and not at all well written. A couple of clicks on the computer disclosed that Jean Plaidy also writes under the name Victoria Holt, Philippa Carr and her real name Eleanor Hibbert so beware if you've been bored by her before!

History Comes To Life, 26 Feb 2008
Jean Plaidy has made an art of making history come alive. She has a way of painting pictures to illustrate all her words hence one finds themselves being transported in time and becoming a fly on the wall, listening in to all of the comings and goings. This is truly Anne Boleyns side of her story, much has been written of this exceptional woman in numerous works dedicated to Henry VIII. But this is her book, in her words. One gets a true flavour of the ambitions of the noble classes to climb the social ladder of the day, with little if no scruples. Simultaneously the book tells the story of Anne's cousin, Katherine Howard who would later become Henry's fifth wife. Riveting read.

A lovely tale of deceit and death., 08 Feb 2008
Being a historical romance/fiction buff, this book rocks. Jean Plaidy will be sorely missed, but her writing will keep on going. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.

A Wonderful Book!, 30 Jan 2008
This is a superb piece of historical fiction. Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard truly come alive in these pages. It is easy to read and yet fairly historically accurate which means it appeals to the general reader as well as those with a deep historical interest in the Tudors. Very good!

A beautiful, spirited and intelligent Anne Boleyn., 28 Sep 2006
I have read many historical novels about Anne Boleyn and this is by far the best. Jean Plaidy is a very clever writer because she manages to evoke the relationships between the characters and still create a feeling of historical accuracy. Out of all the created 'Anne Boleyns' this one stands out as how I like to believe she really was; spirited, intelligent, moral and alluring. The way Plaidy weaves the lives of the two cousins together is an original approach to the telling of the six wives tale. It's an excellent book to curl up with on holiday!

great blend of fact and fiction, 08 Sep 2008
this book is about Katherine of Aragon who everybody knows as Henry VIII first wife. this story as about Katherine's life in England before she became his wife. she arrived in england to marry his brother Arthur who tragically died shortly after the marriage, the story follows what happened to her during that time and what happened to her family in spain. the blending of fact and fiction is very interesting and if you enjoy this book i would also recommend authors elizabeth chadwick and georgette heyer as they have also written similar novels.


THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON, 22 Jan 2004
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT,,,, 23 Feb 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

THE EARLY LIFE OF KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT.., 19 Jan 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A heartbreaking story about Katherine of Aragon, 02 Sep 2001
This story about Henry VIII's first wife is a heartbreaking story about a woman brought up in the spanish court.

Katherine came to England to marry Arthur, the Prince of Wales. Arthur is not a strong man and his health gives rise to concern and his father decides that they must wait for a year before the marriage is consumated.

Katherine and Arthur does not mind this and they strike up a fantastic friendship which is thorougly satisfying for both of them. They are given time to fall in love and unlike many other young royal marriages, they are not frightened of the future together. It is unknown whether they did in fact consumate their marriage or not.

Unfortunately Arthur dies before the marriage is officially consumated and Katherine, with only half her dowry paid up, becomes an exile as the king does not wish to send her back to Spain as he would have to repay the dowry.

Henry VIII could restore her to a decent life, if he chose to marry her, but would his conscience allow it?

The first Tudor King, 08 Aug 2008
This is another great Norah Lofts novel, concerning Henry VII and his life following the defeat of King Richard III at Bosworth, thus becoming king by conquest.It tells the story or stories of both Henry and his Queen, Elizabeth daughter of Edward IV, and there are chapters on Henry his son, Arthur his eldest, and the Princes Catherine of Aragon. Added to this are the various plots that keep springing up throughout his reign, as the country is anything but settled after the battle of Bosworth, Yorkist plots abound, and Henry never has a peaceful nights sleep, and throughout it all, you feel that he can never quite get used to being a King, and he is a very cold and unfeeling person. I could only feel sorry for his family, and his poor wife, what a mother in law she had to put up with.



great read, 22 Aug 2006
this book really pulled you into the personal thoughts of the characters while clearly following the history of the time. i strongly reccomend this if you like authors such as phillipa gregory

Incredible!, 23 May 1999
After reading this book, I find it almost impossible to wait while I search for the out of print ones that came before it and after it. She really weaved this plot ingeniously and brought out the personality of Katharine of Aragon.

