New Releases by Alison Weir

In this “immersive tale of Tudor intrigue” (Publishers Weekly), the New York Times bestselling author of The Last White Rose explores the rise of Thomas Wolsey, who was Henry VIII’s chief adviser—until the king accused him of treason. “Henry VIII’s beloved cardinal leaps from the page in all his brilliance, complexity, and humanity. Fans of Wolf Hall have a treat in store.”—Tracy Borman, author of Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I Cardinal Thomas Wolsey enjoyed one of the most meteoric careers in history. His rise from humble beginnings coincided with young Henry VIII’s ascension to the throne in 1509. The two grew to be cherished friends, and by 1515 Wolsey, now a cardinal, had become the controlling figure in all matters of church and state. Wolsey operated on an international stage and worked hard to broker universal peace. All was going dazzlingly well until Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn—the woman whom Wolsey would one day call “the night crow”—and sought to end his marriage to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. Swept up in the maelstrom of “the Divorce,” Wolsey, who had successfully given his master everything he wanted, found himself in an impossible situation. As he drew the ire of the future queen, the cardinal found his privileged life and his relationship with Henry crumbling around him. Alison Weir’s poignant novel tells the story of Wolsey the man—his incredible rise to power and his tragic fall. She delves beyond the splendor and political machinations of the Tudor court to reveal the secrets of Wolsey’s private life, the mistress and children he was devoted to, and the tragedy that overtook them. It is a tale of two women, one who loved him and one who hated him—and also a tale of two men, king and commoner, the special, deep-rooted bonds that brought them together and the forces that drove them apart.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING... ''I felt I was right there with Mary going through the tough and the good times with her'' ''Alison''s book is full of things you never knew'' ''A totally absorbing read'' ''A real eye-opener to the times of the Tudor dynasty'' ''Gripping and unmissable'' From Sunday Times bestselling historical novelist Alison Weir, a spellbinding story of how a beloved princess became the infamous Bloody Mary. ''A must for Tudor fans everywhere'' Tracy Borman Thrilling, captivating... unforgettable'' Kate Williams A DESTINY REWRITTEN. A ROYAL HEART DIVIDED. Adored only child of Henry VIII and his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary is raised in the golden splendour of her father''s court. But the King wants a son and heir. With her parents'' marriage, and England, in crisis, Mary''s perfect world begins to fall apart. Exiled from the court and her beloved mother, she seeks solace in her faith, praying for her father to bring her home. But when the King does promise to restore her to favour, his love comes with a condition. The choice Mary faces will haunt her for years to come - in her allegiances, her marriage and her own fight for the crown. Can she become the queen she was born to be? MARY I. HER STORY.

Packed with dramatic true stories from one of European history’s most romantic and turbulent eras, this epic narrative chronicles the five vividly rendered queens of the Plantagenet kings who ruled England between 1299 and 1399. The Age of Chivalry describes a period of medieval history dominated by the social, religious, and moral code of knighthood that prized noble deeds, military greatness, and the game of courtly love between aristocratic men and women. It was also a period of high drama in English history, which included the toppling of two kings, the Hundred Years War, the Black Death, and the Peasants’ Revolt. Feudalism was breaking down, resulting in social and political turmoil. Against this dramatic milieu, Alison Weir describes the lives and reigns of five queen consorts: Marguerite of France was seventeen when she became the second wife of sixty-year-old King Edward I. Isabella of France, later known as “the She-Wolf,” dethroned her husband, Edward II, and ruled England with her lover. In contrast, Philippa of Hainault was a popular queen to the deposed king’s son Edward III. Anne of Bohemia was queen to Richard II, but she died young and childless. Isabella of Valois became Richard’s second wife when she was only six years old, but was caught up in events when he was violently overthrown. This was a turbulent and brutal age, despite its chivalric color and ethos, and it stands as a vivid backdrop to the extraordinary stories of these queens’ lives.

Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir brings her Tudor Queens series to a close with the remarkable story of Henry VIII''s sixth and final wife, who manages to survive him and remarry, only to be thrown into a romantic intrigue that threatens the very throne of England. “A superb read and a remarkable end to a brilliant series.”—Historical Novel Society Having sent his much-beloved but deceitful young wife Katheryn Howard to her beheading, King Henry fixes his lonely eyes on a more mature woman, thirty-year-old, twice-widowed Katharine Parr. She, however, is in love with Sir Thomas Seymour, brother to the late Queen Jane. Aware of his rival, Henry sends him abroad, leaving Katharine no choice but to become Henry’s sixth queen in 1543. The king is no longer in any condition to father a child, but Katharine is content to mother his three children, Mary, Elizabeth, and the longed-for male heir, Edward. Four years into the marriage, Henry dies, leaving England’s throne to nine-year-old Edward—a puppet in the hands of ruthlessly ambitious royal courtiers—and Katharine''s life takes a more complicated turn. Thrilled at this renewed opportunity to wed her first love, Katharine doesn''t realize that Sir Thomas now sees her as a mere stepping stone to the throne, his eye actually set on bedding and wedding fourteen-year-old Elizabeth. The princess is innocently flattered by his attentions, allowing him into her bedroom, to the shock of her household. The result is a tangled tale of love and a struggle for power, bringing to a close the dramatic and violent reign of Henry VIII.

Over the years of his reign, six different women took their place beside King Henry VIII of England as his wife and queen. But the real stories of the six Tudor queens belong to those who lived among them. Played out in glittering palaces and whispering courts, these are tales of the people who loved and served these women, and those who lied and betrayed. Collected together for the first time, In the Shadow of Queens reveals thirteen startling stories from the Tudor court, told by those at the very heart of that world.

Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir tells the tragic story of Henry VIII’s fifth wife, a nineteen-year-old beauty with a hidden past, in this fifth novel in the sweeping Six Tudor Queens series. “A vivid re-creation of a Tudor tragedy.”—Kirkus Reviews In the spring of 1540, Henry VIII is desperate to be rid of his unappealing German queen, Anna of Kleve. A prematurely aged and ailing forty-nine, with an ever-growing waistline, he casts an amorous eye on a pretty nineteen-year-old brunette, Katheryn Howard. Like her cousin Anne Boleyn, Katheryn is a niece of the Duke of Norfolk, England’s premier Catholic peer, who is scheming to replace Anna of Kleve with a good Catholic queen. A flirtatious, eager participant in the life of the royal court, Katheryn readily succumbs to the king’s attentions when she is intentionally pushed into his path by her ambitious family. Henry quickly becomes besotted and is soon laying siege to Katheryn’s virtue. But as instructed by her relations, she holds out for marriage and the wedding takes place a mere fortnight after the king’s union to Anna is annulled. Henry tells the world his new bride is a rose without a thorn, and extols her beauty and her virtue, while Katheryn delights in the pleasures of being queen and the rich gifts her adoring husband showers upon her: the gorgeous gowns, the exquisite jewels, and the darling lap-dogs. She comes to love the ailing, obese king, enduring his nightly embraces with fortitude and kindness. If she can bear him a son, her triumph will be complete. But Katheryn has a past of which Henry knows nothing, and which comes back increasingly to haunt her—even as she courts danger yet again. What happens next to this naïve and much-wronged girl is one of the saddest chapters in English history.

Packed with incredible true stories and legendary medieval intrigue, this epic narrative history chronicles the first five queens from the powerful royal family that ruled England and France for over three hundred years. The Plantagenet queens of England played a role in some of the most dramatic events in our history. Crusading queens, queens in rebellion against their king, seductive queens, learned queens, queens in battle, queens who enlivened England with the romantic culture of southern Europe—these determined women often broke through medieval constraints to exercise power and influence, for good and sometimes for ill. This second volume of Alison Weir’s critically acclaimed history of the queens of medieval England now moves into a period of even higher drama, from 1154 to 1291: years of chivalry and courtly love, dynastic ambition, conflict between church and throne, baronial wars, and the ruthless interplay between the rival monarchs of Britain and France. We see events such as the murder of Becket, the Magna Carta, and the birth of parliaments from a new perspective. Weir’s narrative begins with the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose marriage to Henry II established a dynasty that ruled for over three hundred years and created the most powerful empire in western Christendom—but also sowed the seeds for some of the most destructive family conflicts in history and for the collapse, under her son King John, of England’s power in Europe. The lives of Eleanor’s four successors were just as remarkable: Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard the Lionheart; Isabella of Angoulême, queen of John; Alienor of Provence, queen of Henry III; and finally Eleanor of Castile, the grasping but beloved wife of Edward I. Through the story of these first five Plantagenet queens, Alison Weir provides a fresh, enthralling narrative focusing on these fascinating female monarchs during this dramatic period of high romance and sometimes low politics, with determined women at its heart.

