Tag: Edward Tudor

Book Review: “Tudor Princes and Princesses: The Early Lives of the Children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York” by Aimee Fleming

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The year is 1485, and the last Plantagenet king, Richard III, is dead. The young man whose army defeated the king is Henry Tudor, and he is about to start a dynasty that will reshape world history forever. Henry Tudor, now King Henry VII, married the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York. Their marriage and their children would lay the foundation for the Tudor dynasty, but what was life like for the children who were the first generation of this remarkable dynasty? Aimee Fleming explores the lives of these royal siblings in her latest book, “Tudor Princes and Princesses: The Early Lives of the Children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed her previous book about Margaret More Roper, so when I heard that she was writing a book about the children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, I was curious to see what new information Fleming would include in this book.

Fleming begins with the aftermath of Bosworth as King Henry VII begins his new life as a king and husband to Elizabeth of York. As they anticipate the arrival of their firstborn child, we get to see how their childhoods influenced their parenting style. The couple’s firstborn child, Prince Arthur Tudor, would be born in Winchester, the city where the mythical Camelot is supposed to be. As the heir to the dynasty and a boy named after the legendary King Arthur, the young prince was seen as the embodiment of the Tudor rose and the hope of the dynasty’s future. No pressure at all for the young prince.

After the birth of Prince Arthur, Henry and Elizabeth welcomed Margaret, Henry, Elizabeth, Edward/Edmund, and Mary into the family. While Princess Elizabeth and Prince Edward/Edmund died young, we get to see Princesses Margaret and Mary, as well as Prince Henry, grow up in the royal nursery, being educated for their important roles as future monarchs, and the bond they shared as siblings. They had to deal with the ever-changing world of the 16th century and navigate the uncertainty of court life, especially with the pretenders waiting in the wings to snatch the crown. Margaret, Henry, and Mary had to deal with the death of Prince Arthur shortly after he married Catherine of Aragon, and their mother, Elizabeth of York, after she gave birth to her final daughter, who also died. Blood may have connected these siblings, but love and shared experiences made this family tight-knit.

Overall, I thought this book was a nice review book for those who know about the Tudors, and a nice introductory book for those who are not familiar with this family. If either of these descriptions sounds like you, if you are a Tudor nerd, I recommend you read “Tudor Princes and Princesses: The Early Lives of the Children of Henry VIII and Elizabeth of York” by Aimee Fleming.

Book Review: “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife” by Laura Adkins

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kateryn parrThe final wife, the one who survived. These words are what people think about when it comes to Katherine (Kateryn) Parr. However, before she even met Henry VIII, she had already lived quite a life, being married twice before meeting the king. She was a scholar, reformer, daughter, stepmother, wife, and mother. A woman who lived a rather intriguing life and happened to marry the King of England, Kateryn Parr’s life has been told in numerous mediums for centuries. Now, Laura Adkins has chosen to write about this famous Tudor wife in the biography, “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. Katherine Parr is my favorite wife of Henry VIII and one of my favorite Tudor queens. I have read a few novels and nonfiction books that featured Katherine Parr, but I have yet to read a biography about the titular woman, until now.

Adkins begins her dive into the past not in the Tudor era, but in the 18th century as we see a group of ladies finding the tomb of Kateryn Parr at Sudeley Castle and her tomb being opened several times. We then jump back into the past and explore the Parr family. Kateryn was the eldest child of Thomas and Maud Parr. We get to see Kateryn’s childhood with her siblings William and Anne and how the Parr siblings continued the Parr legacy in their own ways.

We then dive into Kateryn’s marriages, starting with Edward Borough, then John Neville Lord Latimer, King Henry VIII, and finally Thomas Seymour. With each relationship, we get to see Kateryn change from a young teen who was trying to survive to a strong woman who is willing to fight for those she loves and the faith she believes in. We see Kateryn become a stepmother to the Latimer children, Mary, Edward, and Elizabeth, and finally become the mother of her child, Mary Seymour. Adkins chooses to focus on the different elements of Kateryn’s life instead of having a traditional chronological biography, which is a unique take on Kateryn’s story. I will say that because of the format of this book, there was some repetition of different stories and facts in this book.

Overall, I think this was a decent biography about Kateryn Parr. It was easy to read and included actual letters written to and by Kateryn. A loyal wife and stepmother who influenced those around her long after she died. If you want to read a solid biography about this remarkable woman, I suggest you read, “Kateryn Parr: Henry VIII’s Sixth Wife” by Laura Adkins.

Book Review: “Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife” by Alison Weir

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34020934._SY475_A woman twice widowed with no children of her own has the opportunity to choose who she will marry next. Will she marry the man of her dreams or marry the man who has been married numerous times and has killed two of his wives already? It seems like a no-brainer who she should choose, but the man she married for her third marriage was the man who was married numerous times before simply because he is the notorious King Henry VIII and you do not disobey the king. However, his last wife, Katharine Parr, is willing to fight for the religious reforms and her stepchildren that she loves dearly. In the last book of the Six Tudor Queens series, “Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife”, Alison Weir takes her readers on an extraordinary journey to explore who this brave woman was and why she is the one who survived Henry’s last days.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House/ Ballantine Books for sending me a copy of this novel. I have enjoyed the Six Tudor Queens series so far and I was looking forward to reading the last book. Like many people, I know what happened with Katharine during her marriage to Henry VIII and her fourth marriage to Thomas Seymour, but I am not well informed when it comes to her first two marriages. Katharine Parr has been my favorite wife of King Henry VIII for a while now and I wanted to read a novel about her life, to see what Weir’s interpretation of her life story would be like.

Katharine Parr’s story begins with her childhood and her connection with her family. It was unique to see how her childhood helped shaped what type of queen she would become as her mother pushed hard for her daughters to be well educated. Katharine’s first husband, Sir Edward Burgh, was just a boy who followed whatever his father, Sir Thomas Burgh, asked him to do. I think Weir has a unique spin on Katharine’s life with Edward Burgh and their marriage, but it did not last long as Edward Burgh would die in 1533.

Katharine’s second husband, John Neville 3rd Baron Latimer, was her longest marriage. Although they had no children of their own, like Katharine’s marriage to Edward Burgh, it was a happy relationship. They may have differed when it came to their views on religion, but they did seem to love each other. Their happy household was thrown asunder when the Pilgrimage of Grace and Robert Aske knocked on their door and asked for help. There was a real sense of danger during this episode and the bravery that Katharine showed was nothing short of astounding.

When John died, Katharine was left with a choice of who her third husband would be; either the ailing Henry VIII or the suave and debonair Thomas Seymour who deeply loved Katharine. Katharine’s choice was Henry VIII who she hoped she could sway to accept the religious reforms that she believed in strongly. She developed a friendship with the king and his children, but she was still in love with Thomas Seymour. She wrote books during this time that gave her comfort during the difficult times when the court tried to attack her for what she believed and wanted to pit her against Henry. In the end, love triumphed over sorrow and Katharine survived to live with her beloved until the end of her days.

I found this book an absolute treat to read. As someone who loves Katharine Parr and her story, this novel just made me love her even more. The one problem that I had was actually with the spelling of her name as Weir spelled it a bit differently than what I am used to, but it was really a minor detail. I am a bit sad that this is the last book in this wonderful series, but this book was worth the wait.

This novel was a delight to read. It was full of action and intrigue, intense love, and immense sorrow. Katharine was one remarkable woman, just like every wife of Henry VIII Weir has written about in this marvelous series. “Katharine Parr: The Sixth Wife” by Alison Weir is a masterpiece in historical fiction and the perfect conclusion to the Six Tudor Queens series that will leave readers satisfied.