Europe's most beautiful royal Princess who refused to be merely a bartered commodity , 12 Aug 2008
Mary was the fifth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. Henry VIII were close when they were children - he named his daughter, the future Queen Mary, after her and the warship Mary Rose was also named in her honour.Known in her youth as one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe and favorite sister of the King, she did not escape the typical fate of royal princesses. Since royal princesses were commonly regarded as a bartered commodity she was marrried off for politcial reason. Her husband became King Louis XI of France, 34 years older than the 18 year old golden child of the Tudor dynasty. Butr she strucked a deal with Henry VIII - her next husband would be of her choosing. 3 months she was Queen of France - and then she was "La Reine Blance" - the Dowager Queen as her husband had died.

She was almost already in love with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, when she married the King. Henry knew of his sister's feelings but sent Brandon to bring Mary back to England, he made the Duke promise that he would not propose to her. However, the couple married in secret in France. Technically this was treason, as Brandon had married a Royal Princess without Henry's consent. The King was outraged, Due to the intervention of Wolsey, and Henry's affection for both his sister and Brandon, the couple were let off with a heavy fine.

This is a story to good to be missed by the Queen of romantic novels, Jean Plaidy, and in 1964 her novel on Mary was published. This is No 9 of her 11 novels in the Tudor saga.

Jean Plaidy was at the height of her creative powers and that shows. She is a superb storyteller and it is a pleasure to read. The plot is nicely set and evoles in a great fashion. The Tudor Court is splendidly descripted. Jean Plaidy researched her subjects well and - even it is a novel - it does not mean that this is far removed from the real events. This is one of the strengths of her writing.

Mary, the "French Queen" as she was known till her death, is nicely remembered in this excellent by Jean Plaidy.




THE YOUNGER SISTER OF KING HENRY VIII..., 03 Jul 2004
Jean Plaidy, renowned writer of historical fiction, who is also known to her legions of fans as Victoria Holt, wrote two books about the Tudor princesses. One is titled "The Thistle and the Rose" and is about Margaret Tudor, the older sister of King Henry VIII. This book takes a look at his younger sister, the beautiful, headstrong Mary, who was his favorite. The author, as always, weaves an interesting work of historical fiction gathered from the facts that are known about her subject.

The Princess Mary, in keeping with the traditions of the time, was not in control of own fate. Used as a political pawn through the rites of betrothal, she was finally married off to the sickly King of France, Louis XII, who was more than forty years her senior. Beautiful, vivacious, passionate about her feelings, and headstrong, the teenage Mary went kicking and screaming to the altar, as she was secretly in love with her brother's then best friend, Charles Brandon, a commoner whom King Henry VIII eventually elevated and upon whom he conferred the title of Duke of Suffolk. Before leaving for France, Mary extracted a promise from her brother that he would allow her to marry whom she chose the second time around.

Comforted by her brother's promise, Mary would make the most of her relatively brief sojourn in France, where her beauty and charm would capture the devotion of her French subjects, as well as the roving eye of the charming but married Francois, nephew to King Louis XII and his heir. After biding her time, the ailing King of France died, freeing Mary from her marriage to the kindly, infirm man whom she did not love.

Freed from the bonds of her distasteful marriage, Mary, hearing rumors that her brother was again trying to marry her off for political advantage, went into action. When Charles Brandon, who had gone to France at the express command of King Henry VIII in order to escort Mary back to England, arrived in France, Mary asked him to marry her before securing her brother's permission. Brandon finally agreed, though not without some trepidation, as such an act could be viewed as treasonous. Mary, however, was firm in her belief that, in the end, her brother would not deny her her heart's desire and would keep his promise to his favorite sister. So, they eloped before sailing back to England, aided by Francois, who was now the King of France.

