Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen by Alison Weir
Title: Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen
Author: Alison Weir
Published: May 5th 2016
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 602
ISBN:1101966483
Synopsis:
A princess of Spain, Catalina is only sixteen years old when she sets foot on the shores of England. The youngest daughter of the powerful monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, Catalina is a coveted prize for a royal marriage - and Arthur, Prince of Wales, and heir to the English throne, has won her hand. But tragedy strikes and Catalina, now Princess Katherine, is betrothed to the future Henry VIII. She must wait for his coming-of-age, an ordeal that tests her resolve, casts doubt on her trusted confidantes, and turns her into a virtual prisoner.Katherine's patience is rewarded when she becomes Queen of England. The affection between Katherine and Henry is genuine, but forces beyond her control threaten to rend her marriage, and indeed the nation, apart. Henry has fallen under the spell of Katherine's maid of honor, Anne Boleyn. Now Katherine must be prepared to fight, to the end if God wills it, for her faith, her legitimacy, and her heart.
My Review:
''This was the culmination of all her hopes. God had seen fit to answer her prayers, and she was filled to the brim with thankfulness. She was to be Queen of England, raised by this magnificent young man to be the bride of his heart and the mother of his heirs. Those who had scorned he and tried to humiliate her would now have to defer to her - she tried not to relish the prospect, but she was only human. The days of want were gone for good; very shortly she wold be the wife of the richest king ever to reign in England.''
I love this book. I am a huge fan of Tudor history and Tudor fiction and so have read many books by many authors! What is so special about this particular book for me was that Katherine was portrayed differently. In most books and television Katherine is shown as a middle-aged, unattractive and unwanted woman , the early years of her marriage to Henry, are often overshadowed by the turbulent years revolving around The King’s Great Matter (in which Henry and Anne fought hard to be rid of Katherine so that they could be married). In this book, we finally see everything from Katherine’s viewpoint. We see her as a young, beautiful, intelligent and sincere woman, who was considered as a great prize for marriage. We follow her as she comes to England to marry Arthur ( the older brother to Henry VIII), their brief marriage, and her years after the death of Arthur under the rule of Henry VII.
Reading about her early years after the death of first child-husband I couldn't help and not admire her even more. She was all alone in a foreign land of England without any friend, living in grueling circumstances, without money and had to rely on begging for help from King Henry VII, or her father. They were of little help for they seen her as a chess pawn, not caring if she lived in poverty and had to sell all her treasured belongings to survive and to pay her household. But she stayed strong and true to her belief that she was destined to be Queen of England. And after so many years of suffering, she becomes Henry VIII’s wife and the queen of England.
The early years of her marriage to Henry were loving, and despite so many loses of the children they were quite happy. Henry admired, and adored his Queen and there was genuine passion between them. It was a bittersweet to read about their marriage and love, since we all know how it ended. The saddest thing of all was the fact that Katherine continued to remain loyal in her love for Henry, despite everything he put her through, and she loved him up until her dying day.
I have always felt a deep sense of empathy for Katherine, but as I read this novel, I came to also admire her for her strength and courage. Despite everything she went through in her life, she always remained strong, fighting for her beliefs and her rights, holding her head up high until she took her last breath. Her love for both Henry, and her only child, Mary, her devotion to God, was a thing to be marveled at. It gave me a new found respect for what this exceptional monarch went through as a wife, mother, and Queen.
Summary:
Alison Weir always does a terrific job of bringing Tudor fiction to life, but with Katherine of Aragon, she's surpassed herself. Weir brings the characters to life, every moment of this book was a pleasure, from a reading of a young, romantic Henry and seeing him develop into a monster, to all the trials and tribulations Katherine was faced with from her arrival in a foreign land. Highly recommend this richly written book!!
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