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Forgotten Royal Women: The King and I
Behind-the-throne biographies of royal sisters, mothers, and others. It’s said that behind every great man is a woman, and what man is greater than the king? For centuries, royal aunts, cousins, sisters and mothers have watched history unfold from the shadows, their battlefields the bedchamber or the birthing room, their often short lives remembered only through the lens of others. But for those who want to hear them, great stories are still there to be the medieval princess who was kidnapped by pirates; the duchess found guilty of procuring love potions; the queen who was imprisoned in a castle for decades. Bringing thirty of these royal women out of the shadows, along with the footnotes of their families, this collection of bite-sized biographies will tell forgotten tales and shine much needed light into the darkened corners of women’s history—and reminds us that British history is more than just a chain of Edwards and Henrys and Georges.
108 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2019
About the author
Erin Lawless
15 books334 followersErin Lawless would probably love to be your Goodreads friend.
Although she's predominantly on here with her reader hat on, she's published a book of short stories and flash fiction - The Last Train Home & Other Stories - and two bestselling British contemporary romances for HarperCollins' award-winning romance imprint Harper Impulse, The Best Thing I Never Had and Somewhere Only We Know .
Her most recent release, The One With All The Bridesmaids , follows one bride and her four bridesmaids from proposal to altar - and according to one review is like the film Bridesmaids, but funnier..!
Outside of Goodreads (and the third person) she blogs about dreadfully interesting things at www.erinlawless.co.uk and chats rubbish / spams pictures of her baby on Twitter and Instagram as @rinylou.
Although she's predominantly on here with her reader hat on, she's published a book of short stories and flash fiction - The Last Train Home & Other Stories - and two bestselling British contemporary romances for HarperCollins' award-winning romance imprint Harper Impulse, The Best Thing I Never Had and Somewhere Only We Know .
Her most recent release, The One With All The Bridesmaids , follows one bride and her four bridesmaids from proposal to altar - and according to one review is like the film Bridesmaids, but funnier..!
Outside of Goodreads (and the third person) she blogs about dreadfully interesting things at www.erinlawless.co.uk and chats rubbish / spams pictures of her baby on Twitter and Instagram as @rinylou.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 17, 2020
So many typos, so many women left out. You want obscure royal women? What about St. Hilda of Whitby? Eanflaed queen of Northumbria and her daughter Aelfflaed who was dedicated to God upon birth and was Hilda's successor as abbess of Whitby? What about Ealhswith wife of Alfred the Great? Or Cynethryth wife of Offa of Mercia? And those are just the Anglo Saxon women. No mention of Edward III's favorite daughter Isabella who married Enguerrand de Coucy, or her young sister who died of the Black Death on the way to marry a Spanish prince. What about Elizabeth of York's sisters, most of whom ended up in convents after Henry VII became king. I would much prefer some serious scholarship to the overly colloquial style.
January 1, 2022
Forgotten Royal Women; The King and I is exactly what you would expect from the title alone, it shines a light on thirty lesser-known royal women in the form of short biographies which gives an enlightening insight into a variety of women from across a large timeline in history.
This book appealed to me the moment I set eyes upon it, I like that it tells the stories of women who very rarely stand in the spotlight, women who have been more or less forgotten from history or pushed aside for the more favourable and popular royal women. Which in my opinion is a downright shame (borderline disgrace) that they are forgotten, so this book is an absolute breath of fresh air and shines a new light on history we know.
Forgotten Royal Women is a pretty easy to read history book, it’s well laid out, each chapter covers a different woman. I thought at times it repeated itself quite a bit, such as it states a fact at the start of the chapter and then again repeats the same fact but in a different way further into the same chapter. It’s nothing that would impact the reader’s enjoyment of the book but did irritate me slightly.
Lawless has done a marvellous job at depicting these women’s lives in an open and clever way which keeps you reading, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these women and discovering some I had never heard of which makes me want to learn more about them.
This would be perfect as a brief reference book, or for those who are just discovering the beauty that is historical women as it is such an easy book to read, it doesn’t drag on making you want to fall into a deep sleep wishing it would end (admit it, we have all been in that position at the time). The pacing is just right for the subject matter and as it’s so clearly laid out you could easily dip in and out whenever you need to.
This book appealed to me the moment I set eyes upon it, I like that it tells the stories of women who very rarely stand in the spotlight, women who have been more or less forgotten from history or pushed aside for the more favourable and popular royal women. Which in my opinion is a downright shame (borderline disgrace) that they are forgotten, so this book is an absolute breath of fresh air and shines a new light on history we know.