This an interesting work of historical fiction of a Tudor princess about whom relatively little has been written. Ms. Plaidy expertly weaves those known facts into a compelling narrative that brings her story to life, though it leaves the reader wanting to know more than is provided by the author. Still, fans of Ms. Plaidy, of which I am one, will not be disappointed.

Boring, 04 Jun 2008
I found this book very boring despite the potentially facinating subject and not at all well written. A couple of clicks on the computer disclosed that Jean Plaidy also writes under the name Victoria Holt, Philippa Carr and her real name Eleanor Hibbert so beware if you've been bored by her before!

History Comes To Life, 26 Feb 2008
Jean Plaidy has made an art of making history come alive. She has a way of painting pictures to illustrate all her words hence one finds themselves being transported in time and becoming a fly on the wall, listening in to all of the comings and goings. This is truly Anne Boleyns side of her story, much has been written of this exceptional woman in numerous works dedicated to Henry VIII. But this is her book, in her words. One gets a true flavour of the ambitions of the noble classes to climb the social ladder of the day, with little if no scruples. Simultaneously the book tells the story of Anne's cousin, Katherine Howard who would later become Henry's fifth wife. Riveting read.

A lovely tale of deceit and death., 08 Feb 2008
Being a historical romance/fiction buff, this book rocks. Jean Plaidy will be sorely missed, but her writing will keep on going. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.

A Wonderful Book!, 30 Jan 2008
This is a superb piece of historical fiction. Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard truly come alive in these pages. It is easy to read and yet fairly historically accurate which means it appeals to the general reader as well as those with a deep historical interest in the Tudors. Very good!

A beautiful, spirited and intelligent Anne Boleyn., 28 Sep 2006
I have read many historical novels about Anne Boleyn and this is by far the best. Jean Plaidy is a very clever writer because she manages to evoke the relationships between the characters and still create a feeling of historical accuracy. Out of all the created 'Anne Boleyns' this one stands out as how I like to believe she really was; spirited, intelligent, moral and alluring. The way Plaidy weaves the lives of the two cousins together is an original approach to the telling of the six wives tale. It's an excellent book to curl up with on holiday!


Brilliant, 02 Aug 2007
I really enjoyed the medici series.

Despite the fact that the books are quite light and shallow reads I think she really evokes the character of catherine de medici and even though she is portrayed as quite evil you can't help but feel sorry for her and feel fascinated by her.

If you enjoy this I would also recommend the plantagenet series.

Old fashioned and shallow, 21 Nov 2006
I think Catherine de Medici is a fascinating character and having just read the recent Frieda biography picked this up from the library as the first of a trilogy based on her life. It's interesting since it covers her youth and early marriage to Henri II (and his relationship with Diane de Poitiers) but it's somehow very superficial so that we never get a sense of who these people really are, and there's certainly no sense of period. I guess that's because the whole genre of 'historical fiction' has developed hugely since Plaidy was writing this (in the 1950s?).

Having said that, I'm enjoying the book because of the story of Catherine's early life and will probably have a look at the two other books too (the last, covers the marriage of her daughter Margot, heroine of the marvellous film 'La Reine Margot') but these are undeniably light and quite shallow reads.

Jean Plaidy is back!, 20 Jul 2006
I have always been a voracious reader and in my youth thoroughly enjoyed many of Jean Plaidy's fine historical novels. I was therefore delighted to see recently that many of her books have recently been re-issued, possibly on the back of the great success of new historical novelists such as Phillippa Gregory. I had never read Madame Serpent but have always been interested in the Medicis. I have to say though that this book was a disappointment to me. It skated through so many years in a very few pages and focused in minutae on issues that I believe are less important. I know that there are other books to support this one. I think that as a teenager I was less hungry for knowledge than I am now and that a great read was what I was interested in. Now when I read a historical novel I want to learn something new. Although I didn't feel that this book really deleivered I'm going to try another 'the Italian Woman' to see if it fills in the gaps. I guess I feel that I shouldn't have to read more than one book to get the full story. Probably just getting less patient as I get older!