A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER ''A riveting read, I simply could not put it down'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Seeing her story through her own eyes makes it even more emotional'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''Told with empathy and understanding. I lived every moment'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''We get to know the real Katheryn'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ''What a page turner'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The fifth mesmerising novel in the Six Tudor Queens series by Sunday Times bestseller Alison Weir relates one of the most tragic stories in English history. ''This six-book series looks likely to become a landmark in historical fiction'' THE TIMES ''With characteristic verve and stunning period detail, this novel will captivate you and break your heart. Utterly sublime'' TRACY BORMAN A NAIVE YOUNG WOMAN AT THE MERCY OF HER AMBITIOUS FAMILY. At just nineteen, Katheryn Howard is quick to trust and fall in love. She comes to court. She sings, she dances. She captures the heart of the King. But Henry knows nothing of Katheryn''s past - one that comes back increasingly to haunt her. For those who share her secrets are waiting in the shadows, whispering words of love... and blackmail. KATHERYN HOWARD THE FIFTH OF HENRY''S QUEENS HER STORY Acclaimed, bestselling historian Alison Weir draws on extensive research to recount the tale of a vivacious young woman used by powerful men for their own gain. History tells us she died too soon. This mesmerising novel brings her to life. SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS. --- Praise for Alison Weir and Katheryn Howard: ''Conveys the heart-rending pathos of a young woman executed, whose only real crime was her naïveté and her desire to be loved... It is a profoundly moving story that lingers long after the last page is turned'' Elizabeth Fremantle ''Alison''s sensitively drawn novel will change everyone''s preconceptions'' Susan Ronald ''Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life'' Guardian ''Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else'' Barbara Erskine

''Alison Weir transforms Henry VIII''s much-maligned fourth wife into a woman of passion, courage and mystery'' Tracy Borman Alison Weir, historian and author of the Sunday Times bestsellers Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen, Anne Boleyn: A King''s Obsession and Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen, paints a spellbinding portrait of Anna of Kleve, Henry VIII''s fourth queen. ''This six-book series looks likely to become a landmark in historical fiction'' The Times A GERMAN PRINCESS WITH A GUILTY SECRET. The King is in love with a portrait, but the real Anna does not enchant him. She must win him over. Everyone knows that Henry won''t stand for a problem queen. But rumours of Anna''s past are rife at court - dangerous talk that could mark her downfall. Can this clever, spirited young woman reach out in friendship to the King, and gain his love forever? ANNA OF KLEVE THE FOURTH OF HENRY''S QUEENS HER STORY Acclaimed, bestselling historian Alison Weir draws on new evidence to conjure a startling image of Anna as you''ve never seen her before. A charming, spirited woman, she was loved by all who knew her - and even, ultimately, by the King who rejected her. History tells us she was never crowned. But her story does not end there. SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS. ''Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else'' Barbara Erskine ''Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life'' Guardian

The surprising and dramatic life of the least known of King Henry VIII''s wives is illuminated in the fourth volume in the Six Tudor Queens series--for fans of Philippa Gregory, Hilary Mantel, and The Crown. Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to ensure the royal succession. Forty-six, overweight, and suffering from gout, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe''s most eligible princesses. Anna of Kleve, from a small German duchy, is twenty-four, and has a secret she is desperate to keep hidden. Henry commissions her portrait from his court painter, who depicts her from the most flattering perspective. Entranced by the lovely image, Henry is bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in England and he sees her in the flesh. Some think her attractive, but Henry knows he can never love her. What follows is the fascinating story of an awkward royal union that somehow had to be terminated. Even as Henry begins to warm to his new wife and share her bed, his attention is captivated by one of her maids-of-honor. Will he accuse Anna of adultery as he did Queen Anne Boleyn, and send her to the scaffold? Or will he divorce her and send her home in disgrace? Alison Weir takes a fresh and astonishing look at this remarkable royal marriage by describing it from the point of view of Queen Anna, a young woman with hopes and dreams of her own, alone and fearing for her life in a royal court that rejected her almost from the day she set foot on England''s shore.

