The Courts of Love - The Story of Eleanor of Aquitane was probably my favorite. She was such a colorful, independent, and well frankly a feminist in her era. She was married at a young age to Louis, King of France who should have been a priest instead of a king. She went with him on Crusade and there fell in love with her uncle Raymond. After she came back she fell for Henry II who was much younger than her. Because she had only given Louis two daughters she was allowed to get a divorce and then marry Henry who became King of England. For him she bore many sons and daughters. Two of her sons would become Kings. Not a heroic character perhaps but very human and very strong. Plaidy, while sticking close to the facts, also makes us feel as if we know Eleanor. She does that very well in all of her books. She writes in the first person.
The Queen's Secret - Katherine of Valois, Mother of the Tudor Dynasty was about Katherine, daughter of Charles the Mad, King of France. She was married to Henry V who was the English King and a great warrior. He conquered much of France before he died, leaving a young son and widow. Henry V who was too young to be King was taken from his mother and set up with Regents to run the country. Katherine then fell in love with a lowly Welsh man, Owen Tudor. They married but kept their marriage secret, mostly by living in the north. After they had several children they were found out; Katherine was sent to a convent where she died, Owen escaped prison and went to Wales and the children were raised by a noble family. It was Katherine and Henry V's son, Henry VI, who carried the Valois "mad" gene and ended up losing the throne to Edward of York during the war of the Roses. Henry VI didn't particularly care for the throne but his wife did.
The Reluctant Queen - The Story of Anne of York - This book was interesting in that Plaidy puts a totally different spin on the personality of Richard of York and Anne. Anne and Richard fall in love at a young age and after a failed engagement, kidnapping, rescue and some political finagling they finally marry. Then Edward, the King dies. His son Edward is next in line but as he is still very young and these are turbulent times, Richard stands in as Regent. The story is that Edward asked him to. But Richard, prompted by his counselors, declares Edward's marriage to the young Edward's mother void (because Edward was supposedly married already) and declares the children thereof to be illegitimate thereby opening the throne for himself to take. Anne doesn't have any children and Richard who is unlike Edward in every way and never popular turns England against himself. Anne dies before she has to witness the fall of Richard on Bosworth field. At some point between Richard and Henry VII the two sons of Edward of York who had been living in the Tower, disappear never to be seen again. The interesting thing here is that Plaidy manages to make Anne and Richard seem like victims who loved their family and who were only doing what was necessary to keep the country together. This viewpoint is not how history usually portrays Richard II "old Crookback".
To Hold the Crown - The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York was another interesting book. Mostly because I haven't read alot about this particular couple. Henry was the first Tudor King, he won the crown from Richard II at Bosworth field. He married Elizabeth of York (Edward's daughter) to secure the Yorks' loyalty. He spent most of his reign securing his kingship and collecting money. He was not a happy man and spent alot of time looking over his shoulder; probably because of how he came to have the throne in the first place. He also was involved in the mystery of the disappearance of the York princes, Edward and Richard. These boys would have been Elizabeth's brothers.
The Queen's Devotion - The Story of Queen Mary II - This was probably my least favorite of this group of books. I don't know that much about William and Mary but Mary seemed like such a dreary character and kind of a "victim". She was the niece of the Bonnie Prince Charles. Since Charles had no legitimate children, Mary was next in line for the throne, after her father. Her father was a Catholic, and in this post-restoration England the English hated the Catholics and refused a Catholic ruler. Mary was married off to William of Orange who she didn't like. William, although a strong, stern protestant, was not faithful to Mary and she was just miserable all the time it seemed. By the time it finally came her turn to be Queen she insisted William rule as her co-ruler not as consort. I was constantly waiting for her to fight back, to stand up for herself and be independent. She didn't have children and the throne after her death went to her younger sister Anne.
The King's Confidante - The Story of the Daughter of Sir Thomas More - This is the last book I've read by Plaidy. Sir Thomas More, who wrote "Utopia" was a counselor to King Henry VII. Although Henry's court was a licentious place at this time More was an honest, upstanding Catholic. He married and had children. He believed girls should be educated just like boys which was unheard of in that time and he proved it with his own girls. The book is written from the view of his eldest daughter, Margaret. They loved each other very much and Meg was very bright and studious. The story is basically a look at the home life of a normal English family time that yet has ties to the royal house. Things went downhill for the More's when the King decided to divorce his wife Katherine in order to marry Anne Boleyn. More disapproved of this and would have nothing to do with it. Because he stood against it so did many others and this angered the King. In the end More lost his head and the King got his divorce. It ends sadly but the story is a good one. More is a stubborn, complicated hero much loved by his children.
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