A captivating book about Catherine De Medici, 02 Jan 1999
Madame Serpant is about Catherine De medici, queen of France. It's superb and captured the spirit of the French Court. It shows her relationship with her husband, his mistress, her children and Mary Queen Of Scots. Brilliant

great blend of fact and fiction, 08 Sep 2008
this book is about Katherine of Aragon who everybody knows as Henry VIII first wife. this story as about Katherine's life in England before she became his wife. she arrived in england to marry his brother Arthur who tragically died shortly after the marriage, the story follows what happened to her during that time and what happened to her family in spain. the blending of fact and fiction is very interesting and if you enjoy this book i would also recommend authors elizabeth chadwick and georgette heyer as they have also written similar novels.


THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON, 22 Jan 2004
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A YOUNG KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT,,,, 23 Feb 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

THE EARLY LIFE OF KATHERINE OF ARAGON IN THE ENGLISH COURT.., 19 Jan 2003
In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.

This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.

Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son.

Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.

The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

A heartbreaking story about Katherine of Aragon, 02 Sep 2001
This story about Henry VIII's first wife is a heartbreaking story about a woman brought up in the spanish court.

Katherine came to England to marry Arthur, the Prince of Wales. Arthur is not a strong man and his health gives rise to concern and his father decides that they must wait for a year before the marriage is consumated.

Katherine and Arthur does not mind this and they strike up a fantastic friendship which is thorougly satisfying for both of them. They are given time to fall in love and unlike many other young royal marriages, they are not frightened of the future together. It is unknown whether they did in fact consumate their marriage or not.

Unfortunately Arthur dies before the marriage is officially consumated and Katherine, with only half her dowry paid up, becomes an exile as the king does not wish to send her back to Spain as he would have to repay the dowry.

Henry VIII could restore her to a decent life, if he chose to marry her, but would his conscience allow it?

The first Tudor King, 08 Aug 2008
This is another great Norah Lofts novel, concerning Henry VII and his life following the defeat of King Richard III at Bosworth, thus becoming king by conquest.It tells the story or stories of both Henry and his Queen, Elizabeth daughter of Edward IV, and there are chapters on Henry his son, Arthur his eldest, and the Princes Catherine of Aragon. Added to this are the various plots that keep springing up throughout his reign, as the country is anything but settled after the battle of Bosworth, Yorkist plots abound, and Henry never has a peaceful nights sleep, and throughout it all, you feel that he can never quite get used to being a King, and he is a very cold and unfeeling person. I could only feel sorry for his family, and his poor wife, what a mother in law she had to put up with.



great read, 22 Aug 2006
this book really pulled you into the personal thoughts of the characters while clearly following the history of the time. i strongly reccomend this if you like authors such as phillipa gregory

Incredible!, 23 May 1999
After reading this book, I find it almost impossible to wait while I search for the out of print ones that came before it and after it. She really weaved this plot ingeniously and brought out the personality of Katharine of Aragon.

Europe's most beautiful royal Princess who refused to be merely a bartered commodity , 12 Aug 2008
Mary was the fifth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. Henry VIII were close when they were children - he named his daughter, the future Queen Mary, after her and the warship Mary Rose was also named in her honour.Known in her youth as one of the most beautiful princesses in Europe and favorite sister of the King, she did not escape the typical fate of royal princesses. Since royal princesses were commonly regarded as a bartered commodity she was marrried off for politcial reason. Her husband became King Louis XI of France, 34 years older than the 18 year old golden child of the Tudor dynasty. Butr she strucked a deal with Henry VIII - her next husband would be of her choosing. 3 months she was Queen of France - and then she was "La Reine Blance" - the Dowager Queen as her husband had died.

She was almost already in love with Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, when she married the King. Henry knew of his sister's feelings but sent Brandon to bring Mary back to England, he made the Duke promise that he would not propose to her. However, the couple married in secret in France. Technically this was treason, as Brandon had married a Royal Princess without Henry's consent. The King was outraged, Due to the intervention of Wolsey, and Henry's affection for both his sister and Brandon, the couple were let off with a heavy fine.

