THE KING’S CURSE
by
Philippa Gregory
The King’s Curse is a historical fiction
account of Tudor England as seen through the eyes of Margaret Pole, a
Plantagenet princess who had been married to Sir Richard Pole, a Tudor
supporter. Lady Margaret and her husband are given the care of Arthur, the
Tudor heir and Prince of Wales, and his Spanish bride, Katherine of Aragon.
We learn
about the rise and reign of Henry VII – and later follow the rise and reign of
his son, Henry VIII – from Lady Margaret’s point of view. We follow her own
family and her life throughout her sixty-seven years. We learn of her close
relationship with Queen Katherine and her care of Princess Mary. We are privy
to the ins and outs – and ups and downs – of Henry VIII’s Tudor England through
this loyal subject, herself a White Rose royal. Lady Margaret enjoys many
flourishing years of favor, as well as very trying times out of favor. She is a
woman of great courage and intelligence, and she does not falter in the face of
adversity.
When I
began reading The King’s Curse, book
six in Gregory’s The Cousins’ War
series, I also started listening to the audiobook of The Constant Princess, the first in Gregory’s The Tudor Court Novels series. I was disappointed to find that what
I was reading and what I was listening to seemed to be the same book from two
different perspectives. I liked what I was reading, but I did not love it.
However, as I neared the end of The
King’s Curse, I found that I was enjoying it more – and, I was very touched
and saddened by the end of this novel.
I find that
I am still touched by Gregory’s story about Lady Margaret Pole. According to
Gregory’s portrayal, she was a remarkable and courageous woman who never lost
her dignity and aplomb. Viewing Tudor England through this Plantagenet princess
has been eye opening for me. I only wish that I could get a better sense of
which parts of the novel are historically accurate and which are purely
fiction.
When I
reached the end of the book, I found that I had really liked The King’s Curse. The book left me
feeling bereft – and wistful that I will never be able to meet this remarkable
woman.
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