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bookishblond 's review for:
The Constant Princess
by Philippa Gregory
I've read four Philippa Gregory books other than this one, but The Constant Princess is by far the best only because it changed my mind about a historical character. I'd never like Katherine of Aragon before but this book opened by eyes to her struggles and her suffering. Her parents, Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, raised her on the battlefield and in a conquered Muslim city amongst incredible luxury and instilled in her a set of values that shaped every decision she ever made.
The premise of this book is that Katherine and her first husband Arthur did indeed consummate their brief marriage and Katherine made a deathbed promise to Arthur to marry his brother and eventually become Queen of England. This would involve telling the lie that she was still a virgin, but Katherine believes that it is her destiny to become Queen of England.
The book dragged toward the end, but Gregory did a fantastic job of portraying Katherine of Aragon. My only complaint is that half the book is in italics.
The premise of this book is that Katherine and her first husband Arthur did indeed consummate their brief marriage and Katherine made a deathbed promise to Arthur to marry his brother and eventually become Queen of England. This would involve telling the lie that she was still a virgin, but Katherine believes that it is her destiny to become Queen of England.
The book dragged toward the end, but Gregory did a fantastic job of portraying Katherine of Aragon. My only complaint is that half the book is in italics.