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Tudor Saga #5
Murder Most Royal
One powerful king. Two tragic queens.
In the court of Henry VIII, it was dangerous for a woman to catch the king’s eye. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were cousins. Both were beautiful women, though very different in temperament. They each learned that Henry’s passion was all-consuming–and fickle.
Sophisticated Anne Boleyn, raised in the decadent court of France, was in love with another man when King Henry claimed her as his own. Being his mistress gave her a position of power; being his queen put her life in jeopardy. Her younger cousin, Catherine Howard, was only fifteen when she was swept into the circle of King Henry. Her innocence attracted him, but a past mistake was destined to haunt her.
Painted in the rich colors of Tudor England, Murder Most Royal is a page-turning journey into the lives of two of the wives of the tempestuous Henry VIII.
Look for the Reading Group Guide at the back of this book.
Also available as an ebook.
In the court of Henry VIII, it was dangerous for a woman to catch the king’s eye. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were cousins. Both were beautiful women, though very different in temperament. They each learned that Henry’s passion was all-consuming–and fickle.
Sophisticated Anne Boleyn, raised in the decadent court of France, was in love with another man when King Henry claimed her as his own. Being his mistress gave her a position of power; being his queen put her life in jeopardy. Her younger cousin, Catherine Howard, was only fifteen when she was swept into the circle of King Henry. Her innocence attracted him, but a past mistake was destined to haunt her.
Painted in the rich colors of Tudor England, Murder Most Royal is a page-turning journey into the lives of two of the wives of the tempestuous Henry VIII.
Look for the Reading Group Guide at the back of this book.
Also available as an ebook.
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
About the author
Jean Plaidy
216 books1,534 followersEleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
May 24, 2023
Nobody writes British historical fiction better than Jean Plaidy and this is one of her classics.
First published in 1949, it is NOT AT ALL dated. The style is engaging, witty, moving, and brings the period and characters to life in such a brilliant way. A page turner which kept me reading late into toe night.
Plaidy creates much more multifaceted character, much more so than the books about Henry's wives by Phillipa Gregory and Susanna Dunn. This is a far superior work to The Other Boleyn Girl in which Gregory demonizes Anne Boleyn and The Confession of Katherine Howard in which Dunn does a horrible hatchet job on Katherine Howard.
Plaidy presents Anne Boleyn as an intelligent, passionate women, capable of great love and loyalty (she is heartbroken when her one true love Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland
She can be ruthless and acts against Katherine of Aragon , and against Princess Mary but we see Mary has #is so filled with hate to Queen Anne (a particularly gruesome passage where Princss Mary describes how she would like to torture Anne to a slow death-a foretaste of her career as Bloody Mary when she took the throne).
Henry VIII is exposed as the cruel egotistical monster he clearly was, though we begin by observing his passionate ardour for the dark haired beauty whose vivacity and polished manners have been acquired during a spell with the French royal family. When she returns to England she quickly attracts Henry's attention.
Of course this love turns to venomous hate when Anne commits the fatal crime of bearing him a daughter!!!
The most evil villain of the piece is no doubt Thomas Cromwell who in his malicious and dastardly conspiracy to destroy Queen Anne, has court musician Thomas Smeaton hideously tortured until he is falsely forced to claim he had sex with her, and to name a slew of lovers.
And it is wonderful to read a sympathetic portrayal of Catherine Howard, whose life is traced from her childhood, her mothers death when she is a little girl and her move to stay at the mansion of her step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.
Catherine is revealed her as having a forgiving nature and always redy to belive the best of people.
I personally believe that Katherine Howard, while indeed was a sexually promiscuous girl and perhaps simple , had a loving heart which was why she loved more than one man
Ultimately her past of having had several lovers before she married Henry was sued to depose and murder the unfortunate girl.
When we see the media and courts today in Britain excuse rape and even murder of young girls by Muslim rape gangs, claiming that the girls are not innocent in cases when they were not previously virgins , we have wonder how far England has really come since Henry's time, or indeed that it came forward particularly since the 1960s in attitudes to women and their value as humans, but has gone backwards in an effort to appease Islamization.
First published in 1949, it is NOT AT ALL dated. The style is engaging, witty, moving, and brings the period and characters to life in such a brilliant way. A page turner which kept me reading late into toe night.
Plaidy creates much more multifaceted character, much more so than the books about Henry's wives by Phillipa Gregory and Susanna Dunn. This is a far superior work to The Other Boleyn Girl in which Gregory demonizes Anne Boleyn and The Confession of Katherine Howard in which Dunn does a horrible hatchet job on Katherine Howard.
Plaidy presents Anne Boleyn as an intelligent, passionate women, capable of great love and loyalty (she is heartbroken when her one true love Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland
She can be ruthless and acts against Katherine of Aragon , and against Princess Mary but we see Mary has #is so filled with hate to Queen Anne (a particularly gruesome passage where Princss Mary describes how she would like to torture Anne to a slow death-a foretaste of her career as Bloody Mary when she took the throne).
Henry VIII is exposed as the cruel egotistical monster he clearly was, though we begin by observing his passionate ardour for the dark haired beauty whose vivacity and polished manners have been acquired during a spell with the French royal family. When she returns to England she quickly attracts Henry's attention.
Of course this love turns to venomous hate when Anne commits the fatal crime of bearing him a daughter!!!
The most evil villain of the piece is no doubt Thomas Cromwell who in his malicious and dastardly conspiracy to destroy Queen Anne, has court musician Thomas Smeaton hideously tortured until he is falsely forced to claim he had sex with her, and to name a slew of lovers.
And it is wonderful to read a sympathetic portrayal of Catherine Howard, whose life is traced from her childhood, her mothers death when she is a little girl and her move to stay at the mansion of her step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.
Catherine is revealed her as having a forgiving nature and always redy to belive the best of people.
I personally believe that Katherine Howard, while indeed was a sexually promiscuous girl and perhaps simple , had a loving heart which was why she loved more than one man
Ultimately her past of having had several lovers before she married Henry was sued to depose and murder the unfortunate girl.
When we see the media and courts today in Britain excuse rape and even murder of young girls by Muslim rape gangs, claiming that the girls are not innocent in cases when they were not previously virgins , we have wonder how far England has really come since Henry's time, or indeed that it came forward particularly since the 1960s in attitudes to women and their value as humans, but has gone backwards in an effort to appease Islamization.
May 1, 2018
I realize that Plaidy takes creative license with most of her books, but this one was really not correct historically. I rated it to low because I’ve read so much about the great Queen Anne that I just shook my head too much.
The other beheaded queen, and Anne’s cousin is discussed in this book too, and I’m not sure that age wise that’s even possible. I’m questioning the timeline. I don’t think the ages are right.
The other beheaded queen, and Anne’s cousin is discussed in this book too, and I’m not sure that age wise that’s even possible. I’m questioning the timeline. I don’t think the ages are right.
June 18, 2010
It’s hard to believe that this is a piece of history. We get personal, yet fictionalized looks into the lives of two of England’s most infamous queens. The first chapter begins around the year 1510, with Anne as a seven-year-old girl, and ends in 1542, after the execution of her younger cousin Katherine (NOT a spoiler, I think the title gives away enough). What follows in between is such an interesting, engaging story, so wild it almost seems made up.
One thing I ask of you, please don’t base your facts off of this book. The general facts and events are correct, but many historical discrepancies are taken. These are some that bothered me most as I read:
-Katherine of Aragon (Henry’s first wife) is described as never being beautiful, even as a young woman. This is definitely not true; she lost her beauty as she aged, but she was a very beautiful young woman, literally called the most beautiful woman in the world.
-On a related note, Anne Boleyn’s beauty is gushed over in this book. According to historical documents, she was rather mousy looking. She attracted men and friends because of her charm and wit, not her beauty.
-It is highly doubtful that Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard ever met, even though they were cousins. They ran in completely different circles. It does add a good story-telling element, two future doomed Queens innocently meeting when they are very young.
