∎ [PDF] Katharine of Aragon The Wives of Henry VIII Jean Plaidy Books

Katharine of Aragon The Wives of Henry VIII Jean Plaidy Books

Download As PDF : Katharine of Aragon The Wives of Henry VIII Jean Plaidy Books

Katharine of Aragon The Wives of Henry VIII Jean Plaidy Books

I used to wonder about Katherine of Aragon. Why couldn't she be sensible like Anne of Cleves? Why not just give the king an annulment like he wanted and live in comfort as his not-wife? Part of it was, I think, due to her pride as a Spanish princess. She felt she would be betraying the legacy of her mother, Queen Isabella, and part due to her fears for the future of her daughter Mary. If she allowed an annulment, where did that leave her daughter? In limbo, neither legitimate nor a bastard but something else.

There also is element of pride being the only thing Katherine had that couldn't be taken away from her. Left stranded in England after the death of Arthur, Prince of Wales, and the death of her mother, Queen Isabella of Castile, two years later, she was left in a life of penury and uncertainty. Her father wasn't interested in taking her back to Spain. She had only her pride to protect her until Henry VIII married her and raised her to the highest position in the land. She never shirked her duty and did her best to give him a son, undergoing several miscarriages and deaths of boy babies. She was pregnant six times and gave birth to one healthy child, a girl, the future Queen Mary I of England.

She had always done her duty, attempted to fulfill her responsibilities as a queen for nearly 20 years and didn't take to the idea of being tossed aside for a new wife. She fought back as best she could, and scored points against Henry when she looked him in the eye and dared him to say she didn't come to him a virgin. She knew her cause was hopeless, but she fought to the end anyway.

I used to get impatient with Queen Katherine, but after reading this book I am filled with nothing but respect. She behaved with honor and dignity under impossible conditions, all for the sake of her own self-respect and the benefit of the only person left who loved her—her daughter.


Tags : Amazon.com: Katharine of Aragon: The Wives of Henry VIII (9780609810255): Jean Plaidy: Books,Jean Plaidy,Katharine of Aragon: The Wives of Henry VIII,Broadway Books,0609810251,Historical - General,Biographical fiction,Biographical fiction.,Catharine,Great Britain - History - Henry VIII, 1509-1547,Great Britain;History;Henry VIII, 1509-1547;Fiction.,Queens - Great Britain,Queens;Great Britain;Fiction.,1485-1536,Catharine,,FICTION Biographical,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Sagas,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction-Coming of Age,Fiction-Historical,GENERAL,General Adult,Great Britain,Great BritainBritish Isles,Henry VIII, 1509-1547,Historical fiction,History,Queens,ReadingsAnthologiesCollected Works,United States,historical fiction; tudors; historical; biographical fiction; royalty; historical romance; elizabeth i; british history; henry viii; english history; medieval; tudor england; 18th century; renaissance; fiction; fiction books; historical fiction books; historical fiction novels; england; tudor; anne boleyn; wars of the roses; mystery; biography; shakespeare; plantagenets; richard iii; adventure; drama; mary queen of scots; middle ages; marriage; war; henry v; love; french revolution; royal family,historical;historical fiction books;alternate history;historical fiction novels;historical fiction;fiction;novels;fiction books;historical novels;books fiction;books historical fiction;england;tudors;romance;historical romance;medieval;tudor;henry viii;elizabeth i;mystery;renaissance;wars of the roses;shakespeare;british history;english history;drama;middle ages;adventure;plantagenets;fantasy;marriage;mary queen of scots;war;love;henry v;romance novels;rome;historical fiction for children 9-12,of Aragon, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England,,FICTION Biographical,FICTION Historical General,FICTION Sagas,Fiction - Historical,1485-1536,Catharine,,Great Britain,Henry VIII, 1509-1547,History,Queens,of Aragon, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England,,Fiction,Historical fiction

