The King's Curse - Philippa Gregory

There is absolutely no doubt about it! I LOVE PHILIPPA GREGORY! The fact that she writes about my favourite period of history - the Plantagnets and the Tudors just makes her even better in my eyes!! I am now up to speed and have read all of her historical novels and a couple of her modern novels too! If you've never read any Philippa Gregory do start with The Other Boleyn Girl that book was the making of me! And I always go back to it when I can!! Some of you may have seen the T.V show The White Queen but I can tell you her books are so much better!!

The King's Curse - Philippa Gregory.

The King's Curse is a follow on novel from the Cousins war series which includes: The White Queen, The Red Queen, Lady of the Rivers, The White Princess and finally The King's Curse. The King's Curse follows Margaret Plantagnet who was cousin to Elizabeth of York (Henry VII's Queen and Henry VIII's Mum) so she was always held in high regard in Henry VIII's court. Margarets younger brother Edward (Teddy) who would have been an heir to the throne after the Princes in the Tower went missing, was brutally executed in order that Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain would send their daughter Katherine of Aaragon to marry Arthur Prince of Wales. The Plantagnets have always been an unlucky family in history with in fighting but also external fighting and it was when Richard III was cut down on Bosworth that their line finished on the throne. However the family was always kept close even though the females in the line were married to lesser gentry to hide their name. This is what happened to Margaret as she was married to a staunch Tudor Supporter Sir Pole. She managed to live in obscurity until he died but she was thrust back into the limelight when she least expected it and she ended up losing her family, two sons were executed, one went slightly mad and was hid away, another son was out lawed to Padua and her daughter was hidden away from her by her husbands family in the hope she wouldn't be tainted too!

This book documents the ups and downs the Pole family encounter as they fall in and out of favour with the court as the Queens change from Katherine of Aaragon to Anne Boleyn to the beloved Jane Seymour to Anne of Cleves and even Katherine Howard. As the court favours one over the other it is dangerous if you are not on the winning side which is what Margaret finds and tries to keep her sons and daughter away from. She later struggles to keep her grandchildren away from this as a few work as her ladies in waiting at court and in the Tower but her grandsons accompany her into the Tower as they cannot risk them having a shot at the throne!

I thoroughly recommend all Philippa Gregory's books as she is an amazing writer who brings history alive and actually makes it interesting! I would love if she would go further back and look at some of the ladies who have been missed out in history ... Berengaria of Navarre (Richard the Lionhearts Wife) Eleanor of Aquitaine (Richards Mother/Henry II Wife) and even Matilda!

Everyone!! get yourselves these books and start reading!!!!


See you soon :)
Leanne x