-Even more doubtful is that Katherine Howard and Thomas Culpepper were childhood friends...even though they were cousins (too many family relationships going on here!).
-In the book, Jane Boleyn (Anne’s sister-in-law) is arrested and taken to the Tower of London shortly after Anne’s marriage to Henry for speaking treason against her. She may have been banished from court, as she was later on for trying to get rid of one of Henry’s mistresses, but she was never arrested on that charge.
-This can’t really be called an historical error, but Jean Plaidy does take on the rumor that Anne Boleyn had a sixth finger and odd moles on her body. (Not literally an extra finger, just second nail on her left little finger. Still weird.) This is still up for debate.
If you think you may be interested in this period of time, I wouldn’t recommend starting with this book (start with The Other Boleyn Girl, many historical errors, but a nice overview). Since I am familiar with this era, I thought I might be bored. Jean Plaidy is an author you either love or hate, and even though I nitpicked my way through this book, I still loved every minute of it. The writing style is easy to read, I couldn’t even tell it’d been written in the 1940s. I am definitely interested in reading more of her books (that may take me awhile, she’s written around 100!).
4 stars.
One thing I ask of you, please don’t base your facts off of this book. The general facts and events are correct, but many historical discrepancies are taken. These are some that bothered me most as I read:
-Katherine of Aragon (Henry’s first wife) is described as never being beautiful, even as a young woman. This is definitely not true; she lost her beauty as she aged, but she was a very beautiful young woman, literally called the most beautiful woman in the world.
-On a related note, Anne Boleyn’s beauty is gushed over in this book. According to historical documents, she was rather mousy looking. She attracted men and friends because of her charm and wit, not her beauty.
-It is highly doubtful that Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard ever met, even though they were cousins. They ran in completely different circles. It does add a good story-telling element, two future doomed Queens innocently meeting when they are very young.
-Even more doubtful is that Katherine Howard and Thomas Culpepper were childhood friends...even though they were cousins (too many family relationships going on here!).
-In the book, Jane Boleyn (Anne’s sister-in-law) is arrested and taken to the Tower of London shortly after Anne’s marriage to Henry for speaking treason against her. She may have been banished from court, as she was later on for trying to get rid of one of Henry’s mistresses, but she was never arrested on that charge.
-This can’t really be called an historical error, but Jean Plaidy does take on the rumor that Anne Boleyn had a sixth finger and odd moles on her body. (Not literally an extra finger, just second nail on her left little finger. Still weird.) This is still up for debate.
If you think you may be interested in this period of time, I wouldn’t recommend starting with this book (start with The Other Boleyn Girl, many historical errors, but a nice overview). Since I am familiar with this era, I thought I might be bored. Jean Plaidy is an author you either love or hate, and even though I nitpicked my way through this book, I still loved every minute of it. The writing style is easy to read, I couldn’t even tell it’d been written in the 1940s. I am definitely interested in reading more of her books (that may take me awhile, she’s written around 100!).
4 stars.
November 10, 2012
More books about the Tudors! Although to be fair, this one was written in 1949 so I wouldn’t say it’s a part of the current Tudor craze. As usual with such historical novels, though it says it is a part of a series, you can most certainly read them in any order you like.
Murder Most Royal takes place during the reign of Henry VIII and it focuses on two of his wives: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were cousins of one another. As per usual, if you have an understanding of history, than the plot of the story is going to be predictable and familiar for you. The story begins with Henry being dissatisfied with his current wife, Katherine of Aragon (who is, by the way, my favourite of Henry’s six queens). Anne Boleyn catches the eye of the king, but Anne is steadfast in her initial decision to not have anything to do with the king. She has seen how her sister, Mary Boleyn, is treated by others after Henry has enjoyed her and then, discarded her. Henry is absolutely smitten though. Eventually, with her own love gone and lost, Anne decides to embrace her ambitious side and be with the king.
As this is happening, we also have young Catherine Howard, beautiful and passionate. She flits from lover to lover, believing herself to be truly in love each time, until someone “better” comes along. She is proud that her cousin Anne is the soon-to-be queen and never would have dreamed that one day, she will be filling in Anne’s shoes.
I think this is probably the most historically accurate Tudor novel I’ve read yet. That’s not to say it’s 100% historically accurate, just that it’s the most accurate I’ve read so far. I really enjoyed it, especially being exposed to some more historical figures and learning about them. There’s a whole slew of minor ones, but also the characters of Catherine Howard and Anne of Cleves. There’s so few current novels that feature those two queens. Usually they are kind of glossed over, or just mentioned in passing. Although Anne of Cleves’ part in this novel is brief, I finally got to be “acquainted” with her and Catherine Howard. Of course, their characters’ are the author, Jean Plaidy’s interpretation of them, and it was a very likeable and enjoyable perspective of these two ladies.
As for Anne Boleyn, I was pleasantly surprised that she was portrayed rather positively in this book. It’s so easy to portray Anne Boleyn in a negative light and a lot of current Tudor novels do indeed do that. In this book, Anne is not shown to be ambitious right from the start. Anne is shown to be a clever, witty, and beautiful young lady. She sees the way her sister ruined her reputation, and she has no interest in following in her footsteps. Anne is shown to be passionate and loving when she was with Henry Percy, and devastated when they could not be together. Believing that she will never have the happy love life she wanted, she decides to answer the king’s flirtations and begin scheming for power, so she may hurt those who have ruined her chances for happiness.
The funny thing with this novel is that although the book is supposed to be about Anne and Catherine, I feel like it is disproportionately more about Anne Boleyn. Fair enough, she is the more “exciting” queen and all. It just felt a bit unequal while reading. 80% of the book focused on Anne, interspersed with bits and pieces about Catherine’s childhood and lovers. Then the last 20%, when Anne dies, focuses on Catherine, but she frequently thinks about her tragic cousin. Henry, too, also continuously thinks about Anne, even as he takes new wives. This book shows how deeply involved Henry was with Anne Boleyn and he could do nothing to remove her from his life, even having her killed.
With all that said, I did not find this book to be a “page turner” as sometimes the passages can feel quite dry. I wouldn’t label this book as exciting, but it definitely is emotional and full of drama. Maybe it’s just because I am so accustomed to reading about Henry and his wives now … However, for the most part, it was a pleasant read and I truly enjoyed the different take on Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. I definitely want to try out more books by Jean Plaidy.
Murder Most Royal takes place during the reign of Henry VIII and it focuses on two of his wives: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were cousins of one another. As per usual, if you have an understanding of history, than the plot of the story is going to be predictable and familiar for you. The story begins with Henry being dissatisfied with his current wife, Katherine of Aragon (who is, by the way, my favourite of Henry’s six queens). Anne Boleyn catches the eye of the king, but Anne is steadfast in her initial decision to not have anything to do with the king. She has seen how her sister, Mary Boleyn, is treated by others after Henry has enjoyed her and then, discarded her. Henry is absolutely smitten though. Eventually, with her own love gone and lost, Anne decides to embrace her ambitious side and be with the king.
As this is happening, we also have young Catherine Howard, beautiful and passionate. She flits from lover to lover, believing herself to be truly in love each time, until someone “better” comes along. She is proud that her cousin Anne is the soon-to-be queen and never would have dreamed that one day, she will be filling in Anne’s shoes.
I think this is probably the most historically accurate Tudor novel I’ve read yet. That’s not to say it’s 100% historically accurate, just that it’s the most accurate I’ve read so far. I really enjoyed it, especially being exposed to some more historical figures and learning about them. There’s a whole slew of minor ones, but also the characters of Catherine Howard and Anne of Cleves. There’s so few current novels that feature those two queens. Usually they are kind of glossed over, or just mentioned in passing. Although Anne of Cleves’ part in this novel is brief, I finally got to be “acquainted” with her and Catherine Howard. Of course, their characters’ are the author, Jean Plaidy’s interpretation of them, and it was a very likeable and enjoyable perspective of these two ladies.