Katharine of Aragon The Wives of Henry VIII Jean Plaidy Books Reviews

Often the focus has been on Anne Boleyn and the fact that Henry VIII chose to execute the woman he fell head over heels in love with. The portrayal of her has often been one of wit and charm while Catherine was described as a dour and dry woman in the background. It was good to get a glimpse of Catherine's side of the story, even though of course fictitious for a great part. Also Wolsey was an interesting character as Plaidy made him out.
I just read Hilary Mantel's novels about Cromwell and Henry VI and VIII so decided to find out about the wives. I had never read Plaidy before and enjoyed the book very much. It was slightly repetitious and probably could have done with some judicious editing nevertheless I enjoyed every page. I went on to read the Ann Boyelyn and Jane Seymour book by the same author and it was very much a repeat of the Katharine book but enjoyable, Not being overly familiar with the sixteenth century I'm not sure about the accuracy of the historical facts but I'll trust that the author did her homework. I believe she is an historian and knows the sources to use. I would recommend both books if the sixteenth century is your cup of tea. Imagine if the English ahd colonized South Anerica they would drink coffee.
I did enjoy this book with the proviso that it is fiction. The author portrayed Henry as an adolescent adult, which may or may not have been true. His exploits in France were also less than stunning. Interesting thoughts, true, maybe. Katherine was the heroine and one could not help but feel sympathy for her both as a wife and mother. Keep an open mind and relax and enjoy the fiction.
Katharine of Aragon, by Jean Plaidy

"Katharine of Aragon," by Jean Plaidy, is actually an omnibus of the author's three previous novels about Henry VIII's first queen. The books are "Katharine, the Virgin Widow," "The Shadow of the Pomegranate," and "The King's Secret Matter." So this volume is a great deal, as you're really getting three books for the price of one.

Plaidy is an excellent historical fiction writer. I'd seen her recommended several times, and was eager to read something of hers. Katharine happens to be a favorite figure of mine, but Plaidy has written novels on just about anyone you could want to read about in English history.

"Katharine, the Virgin Widow" focuses on the young princess and her first marriage to Henry's brother, Arthur. The book starts with Katharine's journey from Spain to England; I would have liked to see Plaidy write some scenes from the princess's life before England - references are made to her "previous" life quite a bit, and it would have been nice to read some of them, rather than just get a line or two of memories. But otherwise, a great book, that introduces readers the different players in the English monarchy and politics.

"The Shadow of the Pomegranate" continues Katharine's story after her marriage to Henry VIII, and focuses on her difficulty to conceive an heir.

"The King's Secret Matter" finishes Katharine's sad tale, recounting Henry's efforts to divorce his wife and marry Anne Boleyn. Plaidy captures Katharine's dignity and fight to remain a queen through all of Henry's machinations to set her aside.

Plaidy pens an engrossing story of Katharine of Argaon, one that fans of historical Tudor fiction will surely enjoy. I'll definitely be picking up more of her novels, because I think they are great introductions for periods or people I'm unfamiliar with.

4/5.
This was a very enjoyable and well-written presentation of the much told story of Katherine of Aragon. It somewhat unusual in that it included side histories of other important figures of her time. The result is a very thorough rendering of her life triumphs, determination, and defeats.. Of course this is historical fiction so conversations and all happenings must be interpreted as fictional but

I do feel that much of it was based on historical fact. Jean Plaidy is a pseudonym and

ii believe some readers will be surprised as to the writer's true identity. Caution it will take awhile to read and you probably nee to be familiar with the Tudor era to enjoy it as much as I did.
I used to wonder about Katherine of Aragon. Why couldn't she be sensible like Anne of Cleves? Why not just give the king an annulment like he wanted and live in comfort as his not-wife? Part of it was, I think, due to her pride as a Spanish princess. She felt she would be betraying the legacy of her mother, Queen Isabella, and part due to her fears for the future of her daughter Mary. If she allowed an annulment, where did that leave her daughter? In limbo, neither legitimate nor a bastard but something else.

There also is element of pride being the only thing Katherine had that couldn't be taken away from her. Left stranded in England after the death of Arthur, Prince of Wales, and the death of her mother, Queen Isabella of Castile, two years later, she was left in a life of penury and uncertainty. Her father wasn't interested in taking her back to Spain. She had only her pride to protect her until Henry VIII married her and raised her to the highest position in the land. She never shirked her duty and did her best to give him a son, undergoing several miscarriages and deaths of boy babies. She was pregnant six times and gave birth to one healthy child, a girl, the future Queen Mary I of England.

She had always done her duty, attempted to fulfill her responsibilities as a queen for nearly 20 years and didn't take to the idea of being tossed aside for a new wife. She fought back as best she could, and scored points against Henry when she looked him in the eye and dared him to say she didn't come to him a virgin. She knew her cause was hopeless, but she fought to the end anyway.

I used to get impatient with Queen Katherine, but after reading this book I am filled with nothing but respect. She behaved with honor and dignity under impossible conditions, all for the sake of her own self-respect and the benefit of the only person left who loved her—her daughter.