Katherine of Aragon The True Queen: A Big Book For A Huge Life

six tudor queens

Renowned historian Alison Weir has written a series of books called the Six Tudor Queens with the first being Katherine of Aragon The True Queen, the first wife which Henry VII was married to for the longest. A young Spanish princess who is thrust into English Tudor life and court, betrothed to sickly Prince Arthur who dies soon after marriage and becomes the desire of the young, spirited and dashing Prince Henry.

The attention to detail in Six Tudor Queens: Katherine Of Aragon The True Queen is astounding and reflective of the passion and love Alison has for this period of history. Alison writes in a way that evokes the smells and shivers of drafty, damp castles and the opulent riches and fatty feasts those privileged enough got to enjoy. The gaps are filled seamlessly with no crazy conspiracy theories and plot twists; the book is very much based in historical fact and research with a gentle, logical introduction of new theories. I really enjoyed discovering all the strange names for illnesses that seemed rife and ready to claim many in sweeps of contagious diseases, whatever level of nobility.  It also brought home to me the damaging and scary prospect of childbirth in the 1500’s and the early medical remedies which were administered.

six tudor queens

I’m a huge fan of Tudor and Elizabethan history and had my nose firmly planted in this book all week long. Yes, you know how it plays out, but these books are told from the point of view of the Queen in her court, and in her long, sufferable marriage to one of the most formidable and famous men in British history.  It’s an insight into how things may have played out in her mind, from her point of view, and gave me perspective on why she made the decisions she did, even if it was to Queen Katherine’s great detriment and lonely demise.

It is a long read at 595 pages but Katherine Of Aragon The True Queen is a fascinating read, a solid piece of historical fiction, and has left me eager to devour the rest of the series. Any lover of historical fiction would love this collection of novels on their bookshelf.

4 out of 5 from me

Click on Booktopia below and take yourself to the palaces and towers of tudor England if you dare!