As for Anne Boleyn, I was pleasantly surprised that she was portrayed rather positively in this book. It’s so easy to portray Anne Boleyn in a negative light and a lot of current Tudor novels do indeed do that. In this book, Anne is not shown to be ambitious right from the start. Anne is shown to be a clever, witty, and beautiful young lady. She sees the way her sister ruined her reputation, and she has no interest in following in her footsteps. Anne is shown to be passionate and loving when she was with Henry Percy, and devastated when they could not be together. Believing that she will never have the happy love life she wanted, she decides to answer the king’s flirtations and begin scheming for power, so she may hurt those who have ruined her chances for happiness.
The funny thing with this novel is that although the book is supposed to be about Anne and Catherine, I feel like it is disproportionately more about Anne Boleyn. Fair enough, she is the more “exciting” queen and all. It just felt a bit unequal while reading. 80% of the book focused on Anne, interspersed with bits and pieces about Catherine’s childhood and lovers. Then the last 20%, when Anne dies, focuses on Catherine, but she frequently thinks about her tragic cousin. Henry, too, also continuously thinks about Anne, even as he takes new wives. This book shows how deeply involved Henry was with Anne Boleyn and he could do nothing to remove her from his life, even having her killed.
With all that said, I did not find this book to be a “page turner” as sometimes the passages can feel quite dry. I wouldn’t label this book as exciting, but it definitely is emotional and full of drama. Maybe it’s just because I am so accustomed to reading about Henry and his wives now … However, for the most part, it was a pleasant read and I truly enjoyed the different take on Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. I definitely want to try out more books by Jean Plaidy.
November 24, 2009
Henry VIII managed to behead 2 of his 6 wives – Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, cousins. We’ve heard the story of Anne Boleyn in several of Plaidy’s novels already, details remain fairly stable and this shows Plaidy’s firm grasp on the historical events of that time period.
I was really looking forward to this novel and found myself greatly disappointed. The story lingered in some places and rushed in others, and the change in pace was distracting. I didn’t read this cover to cover like other Plaidy works but instead struggled thru. The story never took on a life of its own.
I may be partially at fault – perhaps one can only read the story of Anne Boleyn so many times in a single year. But these characters were never infused with life, never drew me in.
I was really looking forward to this novel and found myself greatly disappointed. The story lingered in some places and rushed in others, and the change in pace was distracting. I didn’t read this cover to cover like other Plaidy works but instead struggled thru. The story never took on a life of its own.
I may be partially at fault – perhaps one can only read the story of Anne Boleyn so many times in a single year. But these characters were never infused with life, never drew me in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2023
I first read this book in high school. If you are not aware, Jean Plaidy was also the pseudonym for Victoria Holt. Jean Plaidy wrote a lot of historical fiction, Victoria Holt delved into gothic, Victorian fiction. The subject matter may appear to be dry when you are reading it, but if you have watched the Tudors you will get the gist. Henry VIII plotting to rid himself of his barren queen Catherine of Aragon in order to marry the feisty and free-thinking Anne Boleyn. You know what happens after that. We see him go through Jane Seymour (who finally gives him his son, but dies in the effort), Anne of Cleves, who was divorced because she wasn't attractive, and it ends with Catherine Howard. If you have seen the series, it was a watered-down version of his brief marriage with Catherine Howard. In this book you get a true eye into how she turned out to be who she was. She was neglected by her guardian, and put into situations that allowed her to be groomed by older men.
It's not a smut book, it's a somewhat fictionalized version of Henry VIII and his selfish, narcissistic attitude. It can also be a little dry at times, but being the fact that I love history, I can ignore that.
It's not a smut book, it's a somewhat fictionalized version of Henry VIII and his selfish, narcissistic attitude. It can also be a little dry at times, but being the fact that I love history, I can ignore that.
June 26, 2013
No me atreví a darle más estrellas simplemente porque este es mi primer libro de Jean Plaidy. En realidad, es el primero de ficción histórica que leo, por lo tanto no tengo ninguna obra con la cual compararla. Sé que no es la mejor opción leer el quinto volumen de una saga sin haber leído ninguno de los anteriores, pero el interés por este episodio de la historia inglesa pudo más. Es increíble que una mujer que fue tan interesante y admirada en su tiempo, lo siga siendo hoy, ¿no es así? ¿No es acaso increíble que Anne Boleyn y Catherine Howard, siendo primas, hayan sido esposas del mismo hombre, y tenido el mismo fin?
Fue muy interesante el hecho de poder conocer a Anne Boleyn a través de su propia voz y ser testigos, paso a paso, de la pérdida de su inocencia, la cual empezó a una edad muy temprana de la vida: a los siete años, enviada a la corte francesa como parte de la comitiva nupcial de Mary Tudor, hermana del hombre a quien ella todavía no hubiera podido considerar como su futuro marido, ni tenía la más leve idea de lo cerca que un día estaría a él. Y ya entonces se vislumbraba un atisbo de la cautivadora mujer en la que Anne se convertiría, porque, a pesar de su edad, despertaba la envidia de otras cortesanas por su porte y elegancia, algo que la acompañó durante toda su vida. A los diecinueve, ella es descrita como una mujer hermosa, sagaz y atrevida, y aunque los datos históricos que se tienen indican que no era de belleza especialmente destacable, era su personalidad la que suplía aquello, constituyendo su mayor encanto, un encanto que la rodeó de admiradores, le ganó la devoción de tres hombres, y el odio de muchos, entre ellos su cuñada, Jane Parker, quien desesperaba por el aprecio de un marido al que amaba y a la vez odiaba, pues Anne ocupaba en su corazón un lugar que debió haber sido suyo.
Henry, lord Percy, y Thomas Wyatt, alimentaron sueños y espejismos de felicidad que no se concretaron, y en la figura del rey Henry surge la posibilidad de aspirar al enlace más importante del mundo. En una corte donde todos bajaban la cabeza y decían "Sí, su Majestad", Anne desafió al rey, tratándolo como al hombre detrás de la corona, y cautivándolo de tal manera que se transformó en una amenaza para Catalina de Aragón, ya que, como favorita y amante del rey, hizo uso de su papel como reina no oficial con aplastante determinación. Miembro de una familia desesperada por poder, procuró no correr la misma suerte que su hermana, y aunque fue tenida por bruja y ramera por el oprimido pueblo inglés, eso no constituyó un obstáculo en su camino al trono. Y resulta una ironía que Elizabeth, la Reina Virgen -la mujer más aclamada de Inglaterra- haya sido la hija de una de las más despreciadas. La corte de los Tudor rebosaba de intrigas y traiciones, el favor del pueblo no bastó a Catalina de Aragón en la lucha por conservar su trono, pero la ambición fue lo que le costó la cabeza a su sucesora, la condenada Reina Anne.
La construcción de Henry como personaje es genial, por más que nada de lo que lea hará que deje de verlo con asco. Con el poder supremo en sus manos llenas de anillos, el rey lideraba las falsedades y perversiones de su corte, escondiendo con él -y con sus ropas resplandecientes de joyas- la magnitud de sus pecados. Elizabeth Blount y Mary Boleyn fueron dos de sus favoritas, entre otras, y resulta repugnante la manera en que, una vez que pierde el interés en ellas, las deja un lado, lidiando solas con las consecuencias que puedan derivarse. Como la mayoría de los hombres, Henry era rápido para ver las faltas ajenas, y, en mi humilde opinión, seis esposas e innumerables amantes hablan de un vacío interior que no pudo ser llenado (más allá del laberinto de maquinaciones políticas).