This is a story to good to be missed by the Queen of romantic novels, Jean Plaidy, and in 1964 her novel on Mary was published. This is No 9 of her 11 novels in the Tudor saga.

Jean Plaidy was at the height of her creative powers and that shows. She is a superb storyteller and it is a pleasure to read. The plot is nicely set and evoles in a great fashion. The Tudor Court is splendidly descripted. Jean Plaidy researched her subjects well and - even it is a novel - it does not mean that this is far removed from the real events. This is one of the strengths of her writing.

Mary, the "French Queen" as she was known till her death, is nicely remembered in this excellent by Jean Plaidy.




THE YOUNGER SISTER OF KING HENRY VIII..., 03 Jul 2004
Jean Plaidy, renowned writer of historical fiction, who is also known to her legions of fans as Victoria Holt, wrote two books about the Tudor princesses. One is titled "The Thistle and the Rose" and is about Margaret Tudor, the older sister of King Henry VIII. This book takes a look at his younger sister, the beautiful, headstrong Mary, who was his favorite. The author, as always, weaves an interesting work of historical fiction gathered from the facts that are known about her subject.

The Princess Mary, in keeping with the traditions of the time, was not in control of own fate. Used as a political pawn through the rites of betrothal, she was finally married off to the sickly King of France, Louis XII, who was more than forty years her senior. Beautiful, vivacious, passionate about her feelings, and headstrong, the teenage Mary went kicking and screaming to the altar, as she was secretly in love with her brother's then best friend, Charles Brandon, a commoner whom King Henry VIII eventually elevated and upon whom he conferred the title of Duke of Suffolk. Before leaving for France, Mary extracted a promise from her brother that he would allow her to marry whom she chose the second time around.

Comforted by her brother's promise, Mary would make the most of her relatively brief sojourn in France, where her beauty and charm would capture the devotion of her French subjects, as well as the roving eye of the charming but married Francois, nephew to King Louis XII and his heir. After biding her time, the ailing King of France died, freeing Mary from her marriage to the kindly, infirm man whom she did not love.

Freed from the bonds of her distasteful marriage, Mary, hearing rumors that her brother was again trying to marry her off for political advantage, went into action. When Charles Brandon, who had gone to France at the express command of King Henry VIII in order to escort Mary back to England, arrived in France, Mary asked him to marry her before securing her brother's permission. Brandon finally agreed, though not without some trepidation, as such an act could be viewed as treasonous. Mary, however, was firm in her belief that, in the end, her brother would not deny her her heart's desire and would keep his promise to his favorite sister. So, they eloped before sailing back to England, aided by Francois, who was now the King of France.

This an interesting work of historical fiction of a Tudor princess about whom relatively little has been written. Ms. Plaidy expertly weaves those known facts into a compelling narrative that brings her story to life, though it leaves the reader wanting to know more than is provided by the author. Still, fans of Ms. Plaidy, of which I am one, will not be disappointed.

Boring, 04 Jun 2008
I found this book very boring despite the potentially facinating subject and not at all well written. A couple of clicks on the computer disclosed that Jean Plaidy also writes under the name Victoria Holt, Philippa Carr and her real name Eleanor Hibbert so beware if you've been bored by her before!

History Comes To Life, 26 Feb 2008
Jean Plaidy has made an art of making history come alive. She has a way of painting pictures to illustrate all her words hence one finds themselves being transported in time and becoming a fly on the wall, listening in to all of the comings and goings. This is truly Anne Boleyns side of her story, much has been written of this exceptional woman in numerous works dedicated to Henry VIII. But this is her book, in her words. One gets a true flavour of the ambitions of the noble classes to climb the social ladder of the day, with little if no scruples. Simultaneously the book tells the story of Anne's cousin, Katherine Howard who would later become Henry's fifth wife. Riveting read.

A lovely tale of deceit and death., 08 Feb 2008
Being a historical romance/fiction buff, this book rocks. Jean Plaidy will be sorely missed, but her writing will keep on going. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.