A captivating, sweeping saga of England’s medieval queens, from the New York Times bestselling author hailed as “the finest historian of English monarchical succession writing” (The Boston Globe) “Polished [and] fascinating . . . It was a man’s world but, as Weir convincingly shows, the five queens wielded real power in front of as well as behind the throne.”—Sunday Express The lives of England’s medieval queens were packed with incident—love, intrigue, betrayal, adultery, and warfare—but their stories have been largely obscured by centuries of myth and omission. Now, in the first volume of an exciting series, esteemed biographer Alison Weir provides a fresh perspective and restores these women to their rightful place in history. Spanning the years from the Norman conquest in 1066 to the dawn of a new era in 1154, this epic book brings to life five women: Matilda of Flanders, wife of the first Norman king, William the Conqueror; Matilda of Scotland, revered as “the common mother of all England”; Adeliza of Louvain, the young beauty whom the aging Henry I married to get an heir; Matilda of Boulogne, who fought a war on behalf of her husband, King Stephen, against this book’s fifth queen, Empress Maud, England’s first female ruler, whose son King Henry II would found the Plantagenet dynasty. More than those who came before or after them, these Norman consorts were recognized as equal sharers in sovereignty. Without the support of their wives, the Norman kings could not have ruled their disparate dominions as effectively. Drawing from the most reliable contemporary sources, Weir skillfully crafts an all-encompassing portrait of English medieval queenship and a captivating chapter of English history. Don’t miss any of Alison Weir’s fascinating England’s Medieval Queens series: QUEENS OF THE CONQUEST • QUEENS OF THE CRUSADES • QUEENS OF THE AGE OF CHIVALRY • QUEENS AT WAR

*A Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller* Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen by bestselling historian Alison Weir, author of The Lost Tudor Princess, is the first in a spellbinding six novel series about Henry VIII''s Queens. Alison takes you on an engrossing journey at Katherine''s side and shows her extraordinary strength of character and intelligence. Ideal for fans of Philippa Gregory and Elizabeth Chadwick. ''Shatters the many myths about Henry VIII''s long-suffering first wife'' Tracy Borman ''Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life'' Guardian A Spanish princess. Raised to be modest, obedient and devout. Destined to be an English Queen. Six weeks from home across treacherous seas, everything is different: the language, the food, the weather. And for her there is no comfort in any of it. At sixteen-years-old, Catalina is alone among strangers. She misses her mother. She mourns her lost brother. She cannot trust even those assigned to her protection. KATHERINE OF ARAGON. The first of Henry''s Queens. Her story. History tells us how she died. This captivating novel shows us how she lived. SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS. Praise for Alison Weir and Katherine of Aragon: ''A tender understanding of and genuine sympathy for this proud, much-loved and honourable Queen. . . I was gripped [from] start to finish'' Mavis Cheek ''Well-researched and engrossing'' Good Housekeeping ''Yet again, Alison Weir has managed to intertwine profound historical knowledge with huge emotional intelligence, to compose a work that throws light on an endlessly fascinating historical figure. Yet her real gift in all of this is making it feel so fresh and alive'' Earl Spencer ''This exquisite book charts the rise and fall of Henry VIII''s first wife, Katherine. . . A fascinating insight into this period of our history. Weir''s undeniable strength is her immaculate description, enabling the reader to be transported back to Tudor England'' Sun ''Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen is a true tour de force. Finely crafted, this novel is wonderful historical fiction and an outstanding introduction to the Six Tudor Queens series'' Queen Anne Boleyn Blog ''Known for bestselling historical biographies, Alison Weir is in command of her detail . . . her handling of Katherine''s misery and dignified response to her predicament is very touching'' Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail

‘Weir perfectly combines the dramatic colour and timing of an historical novelist with the truth to fact of a scrupulous historian’ The Times Britain’s foremost female historian reveals the true story of this key figure in the Wars of the Roses and the Tudor dynasty who began life a princess, spent her youth as a bastard fugitive, but who finally married the first Tudor king and was the mother of Henry VIII. Elizabeth of York would have ruled England, but for the fact that she was a woman. Heiress to the royal House of York, she schemed to marry Richard III, the man who had deposed and probably killed her brothers, and it is possible that she then conspired to put Henry Tudor on the throne. Yet after marriage to Henry VII, which united the royal houses of Lancaster and York, a picture emerges of a model consort - mild, pious, generous and fruitful. It has been said that Elizabeth was distrusted by Henry VII and her formidable mother-in-law, Margaret Beaufort, but contemporary evidence shows that Elizabeth was, in fact, influential. Alison Weir builds an intriguing portrait of this beloved queen, placing her in the context of the magnificent, ceremonious, often brutal, world she inhabited, and revealing the woman behind the myth.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An intimate, captivating portrait of Queen Elizabeth I that brings the enigmatic ruler to vivid life, from acclaimed biographer Alison Weir “An extraordinary piece of historical scholarship.”—The Cleveland Plain Dealer Perhaps the most influential sovereign England has ever known, Queen Elizabeth I remained an extremely private person throughout her reign, keeping her own counsel and sharing secrets with no one—not even her closest, most trusted advisers. Now, in this brilliantly researched, fascinating chronicle, Alison Weir shares provocative new interpretations and fresh insights on this enigmatic figure. Against a lavish backdrop of pageantry and passion, intrigue and war, Weir dispels the myths surrounding Elizabeth I and examines the contradictions of her character. Elizabeth I loved the Earl of Leicester, but did she conspire to murder his wife? She called herself the Virgin Queen, but how chaste was she through dozens of liaisons? She never married—was her choice to remain single tied to the chilling fate of her mother, Anne Boleyn? An enthralling epic, The Life of Elizabeth I is a mesmerizing, stunning chronicle of a trailblazing monarch.

"Comprehensive and insightful, THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER offers a unique perspective on a profound mystery." Faye Kellerman Despite five centuries of investigation by historians, the sinister deaths of the boy king Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, remain one of the most fascinating murder mysteries in English history. Did Richard III really kill the young princes, as is commonly believed, or was the murderer someone else entirely? Carefully examining every shred of contemporary evidence as well as the dozens of modern accounts, Weir reconstructs the entire chain of events leading to the double murder to arrive at a conclusion Sherlock Holmes himself could not dispute.

“Fascinating . . . Alison Weir does full justice to the subject.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer At his death in 1547, King Henry VIII left four heirs to the English throne: his only son, the nine-year-old Prince Edward; the Lady Mary, the adult daughter of his first wife Katherine of Aragon; the Lady Elizabeth, the teenage daughter of his second wife Anne Boleyn; and his young great-niece, the Lady Jane Grey. In this riveting account Alison Weir paints a unique portrait of these extraordinary rulers, examining their intricate relationships to each other and to history. She traces the tumult that followed Henry''s death, from the brief intrigue-filled reigns of the boy king Edward VI and the fragile Lady Jane Grey, to the savagery of "Bloody Mary," and finally the accession of the politically adroit Elizabeth I. As always, Weir offers a fresh perspective on a period that has spawned many of the most enduring myths in English history, combining the best of the historian''s and the biographer''s art. “Like anthropology, history and biography can demonstrate unfamiliar ways of feeling and being. Alison Weir''s sympathetic collective biography, The Children of Henry VIII does just that, reminding us that human nature has changed--and for the better. . . . Weir imparts movement and coherence while re-creating the suspense her characters endured and the suffering they inflicted.”—The New York Times Book Review

Fascinating and authoritative of Britain''s royal families from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I to Queen Victoria, by leading popular historian Alison Weir ''George III is alleged to have married secretly, on 17th April, 1759, a Quakeress called Hannah Lightfoot. If George III did make such a marriage...then his subsequent marriage to Queen Charlotte was bigamous, and every monarch of Britain since has been a usurper, the rightful heirs of George III being his children by Hannah Lightfoot...'' Britain''s Royal Families provides in one volume, complete genealogical details of all members of the royal houses of England, Scotland and Great Britain - from 800AD to the present. Drawing on countless authorities, both ancient and modern, Alison Weir explores the crown and royal family tree in unprecedented depth and provides a comprehensive guide to the heritage of today''s royal family – with fascinating insight and often scandalous secrets. ''Staggeringly useful... combines solid information with tantalising appetisers.’ Mail on Sunday

Sarah Gristwood takes up the story in 1919, when Princess Patricia of Connaught revived the tradition of royal brides marrying in Westminster Abbey, and goes on to examine the weddings of the Queen Mother (1923), the Queen (1947), and Princess Margaret in 1960. Lastly, Tracy Borman brings the book right up to date, with accounts of the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer through to the fanfare that will celebrate the nuptials of Kate and William. Every kind of wedding features - from those attended by great public celebrations, to the many that took place in private chapels, parish churches and even in secret.

