Katharine of Aragon Trilogy

In the eyes of the world, Katharine of Aragon was a precious object to be disposed of for the glory of Spain. Her parents, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, send her to England to become the bride of Arthur, Prince of Wales. But soon her frail husband was dead, and a fateful question loomed: Was the marriage consummated, or was the young widow still a virgin? On that delicate point hinged Katharine's-and England's-future. Meanwhile, waiting in the wings was her willful, handsome brother-in-law, bold Prince Henry, who alone had the power to restore Katharine's lost position-but at what cost? Jean Plaidy's narrative genius sparkles in this story of a remarkable royal marriage that inspired some of history's bloodiest deeds. "Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama." "Skilful blending of superb storytelling and meticulous attention to authenticity of detail." "Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting." "Narrator Anne Flosnik invigorates Jean Plaidy's novel about Katharine's prolonged struggle to regain security amid political intrigue and the whims of all-powerful royalty. Flosnik portrays young Katharine with both dignity and fear as she vacillates between regal splendor and near poverty."

The marriage of Katharine of Aragon and King Henry VIII was a right royal match. England loved the young lovers, but hardly were they wed when powerful people in Henry's court were spinning webs of intrigue around the innocent royal pair. Spanish spies, the Pope's men, the Queen's seductive ladies-in-waiting, and especially the King's brilliant advisor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey-all were obsessed with one question: Would Queen Katharine be able to give Henry the healthy son he so desperately wanted? Everything depended on the answer, especially the destiny of Queen Katharine herself. Jean Plaidy has brilliantly written the bittersweet true story of young King Henry and his dear Kate, who wanted only to please her beloved husband but seemed thwarted at every turn. "Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama."

The intrigues of the English royal court are brought to life in the Katharine of Aragon series, and this third and final installment captures them in spellbinding detail. The twelve-year marriage of Henry and Katharine has declined from an idyllic union into an uneasy stalemate. The king's love for his aging queen has grown cold, and he is angry with her failure to give him the heir to the throne he desperately wants. When the seductive Anne Boleyn arrives at court, the king is captivated by her dark beauty and bold spirit and becomes obsessed with the desire to possess her. With his chief advisor, Cardinal Wolsey, the king devises a secret plot to declare the marriage with Katharine null and void. But Katharine refuses to surrender to his wishes and fights desperately to retain her title and safeguard her daughter, Mary. The ensuing power struggle is one of the turning points in English history, and in these pages it comes vividly to life. "Plaidy excels at blending history with romance and drama." "Jean Plaidy, by the skilful blending of superb storytelling and meticulous attention to authenticity of detail and depth of characterization, has become one of the country's most widely read novelists." "Full-blooded, dramatic, exciting." "One of England's foremost historical novelists." "In the third part of Plaidy's Katharine of Aragon trilogy, Anne Flosnik's soothing voice takes the listener back to the end of her reign…The story's frequent changes of scene and point of view would be difficult to follow on audio were it not for Flosnik's ability to move seamlessly between the characters, underscoring their most diverse qualities. In particular, she adds a slight oiliness to the voice of Cardinal Wolsey, who is determined to do anything to serve his king, and a foreign accent to the voice of Katharine, which shows how out of place she is in her shifting world."