Por otro lado, está Catherine Howard, y la conocemos en una época en que ella nunca hubiera podido imaginar que algún día todo lo que oía acerca de su prima, Anne Boleyn -por quien ella sentía respeto y admiración- sería su propia realidad. Joven, ingenua y manipulable, parece casi imposible que esta niña, en un futuro, vaya a sentarse en el trono de Inglaterra como la quinta reina de un envejecido Henry Tudor. La historia de Catherine se cuenta a través de sus ojos, y aunque el lente de su inocencia la protege durante un tiempo, eso no es garantía de seguridad. Thomas Culpepper fue su primer amor, y Jean Plaidy lo retrata como alguien casi tan ingenuo como la propia Catherine. Prometidos en secreto, con apenas conciencia de lo que eso significaba, Tom desaparece de la vida de ella, dejándole a la vez un dolor y una ilusión. Y Catherine, al igual que Anne, comienza a perder su inocencia, a partir de la perversión que presencia cada noche en compañía de las damas de la casa de su abuela, una mujer por otro lado perezosa y sin cariño ni interés por su nieta. Es allí donde Catherine descubre el amor de Henry Manox y comete el error que la perseguiría y sellaría su perdición.
Dos primas. Dos reinas. Dos mujeres víctimas de la ambición, peones en un juego de poder mucho más siniestro, peligroso y grande que ellas mismas, pagando un precio demasiado alto por el crimen de decepcionar a un rey, un precio que manchó de sangre las páginas de la historia. Jean Plaidy escribió una obra muy bien investigada, atrapante, y para cerrar me gustaría dejar un párrafo que, si bien no mencioné anteriormente, me dejó helada:
"En los días que siguieron al encuentro de los reyes, Anne bebió, comió y flirteó con los demás. Hoy los miembros de la corte francesa eran huéspedes de los ingleses: desfiles, deportes, torneos, un baile de máscaras y un banquete. Mañana la corte francesa agasajaría a la inglesa. Todo debía ser generoso; la corte francesa debía exceder en brillo a la inglesa; y luego los ingleses deberían mostrarse aún más fastuosos. No importaba el costo para las naciones sobrecargadas de impuestos; no importaba que los dos reyes, detrás de sus demostraciones de amistad, fueran enemigos jurados. ¡No importaba! Este es el despliegue más brillante y más rico de la historia, y si es también el más vulgar, el más inconcebiblemente estúpido, ¿qué? Los reyes tienen que divertirse".
Fue muy interesante el hecho de poder conocer a Anne Boleyn a través de su propia voz y ser testigos, paso a paso, de la pérdida de su inocencia, la cual empezó a una edad muy temprana de la vida: a los siete años, enviada a la corte francesa como parte de la comitiva nupcial de Mary Tudor, hermana del hombre a quien ella todavía no hubiera podido considerar como su futuro marido, ni tenía la más leve idea de lo cerca que un día estaría a él. Y ya entonces se vislumbraba un atisbo de la cautivadora mujer en la que Anne se convertiría, porque, a pesar de su edad, despertaba la envidia de otras cortesanas por su porte y elegancia, algo que la acompañó durante toda su vida. A los diecinueve, ella es descrita como una mujer hermosa, sagaz y atrevida, y aunque los datos históricos que se tienen indican que no era de belleza especialmente destacable, era su personalidad la que suplía aquello, constituyendo su mayor encanto, un encanto que la rodeó de admiradores, le ganó la devoción de tres hombres, y el odio de muchos, entre ellos su cuñada, Jane Parker, quien desesperaba por el aprecio de un marido al que amaba y a la vez odiaba, pues Anne ocupaba en su corazón un lugar que debió haber sido suyo.
Henry, lord Percy, y Thomas Wyatt, alimentaron sueños y espejismos de felicidad que no se concretaron, y en la figura del rey Henry surge la posibilidad de aspirar al enlace más importante del mundo. En una corte donde todos bajaban la cabeza y decían "Sí, su Majestad", Anne desafió al rey, tratándolo como al hombre detrás de la corona, y cautivándolo de tal manera que se transformó en una amenaza para Catalina de Aragón, ya que, como favorita y amante del rey, hizo uso de su papel como reina no oficial con aplastante determinación. Miembro de una familia desesperada por poder, procuró no correr la misma suerte que su hermana, y aunque fue tenida por bruja y ramera por el oprimido pueblo inglés, eso no constituyó un obstáculo en su camino al trono. Y resulta una ironía que Elizabeth, la Reina Virgen -la mujer más aclamada de Inglaterra- haya sido la hija de una de las más despreciadas. La corte de los Tudor rebosaba de intrigas y traiciones, el favor del pueblo no bastó a Catalina de Aragón en la lucha por conservar su trono, pero la ambición fue lo que le costó la cabeza a su sucesora, la condenada Reina Anne.
La construcción de Henry como personaje es genial, por más que nada de lo que lea hará que deje de verlo con asco. Con el poder supremo en sus manos llenas de anillos, el rey lideraba las falsedades y perversiones de su corte, escondiendo con él -y con sus ropas resplandecientes de joyas- la magnitud de sus pecados. Elizabeth Blount y Mary Boleyn fueron dos de sus favoritas, entre otras, y resulta repugnante la manera en que, una vez que pierde el interés en ellas, las deja un lado, lidiando solas con las consecuencias que puedan derivarse. Como la mayoría de los hombres, Henry era rápido para ver las faltas ajenas, y, en mi humilde opinión, seis esposas e innumerables amantes hablan de un vacío interior que no pudo ser llenado (más allá del laberinto de maquinaciones políticas).
Por otro lado, está Catherine Howard, y la conocemos en una época en que ella nunca hubiera podido imaginar que algún día todo lo que oía acerca de su prima, Anne Boleyn -por quien ella sentía respeto y admiración- sería su propia realidad. Joven, ingenua y manipulable, parece casi imposible que esta niña, en un futuro, vaya a sentarse en el trono de Inglaterra como la quinta reina de un envejecido Henry Tudor. La historia de Catherine se cuenta a través de sus ojos, y aunque el lente de su inocencia la protege durante un tiempo, eso no es garantía de seguridad. Thomas Culpepper fue su primer amor, y Jean Plaidy lo retrata como alguien casi tan ingenuo como la propia Catherine. Prometidos en secreto, con apenas conciencia de lo que eso significaba, Tom desaparece de la vida de ella, dejándole a la vez un dolor y una ilusión. Y Catherine, al igual que Anne, comienza a perder su inocencia, a partir de la perversión que presencia cada noche en compañía de las damas de la casa de su abuela, una mujer por otro lado perezosa y sin cariño ni interés por su nieta. Es allí donde Catherine descubre el amor de Henry Manox y comete el error que la perseguiría y sellaría su perdición.
Dos primas. Dos reinas. Dos mujeres víctimas de la ambición, peones en un juego de poder mucho más siniestro, peligroso y grande que ellas mismas, pagando un precio demasiado alto por el crimen de decepcionar a un rey, un precio que manchó de sangre las páginas de la historia. Jean Plaidy escribió una obra muy bien investigada, atrapante, y para cerrar me gustaría dejar un párrafo que, si bien no mencioné anteriormente, me dejó helada:
"En los días que siguieron al encuentro de los reyes, Anne bebió, comió y flirteó con los demás. Hoy los miembros de la corte francesa eran huéspedes de los ingleses: desfiles, deportes, torneos, un baile de máscaras y un banquete. Mañana la corte francesa agasajaría a la inglesa. Todo debía ser generoso; la corte francesa debía exceder en brillo a la inglesa; y luego los ingleses deberían mostrarse aún más fastuosos. No importaba el costo para las naciones sobrecargadas de impuestos; no importaba que los dos reyes, detrás de sus demostraciones de amistad, fueran enemigos jurados. ¡No importaba! Este es el despliegue más brillante y más rico de la historia, y si es también el más vulgar, el más inconcebiblemente estúpido, ¿qué? Los reyes tienen que divertirse".
May 20, 2022
Some of my favourite quotes:
"I am a sinner; and so are they; nor do sings become whiter when cloaked in piety."
"When you hate, Anne, it is better to hide your hatred. It is only love that should be shown."