It''s 1152 and a beautiful woman of 30 is riding southwards through what is now France, leaving behind her crown, her two young daughters and a shattered marriage to Louis of France. This woman is Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, and her sole purpose now is to return to her vast duchy and marry the man she loves, Henry Plantagenet.

From one of the world''s foremost popular historians, a detailed and intricate portrait of the last days of one of the most influential and important figures in English history. The imprisonment and execution of Queen Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII''s second wife, was unprecedented in the annals of English history. It was sensational in its day, and has exerted endless fascination over the minds of historians, novelists, dramatists, poets, artists, and filmmakers ever since. Mystery surrounds the circumstances leading up to Anne''s arrest and imprisonment in May 1536. Was it Henry VIII who, estranged from Anne, instructed Master Secretary Thomas Cromwell to fabricate evidence to get rid of her so that he could marry Jane Seymour? Or did Cromwell, for reasons of his own, construct a case against Anne and her faction, and then present compelling evidence before the King? Following the coronation of her daughter Elizabeth I as queen, Anne was venerated as a martyr and heroine. Over the centuries, she has inspired many artistic and cultural works and has remained ever-present in England''s, and the world''s, popular memory. Alison Weir draws on her unsurpassed expertise in the Tudor Period to chronicle the downfall and dramatic final days of this influential and fascinating woman.

In her remarkable new book, Alison Weir recounts one of the greatest love stories of medieval England. It is the extraordinary tale of an exceptional woman, Katherine Swynford, who became first the mistress and later the wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Katherine Swynford''s charismatic lover was one of the most powerful princes of the 14th century, the effective ruler of England behind the throne of his father Edward III in his declining years, and during the minority of his nephew, Richard ll. Katherine herself was enigmatic and intriguing, renowned for her beauty, and regarded by some as dangerous. Her existence was played out against the backdrop of court life at the height of the age of chivalry and she knew most of the great figures of the time - including her brother-in-law, Geoffrey Chaucer. She lived through much of the Hundred Years War, the Black Death, and the Peasants'' Revolt. She knew loss, adversity, and heartbreak, and she survived them all triumphantly. Although Katherine''s story provides unique insights into the life of a medieval woman, she was far from typical in that age. She was an important person in her own right, a woman who had remarkable opportunities, made her own choices, flouted convention, and took control of her own destiny - even of her own public image. Weir brilliantly retrieves Katherine Swynford from the footnotes of history and gives her life and breath again. Perhaps the most dynastically important woman within the English monarchy, she was the mother of the Beauforts and through them the ancestress of the Yorkist kings, the Tudors, the Stuarts, and every other sovereign since - a legacy that has shaped the history of Britain

A brilliant investigation of one of Britain’s notorious unsolved mysteries: the murder of Lord Darnley, second husband of Mary, Queen of Scots—from the New York Times bestselling author hailed as “the finest historian of English monarchical succession writing” (The Boston Globe) “All the elements of a juicy murder mystery are within these pages.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram “As dramatic as witnessing firsthand the most riveting court case.”—Booklist, starred review Tall, handsome, accomplished, and charming, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, had it all, including a strong claim to the English throne, a fact that threatened the already insecure Elizabeth I. She therefore opposed any plan for Darnley to marry her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, who herself claimed to be Queen of England. But in 1565 Mary met and fell in love with Darnley—and defied Elizabeth by marrying him. It was not long before she discovered that her new husband was weak and vicious, and interested only in securing sovereign power for himself. Then, on February 10, 1567, an explosion at his lodgings left Darnley dead; the intrigue thickened after it was discovered that he had apparently been suffocated before the blast. The murder of Darnley ultimately led to Mary’s ruin. After her deposition, there conveniently came to light a box of documents—the notorious Casket Letters—that her enemies claimed were proof of her guilt. But Mary was never allowed to see them, and they disappeared in 1584. The question of their authenticity has haunted historians ever since. After exhaustive reexamination and reevaluation of the source material, Alison Weir has come up with a solution to this enduring mystery that shatters many of the misconceptions about Mary, Queen of Scots. Complete with bright writing and stunning characterizations, Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Murder of Lord Darnley is an engaging excursion into Britain’s bloodstained, power-obsessed past.