A Wonderful Book!, 30 Jan 2008
This is a superb piece of historical fiction. Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard truly come alive in these pages. It is easy to read and yet fairly historically accurate which means it appeals to the general reader as well as those with a deep historical interest in the Tudors. Very good!

A beautiful, spirited and intelligent Anne Boleyn., 28 Sep 2006
I have read many historical novels about Anne Boleyn and this is by far the best. Jean Plaidy is a very clever writer because she manages to evoke the relationships between the characters and still create a feeling of historical accuracy. Out of all the created 'Anne Boleyns' this one stands out as how I like to believe she really was; spirited, intelligent, moral and alluring. The way Plaidy weaves the lives of the two cousins together is an original approach to the telling of the six wives tale. It's an excellent book to curl up with on holiday!


Brilliant, 02 Aug 2007
I really enjoyed the medici series.

Despite the fact that the books are quite light and shallow reads I think she really evokes the character of catherine de medici and even though she is portrayed as quite evil you can't help but feel sorry for her and feel fascinated by her.

If you enjoy this I would also recommend the plantagenet series.

Old fashioned and shallow, 21 Nov 2006
I think Catherine de Medici is a fascinating character and having just read the recent Frieda biography picked this up from the library as the first of a trilogy based on her life. It's interesting since it covers her youth and early marriage to Henri II (and his relationship with Diane de Poitiers) but it's somehow very superficial so that we never get a sense of who these people really are, and there's certainly no sense of period. I guess that's because the whole genre of 'historical fiction' has developed hugely since Plaidy was writing this (in the 1950s?).

Having said that, I'm enjoying the book because of the story of Catherine's early life and will probably have a look at the two other books too (the last, covers the marriage of her daughter Margot, heroine of the marvellous film 'La Reine Margot') but these are undeniably light and quite shallow reads.

Jean Plaidy is back!, 20 Jul 2006
I have always been a voracious reader and in my youth thoroughly enjoyed many of Jean Plaidy's fine historical novels. I was therefore delighted to see recently that many of her books have recently been re-issued, possibly on the back of the great success of new historical novelists such as Phillippa Gregory. I had never read Madame Serpent but have always been interested in the Medicis. I have to say though that this book was a disappointment to me. It skated through so many years in a very few pages and focused in minutae on issues that I believe are less important. I know that there are other books to support this one. I think that as a teenager I was less hungry for knowledge than I am now and that a great read was what I was interested in. Now when I read a historical novel I want to learn something new. Although I didn't feel that this book really deleivered I'm going to try another 'the Italian Woman' to see if it fills in the gaps. I guess I feel that I shouldn't have to read more than one book to get the full story. Probably just getting less patient as I get older!

A captivating book about Catherine De Medici, 02 Jan 1999
Madame Serpant is about Catherine De medici, queen of France. It's superb and captured the spirit of the French Court. It shows her relationship with her husband, his mistress, her children and Mary Queen Of Scots. Brilliant

Save your money, 08 Nov 2005
I chose this book to read on the back of the wonderful "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Phillipa Gregory. I was hoping for another informative and entertaining read based on the life of the Tudors. This book follows the fortunes of Margaret Tudor. Jean Plaidy obviously could not decide if she was writing a novel or a text book. Long, boring narrative passages far outweigh any development of the characters. Margaret Tudor's trials in Scotland and her eventful lovelife provide ample material for a wonderful novel. I feel that Plaidy has not used her artistic license enough. This book has not tempted me to read anymore of Plaidy's works.

THE THISTLE OF SCOTLAND AND THE ROSE OF ENGLAND..., 14 Feb 2004
Jean Plaidy, also known as Victoria Holt to her legion of devoted fans, is a gifted and prolific writer of historical fiction. A masterful storyteller, Ms. Plaidy is known for seamlessly interweaving historical facts into a rich tapestry of fiction that is often spellbinding. Here, she writes about the beautiful Margaret Tudor, a princess of England, daughter of the parsimonious King Henry VII, and older sister to the Tudor despot who would reign as King Henry VIII.

At the tender age of