"Frighten the children not with gloomy tales of death. Tell them of bright chariots and beauty. Make them see death as a lovely thing. Do this for me, Meg."
"No one else, girl, he said viciously, shall kiss your pretty lips, unless they like to kiss them cold; nor would they find the head of you so lovely without the body that goes with it!"
"He would rather die a thousand deaths than accuse the Queen who is innocent."
"Blessed blackness closed in on him, and the stroke of the axe which severed his head was like a gentle caress."
"He says the axe that killed him was wielded by me and it was called vindictiveness."
"I am a sinner; and so are they; nor do sings become whiter when cloaked in piety."
"When you hate, Anne, it is better to hide your hatred. It is only love that should be shown."
"Frighten the children not with gloomy tales of death. Tell them of bright chariots and beauty. Make them see death as a lovely thing. Do this for me, Meg."
"No one else, girl, he said viciously, shall kiss your pretty lips, unless they like to kiss them cold; nor would they find the head of you so lovely without the body that goes with it!"
"He would rather die a thousand deaths than accuse the Queen who is innocent."
"Blessed blackness closed in on him, and the stroke of the axe which severed his head was like a gentle caress."
"He says the axe that killed him was wielded by me and it was called vindictiveness."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2023
It was so bad, I want to give you a zero, but that's not possible, so I give you a one.
June 21, 2012
"His great weakness had its roots in his conscience. He was what men called a religious man, which in his case meant he was a superstitious man. There was never a man less Christian; there was never one who made a greater show of piety. He was cruel; he was brutal; he was pitiless. This was his creed. He was an egoist, a megalomaniac; he saw himself not only as the centre of England but of the world. In his own opinion, everything he did was right; he only needed time to see it in its right perspective, and he would prove it to be right. He took his strength from this belief in himself; and as his belief was strong, so was Henry".
Oooh what a nasty piece of work that Henry VIII was!! The already unlikable character who we saw emerging in the previous book The King's Secret Matter becomes even more detestable in Murder Most Royal, as do some of his "henchmen".
Having read about poor Katharine of Aragon's treatment by Henry, and indirectly by Anne Boleyn, I started off reading this book not being a huge "Anne fan". However, on reading a bit more about Anne - I can't help feeling a little sorry for her - especially when it seems that Henry allowed himself little dalliances with the women of the court, but when Anne did the same (not that they were of the same intensity as those of Henry VIII), she is condemned to death. It also seems that failure to produce a boy child was a cardinal sin to Henry, and following her miscarriage, Anne knew her time was up. It's a shame that Henry didn't realise that the sex of a baby is determined by the father - not the mother....it was his fault all along! However, baby Elizabeth (the future "Good Queen Bess") was the legacy of this unfortunate union, and anyone familiar with English history will know how mighty a leader she turned out to be.
"Look Nan! This figure represents me....and here is the King. And here is Katharine. This must be so, since our initials are on them. Nan, tell me, I do not look like that! Look, Nan, do not turn away. Here I am with my head cut off".
As well as charting the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, Murder Most Royal follows the risque life of Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard - cousin of Anne Boleyn. Not having been brought up in such privileged circumstances as Anne, Catherine is sent to the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk's house where she "grows up" extremely fast amidst the wild and bawdy company of the other women, and a couple of beaus. The book describes Catherine's rise to Court, as one of Anne of Cleves' maids to being the new bride of the King, and her downfall shortly afterwards, eerily echoing that of her cousin Anne Boleyn.
"He looked at her with smouldering eyes; there were occasions when he could forget he was a king and put his hands about that little neck, and press and press until there was no breath left in her. But a king does not do murder; others do it for him. It was a quick thought that passed through his mind and was gone before he had time to realise it had been there".
Jane Seymour (whom Henry married days after Anne Boleyn was beheaded and was the only wife who successfully provided Henry with a son) and Anne of Cleves (Henry's fourth wife) are mentioned fleetingly in this book. I admit to having laughed at the thought of the actual meeting of Henry and Anne of Cleves and the disgust that each felt at the sight of the other! Needless to say, a marriage annulment ensued which was a far from sombre occasion...
".....this was miraculous! This was happiness! That corpulent, perspiring, sullen, angry, spiteful, wicked monster of a man was no longer her husband! She need not live close to him!....She was free......Never had Henry succeeded in making one of his wives so happy."
There are grim sections in this book, where the different methods of torture are described, and the agonies of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard's allies are described in detail, as well as those of the monks and other "traitors" - namely those people who disagreed with anything Henry said. On finishing this book I can say that the characters with the "boo factor" were Henry VIII himself, Jane Rochford, Mary Lassels and Wriothesley (the cruellest torturer). Cranmer was a bit too simpering and sly. The Dowager Duchess of Norfolk with her many snoozes and free use of the whip seemed to me a bit of a comic character - although the punishment she wreaked on her victims was far from funny. Some of the historical facts are a little on the inaccurate side (for example Plaidy stated that Anne Boleyn was twenty-nine when she was beheaded, but other historical sources believe she was in her mid-thirties), but these niggles aside, it is a fantastic read - very engaging; in fact, I think this is the most dramatic Plaidy book I have read so far.
Oh those terrible Tudors!
Oooh what a nasty piece of work that Henry VIII was!! The already unlikable character who we saw emerging in the previous book The King's Secret Matter becomes even more detestable in Murder Most Royal, as do some of his "henchmen".
Having read about poor Katharine of Aragon's treatment by Henry, and indirectly by Anne Boleyn, I started off reading this book not being a huge "Anne fan". However, on reading a bit more about Anne - I can't help feeling a little sorry for her - especially when it seems that Henry allowed himself little dalliances with the women of the court, but when Anne did the same (not that they were of the same intensity as those of Henry VIII), she is condemned to death. It also seems that failure to produce a boy child was a cardinal sin to Henry, and following her miscarriage, Anne knew her time was up. It's a shame that Henry didn't realise that the sex of a baby is determined by the father - not the mother....it was his fault all along! However, baby Elizabeth (the future "Good Queen Bess") was the legacy of this unfortunate union, and anyone familiar with English history will know how mighty a leader she turned out to be.
"Look Nan! This figure represents me....and here is the King. And here is Katharine. This must be so, since our initials are on them. Nan, tell me, I do not look like that! Look, Nan, do not turn away. Here I am with my head cut off".
As well as charting the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, Murder Most Royal follows the risque life of Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard - cousin of Anne Boleyn. Not having been brought up in such privileged circumstances as Anne, Catherine is sent to the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk's house where she "grows up" extremely fast amidst the wild and bawdy company of the other women, and a couple of beaus. The book describes Catherine's rise to Court, as one of Anne of Cleves' maids to being the new bride of the King, and her downfall shortly afterwards, eerily echoing that of her cousin Anne Boleyn.
"He looked at her with smouldering eyes; there were occasions when he could forget he was a king and put his hands about that little neck, and press and press until there was no breath left in her. But a king does not do murder; others do it for him. It was a quick thought that passed through his mind and was gone before he had time to realise it had been there".
Jane Seymour (whom Henry married days after Anne Boleyn was beheaded and was the only wife who successfully provided Henry with a son) and Anne of Cleves (Henry's fourth wife) are mentioned fleetingly in this book. I admit to having laughed at the thought of the actual meeting of Henry and Anne of Cleves and the disgust that each felt at the sight of the other! Needless to say, a marriage annulment ensued which was a far from sombre occasion...
".....this was miraculous! This was happiness! That corpulent, perspiring, sullen, angry, spiteful, wicked monster of a man was no longer her husband! She need not live close to him!....She was free......Never had Henry succeeded in making one of his wives so happy."