A "brilliantly written and meticulously researched" biography of royal family life during England''s second Tudor monarch ( San Francisco Chronicle). Either annulled, executed, died in childbirth, or widowed, these were the well-known fates of the six queens during the tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of England from 1509 to 1547. But in this "exquisite treatment, sure to become a classic" ( Booklist), they take on more fully realized flesh and blood than ever before. Katherine of Aragon emerges as a staunch though misguided woman of principle; Anne Boleyn, an ambitious adventuress with a penchant for vengeance; Jane Seymour, a strong-minded matriarch in the making; Anne of Cleves, a good-natured woman who jumped at the chance of independence; Katherine Howard, an empty-headed wanton; and Katherine Parr, a warm-blooded bluestocking who survived King Henry to marry a fourth time. "Combin[ing] the accessibility of a popular history with the highest standards of a scholarly thesis", Alison Weir draws on the entire labyrinth of Tudor history, employing every known archive—early biographies, letters, memoirs, account books, and diplomatic reports—to bring vividly to life the fates of the six queens, the machinations of the monarch they married and the myriad and ceaselessly plotting courtiers in their intimate circle ( The Detroit News). In this extraordinary work of sound and brilliant scholarship, "at last we have the truth about Henry VIII''s wives" ( Evening Standard).

“Gripping . . . a highly readable tour de force that brings Queen Isabella vividly to life.”—The Washington Post Book World An “insightful and compelling” (USA Today) biography of Isabella of England, one of history’s most notorious and charismatic queens, from the New York Times bestselling author hailed as “the finest historian of English monarchical succession writing” (The Boston Globe) Isabella arrived in London in 1308, the spirited twelve-year-old daughter of King Philip IV of France. Her marriage to the heir to England’s throne was designed to heal old political wounds between the two countries, and in the years that followed, she would become an important figure, a determined and clever woman whose influence would come to last centuries. But Queen Isabella’s political machinations led generations of historians to malign her, earning her a reputation as a ruthless schemer and an odious nickname, “the She-Wolf of France.” The newly wed Isabella was denied the attentions of Edward II, a weak, sexually ambiguous monarch with scant taste for his royal duties. As their marriage progressed, Isabella was neglected by her dissolute husband and slighted by his favored male courtiers. Humiliated and deprived of her income, her children, and her liberty, Isabella escaped to France, where she entered into a passionate affair with Edward II’s mortal enemy, Roger Mortimer. Together, they deposed Edward and ruled in his stead as co-regents for Isabella’s young son, Edward III. Fate, however, was soon to catch up with Isabella and her lover. A work of extraordinary original research, Queen Isabella strips away centuries of propaganda, legend, and romantic myth, and gives a groundbreaking new perspective on Isabella, a truly remarkable woman who had a profound influence upon the age in which she lived and the history of western Europe.

An “evocative” (Newsday) biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of England and France, who transcended the mores of society—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Last White Rose “An alluringly candid portrait of this most public yet elusive of medieval women.”—The Boston Globe “[Alison Weir] has perfected the art of bringing history to life.”—Chicago Tribune Renowned in her time as the most beautiful woman in Europe, the wife of two kings and the mother of three, Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the great heroines of the Middle Ages. In an era when women were regarded as little more than chattel, Eleanor defied convention as she exercised power in the political sphere and crucial influence over her husbands and sons. Eleanor of Aquitaine lived a long life of many contrasts, of splendor and desolation, power and peril, and in this stunning narrative Weir captures the woman—and the queen—in all her glory. With astonishing historic detail, mesmerizing pageantry, and irresistible accounts of royal scandal and intrigue, Weir paints a vibrant portrait of this truly exceptional woman and provides new insights into her intimate world.

Historian Alison Weir examines the personal life of Elizabeth I. She portrays her as both a woman and a queen, and writes of her dealings with her family; of her long affair with Robert Dudley; and her bizarre relationship with the Earl of Essex.

More than four hundred years ago, seven people - five of them women - were beheaded in the Tower of London. Three had been queens of England. The others were found guilty of treason. Why were such important people put to death? Alison Weir''s gripping book tells their stories: from the former friend betrayed by a man set on being king, to the young girl killed after just nine days on the throne. Alison Weir is a wonderful storyteller. Through her vivid writing, history comes alive.