Book description
Splendid and sumptuous historical novel from the internationally
bestselling author, Philippa Gregory, telling of the early life of
Katherine of Aragon.
We think of Katherine of Aragon as the barren wife of a notorious king;
but behind this legacy lies a fascinating story.
Katherine of Aragon is born Catalina, the Spanish Infanta, to parents
who are both rulers and warriors. Aged four, she is betrothed to Arthur,
Prince of Wales, and is raised to be Queen of England. She is never in
doubt that 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 in her new country 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.
But when the studious young man dies, she is left to make her own
future: how can she now be queen, and found a dynasty? Only by marrying
Arthur's young brother, the sunny but spoilt Henry. His father and
grandmother are against it; her powerful parents prove little use. Yet
Katherine is her mother's daughter and her fighting spirit is strong.
She will do anything to achieve her aim; even if it means telling the
greatest lie, and holding to it. 'One of Gregory's great strengths as
a novelist is her ability to take familiar historical figures and flesh
them into living breathing human beings. The Constant Princess is a
worthy successor to her previous novels about the Tudors' Daily Express
'Gregory's research is impeccable which makes her imaginative fiction
all the more convincing' Daily Mail
'Gregory is great at conjuring a Tudor film-set of gorgeous gowns and
golden-lattered dining. She invokes some swoonsome images…while the
politics are personal enough to remain pertinent' DailyTelegraph
Philippa Gregory is an internationally renowned author of historical
novels. She holds a PhD in eighteenth-century literature from the
University of Edinburgh. Works that have been adapted for television
include A Respectable Trade, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool.
The Other Boleyn Girl became a major film, starring Scarlett Johansson,
Natalie Portman and Eric Bana. Philippa Gregory lives in the North of
England with her family.