There are grim sections in this book, where the different methods of torture are described, and the agonies of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard's allies are described in detail, as well as those of the monks and other "traitors" - namely those people who disagreed with anything Henry said. On finishing this book I can say that the characters with the "boo factor" were Henry VIII himself, Jane Rochford, Mary Lassels and Wriothesley (the cruellest torturer). Cranmer was a bit too simpering and sly. The Dowager Duchess of Norfolk with her many snoozes and free use of the whip seemed to me a bit of a comic character - although the punishment she wreaked on her victims was far from funny. Some of the historical facts are a little on the inaccurate side (for example Plaidy stated that Anne Boleyn was twenty-nine when she was beheaded, but other historical sources believe she was in her mid-thirties), but these niggles aside, it is a fantastic read - very engaging; in fact, I think this is the most dramatic Plaidy book I have read so far.
Oh those terrible Tudors!
April 17, 2020
Borrowed from Open Library.
This is the second book by Jean Plaidy I read, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did with the first, The Lady in the Tower.
The main characters are Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were possibly the most tragic of Henry VIII's wives. They had very different personalities, but also much in common: they were cousins, both captivating women with a great charm, and of course they were both married to Henry VIII - and were both executed by him. Plaidy interweaves their stories, showing their similar fates and their differences, and also makes them interact in a few scenes - probably not historically accurate, but a lovely idea.
Plaidy's novels may be a little dated, fluffy and not historically irreproachable, but they are definitely entertaining. The story is full of drama and has few boring parts, while some points are really emotional. I liked Anne's parts better, but mostly because I just appreciate her more than Catherine. I also think the focus was more on Anne than on her younger cousin. I would have liked to read more about Catherine as a queen, but after all she was so for a very little time.
While in The Lady in the Tower the story was told with Anne as a narrator, and so the other characters were not always well developed, in this case we have multiple point of views, a choice I appreciated greatly. We get to know not only Anne and Catherine, but other interesting figures too, like Wolsey, Cromwell and Henry. I think the switch in the point of views kept the story always alive and engaging.
Now I just need to decide which Plaidy novel to read next!
This is the second book by Jean Plaidy I read, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did with the first, The Lady in the Tower.
The main characters are Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, who were possibly the most tragic of Henry VIII's wives. They had very different personalities, but also much in common: they were cousins, both captivating women with a great charm, and of course they were both married to Henry VIII - and were both executed by him. Plaidy interweaves their stories, showing their similar fates and their differences, and also makes them interact in a few scenes - probably not historically accurate, but a lovely idea.
Plaidy's novels may be a little dated, fluffy and not historically irreproachable, but they are definitely entertaining. The story is full of drama and has few boring parts, while some points are really emotional. I liked Anne's parts better, but mostly because I just appreciate her more than Catherine. I also think the focus was more on Anne than on her younger cousin. I would have liked to read more about Catherine as a queen, but after all she was so for a very little time.
While in The Lady in the Tower the story was told with Anne as a narrator, and so the other characters were not always well developed, in this case we have multiple point of views, a choice I appreciated greatly. We get to know not only Anne and Catherine, but other interesting figures too, like Wolsey, Cromwell and Henry. I think the switch in the point of views kept the story always alive and engaging.
Now I just need to decide which Plaidy novel to read next!
September 6, 2015
Review - I didn't like this one as much as The King's Great Matter because I felt that the story was far too abbreviated and there wasn't enough detail in either story. It would have been better to look at Anne Boleyn's story in one book and Katherine Howard's in another, so that their stories could be fully explored and explained. I felt this was a major flaw, but that what was written was well written and interesting, if abbreviated. I thought that neither character came across as entirely 3D because I think in this novel Plaidy overreached herself in trying to cover so much territory in so little words. Katherine came across as a petulant and selfish child while Anne was an ambitious and power-hungry woman, but I think there was more to them than this.
Genre? - Historical / Romance / Drama
Characters? - Anne Boleyn / Katherine Howard / Henry VIII / Jane Seymour / Anne of Cleves / George Boleyn / Thomas Boleyn / Henry Norris / Mark Smeaton / Thomas Cromwell / Thomas Culpeper / Francis Dereham / Henry Mannox
Setting? - London (England)
Series? - Tudor #5
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 14/20
Genre? - Historical / Romance / Drama
Characters? - Anne Boleyn / Katherine Howard / Henry VIII / Jane Seymour / Anne of Cleves / George Boleyn / Thomas Boleyn / Henry Norris / Mark Smeaton / Thomas Cromwell / Thomas Culpeper / Francis Dereham / Henry Mannox
Setting? - London (England)
Series? - Tudor #5
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 14/20
January 5, 2016
I read this book years and years ago, probably when I was in my teens, so I'd forgotten almost everything about it... and forgotten how good it is.
The style is a bit oldfashioned, but nevertheless it's a real page turner. Although we can't know for certain how the characters really thought and felt, Jean Plaidy does a fantastic job of making Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard believable. She creates sympathy for the women, without making them saints, and paints a particularly vivid portrait of the monster that was Henry VIII, a basically weak, self serving, self deluding egotist who had virtually no empathy. Okay, so Tudor times were radically different to ours, and the pressures of being a king were very real, but Jean Plaidy perfectly reflects the opinion I've formed of this notorious monarch, based on extensive reading.
She shows us a man who was constantly banging on about his 'conscience' while effectively not possessing one at all. He didn't give a **** about anybody but himself. A psychopath.
Sorry for the rant, but I really do dislike Henry VIII with extreme prejudice!
The style is a bit oldfashioned, but nevertheless it's a real page turner. Although we can't know for certain how the characters really thought and felt, Jean Plaidy does a fantastic job of making Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard believable. She creates sympathy for the women, without making them saints, and paints a particularly vivid portrait of the monster that was Henry VIII, a basically weak, self serving, self deluding egotist who had virtually no empathy. Okay, so Tudor times were radically different to ours, and the pressures of being a king were very real, but Jean Plaidy perfectly reflects the opinion I've formed of this notorious monarch, based on extensive reading.
She shows us a man who was constantly banging on about his 'conscience' while effectively not possessing one at all. He didn't give a **** about anybody but himself. A psychopath.
Sorry for the rant, but I really do dislike Henry VIII with extreme prejudice!
March 26, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
I felt that it was well researched and seemed more accurate according to what researchers seem to have to say about this particular period in history.
I found that hearing the voice of Anne Boelynne helped me to connect with her, as a person, as I never have before. I felt that I had a much better understanding of who she might have been and of her motivations. I still cannot say that I really liked her but I had to admire her courage and the way she faced her death.
I did not come away feeling that I really knew Cathrine, she just seemed like a victim more so than a person in her own right with a fully formed charachter and ideas of her own. Ho
Henry comes across as an amoral villian, which really, I suppose by today's standards he is.
This novel made me excited to read more by this author and I am glad that I heard about it from the Tudor History Lovers group here on Goodreads.
I felt that it was well researched and seemed more accurate according to what researchers seem to have to say about this particular period in history.
I found that hearing the voice of Anne Boelynne helped me to connect with her, as a person, as I never have before. I felt that I had a much better understanding of who she might have been and of her motivations. I still cannot say that I really liked her but I had to admire her courage and the way she faced her death.
I did not come away feeling that I really knew Cathrine, she just seemed like a victim more so than a person in her own right with a fully formed charachter and ideas of her own. Ho
Henry comes across as an amoral villian, which really, I suppose by today's standards he is.
This novel made me excited to read more by this author and I am glad that I heard about it from the Tudor History Lovers group here on Goodreads.
November 13, 2013
I absolutely adore Tudor historical fiction, but this book nearly killed me! The writing did not sustain my attention AT ALL! In fact, it seemed to drone on and on without lending any fresh perspective. The fact that it was written from the third person omniscient point of view was disturbing because it made for very abrupt shifts in the linear progression of the story and also left the reader on the outside looking in. I think that readers invest more in a novel when they connect with a specific character or two and see events through that person's eyes. It enables readers to feel a part of the story themselves. This novel, on the other hand, felt more like a dry piece of non-fiction with a few thoughts from the characters thrown in for good measure. BORING, BORING, BORING! When it takes me over a month and a half to read a book, something is definitely wrong!!!!!
