Tagged: henry viii
Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer
(Cover picture courtesy of LIBR 265-10.)
Mary Tudor is a beautiful young princess in a grand palace filled with servants. She is accustomed to sparkling jewels, beautiful gowns, and lavish parties. Then, suddenly, she is banished by her father, King Henry VIII, to live in a cold, lonely place without money, new clothes, or even her mother.
At first it seems like a terrible mistake. Even when her father has a public and humiliating affair with a bewitching woman, Mary remains hopeful. But when he abandons her mother, marries his mistress, and has a child with her, Mary begins to lose faith. And now, dressed in rags, she is summoned back to the palace to be a serving maid to her new baby sister.
Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII, is a servant in her own home.
Believe it or not, it’s all true.
Mary Tudor has a bad reputation—quite deservedly so—but in the end she is the product of her upbringing. Her extremely devout Catholicism, her fall from her father’s favour and the people she grew up around made for a potent mix once she finally ascended the throne. Mary, Bloody Mary tells the story of her childhood at hints at the Queen she would become.
Since Carolyn Meyer tells the story of Mary’s youth, before she started persecuting ‘heretics’, she is a very sympathetic character. Readers will feel the agony of her fall, the ecstasy of her triumphs and the very real danger she was in during the rise of Anne Boleyn. Since she also deals with issues teenage girls today do, her story is still relevant. Her struggle to be accepted by her father and her longing for the mother she’s forbidden to contact is especially relevant to young adults.
Brought up in this kind of dysfunctional family environment changes Mary, but it also adds more tension to the plot. That makes for a much more interesting, if not faster, plot. Of course all of the historical details are much more important than a fast plot and Carolyn Meyer will teach young readers history in an enjoyable manner.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
(Cover picture courtesy of Devon County Council.)
Katherine of Aragon is betrothed at the age of three to Prince Arthur, son and heir of Henry VII of England. She is raised to be Princess of Wales, and knows it is her destiny to rule that far-off, wet, cold land.
Her faith is tested when her prospective father-in-law greets her arrival with a great insult; Arthur seems little better than a boy; the food is strange and the customs coarse. Slowly, she adapts to the first Tudor court, and life as Arthur’s wife grows ever more bearable. Unexpectedly in this arranged marriage, a tender and passionate love develops.
But when the studious young man dies, she is left too make her own future: how can she now be queen, and found and dynasty? Only by marrying Arthur’s young brother, the sunny but spoilt Henry.
Yesterday I reviewed Patience, Princess Catherine, which is aimed at tweens and young teens. This book is the adult version of Carolyn Meyer’s novel and it also gives a new perspective to the tale of Katherine (usually spelled ‘Catherine’) of Aragon.
In Philippa Gregory’s version of events, Katherine is a highly ambitious woman raised by her warrior-queen mother, the indomitable Isabel, to be Queen of England. So when she is married to Arthur, she readily accepts the arranged marriage, knowing it is her duty. Yet something happens that neither she nor Arthur expected: they fall in love. But shortly after that, Arthur dies and tells Katherine on his deathbed to marry Henry and achieve her dream. She, of course, keeps her promise to him and waits seven years to marry Henry and become Queen of England.
The Constant Princess is not a fast-paced novel by any means, but it is one of my favourite books by Philippa Gregory, simply because the characters are so well developed. Most of them are three dimensional and Katherine is a wonderful narrator that can command your attention easily. It also has one thing I prize in historical fiction: historical accuracy. So if you’re looking for a historically accurate tale of love, ambition and heartbreak, you will love The Constant Princess.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Patience, Princess Catherine by Carolyn Meyer
(Cover picture courtesy of iNetGiant.)
Catherine of Aragon grew up expecting she would one day become the queen of England—not a dejected teenage widow. But that is exactly what happens when fragile Prince Arthur, to whom she has been betrothed since the age of three, dies only months after their wedding. Her power now obsolete, Catherine is exiled to a dank castle in a remote part of the country. She is stranded there for years with little money and no control over her fate.
There is one ray of light in Catherine’s lonely life—her friendship with handsome Prince Henry, her deceased husband’s younger brother. A marriage to Henry could elevate Catherine from her precarious position and give her the crown that she was once promised. But will Henry take the risk of making the destitute princess his queen? Only time will tell…
Catherine of Aragon is an oft-overlooked woman, having been outshone by her successor, Anne Boleyn. But after reading this novel, I found that there is a much to admire about her. I actually learned a lot from Patience, Princess Catherine because I knew Catherine had waited to marry Henry, but I never knew just how long she waited. She spent seven years in England upon Arthur’s death and her determination paid off: Catherine of Aragon became Queen of England. Believe me, she had far more patience than I would have had her place.
Carolyn Meyer’s portrayal of Catherine is very sympathetic; she is a fiery, determined young woman who believes she is destined to be Queen of England and will stop at nothing to achieve her destiny. Readers will cheer for her every step of the way through her long, hard journey to England her years of waiting to marry Henry. Unlike with Anne Boleyn in Doomed Queen Anne, her downfall is not featured nearly as prominently, but there is still a hint of sadness in the narrative as Catherine reflects on the events of her youth.
With an interesting, well-paced plot, even readers who hate history will love Patience, Princess Catherine. I would recommend it for 12+ because of brief scenes of sexuality, but it really depends on the reader’s maturity level.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Doomed Queen Anne by Carolyn Meyer
(Cover picture courtesy of Fictional Appearances By…)
Anne Boleyn was born without great beauty, wealth, or title, but she’s blossomed into a captivating young woman—and she knows it. Determined to rise to the top, she uses her wiles to win the heart of England’s most powerful man, King Henry VIII. Not satisfied with the King’s heart, however, she persuades Henry to defy everyone—including his own wife—to make her his new queen.
This engrossing novel tells Anne’s fascinating story in her own voice—from her life as an awkward girl to the dramatic moments leading up to her beheading.
I’ve always liked the story of Anne Boleyn, the woman whose ambition propelled her up to the greatest heights. Unfortunately, the higher you rise, the farther you have to fall. And, oh, did Anne Boleyn fall to the lowest of the low.
Doomed Queen Anne is the story of her rise and fall, told in journal form on the eve of her execution as she recounts the events that lead up to it. It begins at her unhappy childhood and comes around full circle, which always adds a tinge of sadness to the narrative. Carolyn Meyer is a masterful writer of historical fiction and sticks to the facts while telling this excellent story. She shows that the women history has assigned bad reputations to weren’t really all that bad and were perfectly human, meaning they had flaws just like us.
I believe the best example of this is when she writes about Anne’s childhood as the ill-favoured daughter, overshadowed by her beautiful, dazzling older sister, Mary. She was told she was ugly, but learned how to hide her flaws while emphasizing her better traits. This well developed backstory is what makes her a memorable character that most readers will be able to sympathize with.
The plot of Doomed Queen Anne is reasonably well paced and the entire novel is historically accurate, as far as I can tell. Carolyn Meyer is a very gifted writer and uses her talent to draw readers in to the backstabbing court of the Tudors and move the plot along to its inevitable, tragic conclusion. I would recommend this book for people 12+ because there are brief scenes of sexuality, but nothing more than what you would encounter at most movies aimed at tweens.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.