July 2, 2009
I don't know if it's because I've almost practically exhausted the Tudor historical fiction genre, or if this book just was not written as well as it could have been, but it seemed very bland to me.
There was a LOT more intrigue and scandal in that time period, I'm sure, but she tends to skip over a lot. The majority of the book is spent on Anne Boleyn, which I understand since she was around longer. However, it takes a lot away from the character of Catherine Howard, leaving her a little empty. (Also, since Plaidy never goes into detail about what has happened with Catherine during her time in her grandmother's house, those who don't know a lot about her person would be very confused until the very end.)
There was a LOT more intrigue and scandal in that time period, I'm sure, but she tends to skip over a lot. The majority of the book is spent on Anne Boleyn, which I understand since she was around longer. However, it takes a lot away from the character of Catherine Howard, leaving her a little empty. (Also, since Plaidy never goes into detail about what has happened with Catherine during her time in her grandmother's house, those who don't know a lot about her person would be very confused until the very end.)
October 5, 2019
I must admit that I have Always been fascinated with the life of Anne Boleyn. This book starts when she was a young child off to France and then build up to her life as King Henry VIII’s mistress, Wife and the mother of his daughter Elizabeth.
It’s a very good read, Jean Plaidy as a way of getting deep into historical fiction and making the past come to life.
It’s a very good read, Jean Plaidy as a way of getting deep into historical fiction and making the past come to life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2014
This book not my favorite Tudor book, but still worth reading. I found it interesting that the author chose to tell the stories of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard together. I learned a lot about their family connections. Overall, I think it was a good read.
Want to read
May 14, 2008I love a good elizabethan novel!
January 9, 2015
Had to force myself to put down to do other things
September 11, 2019
Like with the Plantagenet saga, the author attempts to pack many years’ worth of history from numerous viewpoints into one volume, which results in a lot of bland scenes that should’ve been dramatized. The pace often drags, and little action occurs.
“Murder Most Royal” has some good moments, hence my rating it two stars instead of one, but these high points are few and far between in this slow-paced novel. I skipped several tedious paragraphs that were doing nothing to move the story along – in fact, they were dragging it down.
The author tried to cover too much. The section on Thomas Moor and his family, for example, should’ve been cut. It’s one viewpoint too many for the reader to digest.
As with all Plaidy novels, “Murder Most Royal” features a lot of repeated info and dry facts. The main reason why her works are so dry is because there’s far too much *telling*, as opposed to *showing*. The reader is often told what happened in a few sentences, when the author could’ve dramatized scenes to show what happened.
At times, like with the quote below, the narrative is so dry and lacking in drama that it reads like a history book, not a novel:
*Cromwell outlined his plan. For years the old Duke of Cleves had wanted an alliance with England. His son had a claim to the Duchy of Guelders, which Duchy was in relation to the Emperor Charles very much what Scotland was to Henry, ever ready to be a cause of trouble. A marriage between England and the house of Cleves would therefore seriously threaten the Emperor’s hold on his Dutch dominions.*
Something else Plaidy’s guilty of is her continuous use of the passive voice, such as “The door of the Palace,” as opposed to the active, “The Palace door.” Passive voice = passive prose.
Same can be said about the extent of reported speech. Dialogue is active, reported speech isn’t, and like with the quote below, it sometimes doesn’t even make clear what was said:
*Francis retorted in such a way as to make Henry squirm, and he did not go to Calais to make a personal inspection of prospective wives.*
We never do find out in what way Francis retorted. This is storytelling at its worst.
Another annoying trait this author has is writing with hindsight. Her characters say prophetic things, which is too unrealistic, or they wish for things – repeatedly – until they either get their wish or die trying.
The future was unknown for these people, but in several Plaidy books they have premonitions, which I can’t believe the real people these characters are based on would ever have, such as Ann Boleyn more than once stating – or implying – that she’ll one day be beheaded. It’s all down to the author writing with hindsight, which I find very irritating.
My biggest criticism of this novel is the inconsistency in language. It’s a blend of old-style English and modern English, albeit the modern language is tainted not only with the passive voice, but with mixed-up syntax like this:
*Oh, how much simpler to manage had been his daughter Mary!*
Badly-written sentences like the one above slow the narrative down. I guess the author is trying to make the characters feel as authentic as possible, but when writing for a modern audience, the choice of language should be contemporary. Granted, some readers like the authentic approach, but not everyone who reads historical fiction appreciates this method.
Examples of inconsistent language include the following:
Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn: “Anne, thou talkest wildly.” Then a few lines later Henry says: “Sweetheart, you talk with wildness!”
The Dowager Duchess of Norfolk says to Catherine Howard: “Dost think I would not find thee a teacher at Lambeth?” Soon after she adds: “And why do you bother me with lessons and teachers?”
Mary Lassels says to Thomas Mannox: “Man, what meanest thou to play the fool of this fashion! Knowest thou not that an my lady of Norfolk knew of the love between thee and Mistress Howard she will undo thee?” And a little later Mary tells Catherine Howard: “I have come to warn you. You are very young, and I do not think you realize what you do.”
The last example of Mary Lassels’s speech particularly highlights the contrasting language. It being in dialogue makes it worse, as in real life people don’t have such huge variations in speech – except, perhaps, when fooling around or when drunk. In normal circumstances, though, someone doesn’t go from saying, “Man, what meanest thou to play the fool of this fashion!” one minute, to saying, “I have come to warn you” the next.
Very inconsistent, highly unrealistic, and most irritating for the reader (this one, anyway).
Something about Jean Plaidy’s books keep me coming back for more. Perhaps it’s her obvious love for English history, which I share, that draws me back. I wish she’d focused less on turning out as greater quantity of novels as possible and concentrated more on quality writing. A novel like this one should be revised about 20 times, yet this at best feels like a fifth draft.
“Murder Most Royal” has some good moments, hence my rating it two stars instead of one, but these high points are few and far between in this slow-paced novel. I skipped several tedious paragraphs that were doing nothing to move the story along – in fact, they were dragging it down.
The author tried to cover too much. The section on Thomas Moor and his family, for example, should’ve been cut. It’s one viewpoint too many for the reader to digest.
As with all Plaidy novels, “Murder Most Royal” features a lot of repeated info and dry facts. The main reason why her works are so dry is because there’s far too much *telling*, as opposed to *showing*. The reader is often told what happened in a few sentences, when the author could’ve dramatized scenes to show what happened.
At times, like with the quote below, the narrative is so dry and lacking in drama that it reads like a history book, not a novel:
*Cromwell outlined his plan. For years the old Duke of Cleves had wanted an alliance with England. His son had a claim to the Duchy of Guelders, which Duchy was in relation to the Emperor Charles very much what Scotland was to Henry, ever ready to be a cause of trouble. A marriage between England and the house of Cleves would therefore seriously threaten the Emperor’s hold on his Dutch dominions.*
Something else Plaidy’s guilty of is her continuous use of the passive voice, such as “The door of the Palace,” as opposed to the active, “The Palace door.” Passive voice = passive prose.
Same can be said about the extent of reported speech. Dialogue is active, reported speech isn’t, and like with the quote below, it sometimes doesn’t even make clear what was said:
*Francis retorted in such a way as to make Henry squirm, and he did not go to Calais to make a personal inspection of prospective wives.*
We never do find out in what way Francis retorted. This is storytelling at its worst.
Another annoying trait this author has is writing with hindsight. Her characters say prophetic things, which is too unrealistic, or they wish for things – repeatedly – until they either get their wish or die trying.
The future was unknown for these people, but in several Plaidy books they have premonitions, which I can’t believe the real people these characters are based on would ever have, such as Ann Boleyn more than once stating – or implying – that she’ll one day be beheaded. It’s all down to the author writing with hindsight, which I find very irritating.
My biggest criticism of this novel is the inconsistency in language. It’s a blend of old-style English and modern English, albeit the modern language is tainted not only with the passive voice, but with mixed-up syntax like this:
*Oh, how much simpler to manage had been his daughter Mary!*
Badly-written sentences like the one above slow the narrative down. I guess the author is trying to make the characters feel as authentic as possible, but when writing for a modern audience, the choice of language should be contemporary. Granted, some readers like the authentic approach, but not everyone who reads historical fiction appreciates this method.
Examples of inconsistent language include the following:
Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn: “Anne, thou talkest wildly.” Then a few lines later Henry says: “Sweetheart, you talk with wildness!”
The Dowager Duchess of Norfolk says to Catherine Howard: “Dost think I would not find thee a teacher at Lambeth?” Soon after she adds: “And why do you bother me with lessons and teachers?”
Mary Lassels says to Thomas Mannox: “Man, what meanest thou to play the fool of this fashion! Knowest thou not that an my lady of Norfolk knew of the love between thee and Mistress Howard she will undo thee?” And a little later Mary tells Catherine Howard: “I have come to warn you. You are very young, and I do not think you realize what you do.”
The last example of Mary Lassels’s speech particularly highlights the contrasting language. It being in dialogue makes it worse, as in real life people don’t have such huge variations in speech – except, perhaps, when fooling around or when drunk. In normal circumstances, though, someone doesn’t go from saying, “Man, what meanest thou to play the fool of this fashion!” one minute, to saying, “I have come to warn you” the next.
Very inconsistent, highly unrealistic, and most irritating for the reader (this one, anyway).
Something about Jean Plaidy’s books keep me coming back for more. Perhaps it’s her obvious love for English history, which I share, that draws me back. I wish she’d focused less on turning out as greater quantity of novels as possible and concentrated more on quality writing. A novel like this one should be revised about 20 times, yet this at best feels like a fifth draft.
March 5, 2017
This book was recommended to me by a fellow Goodreads member and a fan of Medieval Historical fiction. I had already read other accounts of Ann Boleyn and her life with King Henry VIII but in this novel the author takes time to delve into the character of the King. It was well know that King Henry VIII had beheaded more than one wife and that knowledge would undoubtedly cause one to wonder why and/or how a man, even a king, could do such a thing. This novel gives insight into the man’s mental instability and that man being a king who believes that his position is ordained by God. Fascinating! Although slow, this is a great read.
February 16, 2019
More like 3.5 stars but Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard are my favorite of the Tudor queens, so... I really enjoyed the multiple points-of-view in Anne and Catherine’s stories, even Henry’s and how neither woman was vilified; they were just victims of the times they lived in. The torture scenes (especially with Smeaton) were really creepy.
I did think there were some pacing issues, Anne’s courtship and queendom is roughly 75% of the book and Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, and Catherine Howard were stuffed into the last 25% so parts of it felt rushed. Some dialogue also came off as awkward/bad Shakespeare.
I did think there were some pacing issues, Anne’s courtship and queendom is roughly 75% of the book and Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, and Catherine Howard were stuffed into the last 25% so parts of it felt rushed. Some dialogue also came off as awkward/bad Shakespeare.
April 28, 2019
After an enforced break from my reading (10 weeks off due to a litter of puppies - as when I was with them I was too busy to concentrate on reading & when I got time off I slept!) I finally finished - & enjoyed - Murder Most Royal by Jean Plaidy.
This is a book I have read before many years ago but didn't keep so when I spotted it in the village Book Box I picked it up.
I enjoy Jean Plaidy because she tries to stick as closely as possible to historical fact whilst dramatising/imagineing events like conversations etc.
I think she also writes more roamantic stuff as Victoria Holt & I'm sure I've read some of those books over the years too!
This is a book I have read before many years ago but didn't keep so when I spotted it in the village Book Box I picked it up.
I enjoy Jean Plaidy because she tries to stick as closely as possible to historical fact whilst dramatising/imagineing events like conversations etc.
I think she also writes more roamantic stuff as Victoria Holt & I'm sure I've read some of those books over the years too!
May 25, 2018
I've read a lot of Tudor fiction; this is one of the more unique ones I've read. And by unique, I mean the author doesn't follow the undiputed facts we know; she practically makes up her own story by only following the basics. There is a lot that is purely made up, about 70% of it isn't completely right or is made up completely. This will either annoy you, tolerate it or make the book more enjoyable because it's like something you've never been read before. Then again, I may be being too harsh, as this was written in 1949 so I'm not sure how much information was available back then, compared to today, I don't know how far we have come with new discoveries over the last 60 years about the Tudor times.
June 10, 2019
Although this is well written, I struggled with the book. It could be that, given the book was originally published in 1949, the approach to the history blended with fiction is different than what I am used to reading in more current books about the Tudors. Overall, I felt as though the book tried to cover too much about Henry VIII's wives in one volume. Granted, it's about the series of wifely murders that occur, but I couldn't get a strong sense of any single character with any of the wives or King Henry himself.
June 17, 2023
Jean Plaidy is the “Queen” of English Queen historical fiction. I have read about every modern author of English historical fiction but have not read Plaidy’s first novel about the the first 5 queens of Henry VIII. It was written in 1949 and I thought it wouldn’t be as interesting as the modern authors. I was wrong. It’s a masterpiece with a little bit of a different take on Anne Boleyn. Most writers make Anne either a villain or an innocent. Plaidy makes her human. Every time I read about Henry VIII, I despise him a little more.
January 7, 2018
I usually love historical fiction stories about monarchs and their wives, especially ones surrounding King Henry VIII, but this was such a heavy book. It was slow and overly wordy and just a slog to get through.
There were a few entertaining moments, but it was overall just very plodding and heavy. There are such many better stories about Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard that I won't really recommend this book to anyone.
There were a few entertaining moments, but it was overall just very plodding and heavy. There are such many better stories about Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard that I won't really recommend this book to anyone.
September 25, 2018
This novel spanned Henry VIII's marriages with Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard and his relationship with each. His marriage to Anne of Cleves was very short (as was his marriage) and it was a very good read. I only rated it 4 stars rather than my usual 5 stars because I prefer books with lots of dialogue which Jean Plaidy's novels usually provide but this was not so much. This is #5 in the Tudor Saga Series.
June 30, 2020
First published 1949. This Pan edition published in 1972. I first read this as a teenager and it was the first one of the Tudor Saga I read. It was so well crafted and easy to read.
SYNOPSIS:
One powerful king. Two tragic queens.
In the court of Henry VIII, it was dangerous for a woman to catch the king’s eye. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were cousins. Both were beautiful women, though very different in temperament. They each learned that Henry’s passion was all-consuming–and fickle.
Sophisticated Anne Boleyn, raised in the decadent court of France, was in love with another man when King Henry claimed her as his own. Being his mistress gave her a position of power; being his queen put her life in jeopardy. Her younger cousin, Catherine Howard, was only fifteen when she was swept into the circle of King Henry. Her innocence attracted him, but a past mistake was destined to haunt her.
Painted in the rich colors of Tudor England, Murder Most Royal is a page-turning journey into the lives of two of the wives of the tempestuous Henry VIII.
SYNOPSIS:
One powerful king. Two tragic queens.
In the court of Henry VIII, it was dangerous for a woman to catch the king’s eye. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were cousins. Both were beautiful women, though very different in temperament. They each learned that Henry’s passion was all-consuming–and fickle.
Sophisticated Anne Boleyn, raised in the decadent court of France, was in love with another man when King Henry claimed her as his own. Being his mistress gave her a position of power; being his queen put her life in jeopardy. Her younger cousin, Catherine Howard, was only fifteen when she was swept into the circle of King Henry. Her innocence attracted him, but a past mistake was destined to haunt her.
Painted in the rich colors of Tudor England, Murder Most Royal is a page-turning journey into the lives of two of the wives of the tempestuous Henry VIII.
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