Forgotten Royal Women is a pretty easy to read history book, it’s well laid out, each chapter covers a different woman. I thought at times it repeated itself quite a bit, such as it states a fact at the start of the chapter and then again repeats the same fact but in a different way further into the same chapter. It’s nothing that would impact the reader’s enjoyment of the book but did irritate me slightly.
Lawless has done a marvellous job at depicting these women’s lives in an open and clever way which keeps you reading, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these women and discovering some I had never heard of which makes me want to learn more about them.
This would be perfect as a brief reference book, or for those who are just discovering the beauty that is historical women as it is such an easy book to read, it doesn’t drag on making you want to fall into a deep sleep wishing it would end (admit it, we have all been in that position at the time). The pacing is just right for the subject matter and as it’s so clearly laid out you could easily dip in and out whenever you need to.
November 14, 2019
In English history, the story of the royal families tends to capture the imagination of those who study it. Full of dynamic tales of kings and queens, and numerous nobles, these are tales that make it into history books and history classes. We tend to focus on the same kings and queens, who have become the popular royals. But what about those who are left in the dust of those popular royals? Who were the royal women who lived in the shadow of the throne that time has forgotten? What were the lives of these women like? It is these women who are the focus of Erin Lawless’s latest book, “Forgotten Royal Women: The King and I”.
I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. The title of this book initially caught my eye and I really wanted to see what royal women Erin Lawless would be discussing in this particular book.
Lawless has decided to write about thirty different royal women, from Scota to Princess Charlotte, covering several centuries of vivacious women. Some of these women I have encountered in my own studies, like Margaret Pole, Margaret Tudor, Eleanor Cobham, and Mary Grey( who are obviously women from the Tudor dynasty). Others were women that I have never heard of, like Gwellian ferch Gryffydd and Isabella MacDuff, who lead armies for their respective countries, Wales and Scotland respectfully, to fight against the English. Grace O’Malley, also known as Granuaile, who was Queen of Umaill, chieftain of the O Maille clan, and a pirate from Tudor Ireland. And of course, plenty of royal women who married for love and suffered the consequences.
These tales are truly tantalizing, yet they are tragically too short as Lawless only spends a few pages on each woman. Just as you are starting to really get into the story, you move onto another lady and her history. It may seem a little bit unfair, but I think it should be noted that Lawless did this with a rather important purpose behind it. Lawless wanted to give an introduction to the lives of these women, both the fictional tales and the facts so that readers would be intrigued and decide to study more about them. It’s a great strategy to get more people interested in studying the obscure and forgotten royal women in history. Of course, I wanted more details, but that is because I love having a plethora of information about a subject in books that I read, yet in this case, I think the amount of details works in Lawless’s favor.
The one thing that I really wish Lawless did include was a bibliography or a list of books that helped her with her own research when it came to this book. I really like seeing an author’s research in the back of biographies or history books, especially for a book that covers different topics, so that I can have a starting point for my own personal research.
Overall, I found this book incredibly enjoyable. It is certainly a conversation starter for those who discuss the English monarchy. Lawless has a delightful writing style that feels like you are having a casual history conversation with her. This book is small in size, but it could be the stepping stone for new research for those novice historians who want to write about someone who has been stuck in the shadow for centuries. If you would like to read short stories about royal women who have stayed in the background for a long time, I highly recommend you read “Forgotten Royal Women: The King and I” by Erin Lawless.
I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books for sending me a copy of this book. The title of this book initially caught my eye and I really wanted to see what royal women Erin Lawless would be discussing in this particular book.
Lawless has decided to write about thirty different royal women, from Scota to Princess Charlotte, covering several centuries of vivacious women. Some of these women I have encountered in my own studies, like Margaret Pole, Margaret Tudor, Eleanor Cobham, and Mary Grey( who are obviously women from the Tudor dynasty). Others were women that I have never heard of, like Gwellian ferch Gryffydd and Isabella MacDuff, who lead armies for their respective countries, Wales and Scotland respectfully, to fight against the English. Grace O’Malley, also known as Granuaile, who was Queen of Umaill, chieftain of the O Maille clan, and a pirate from Tudor Ireland. And of course, plenty of royal women who married for love and suffered the consequences.
These tales are truly tantalizing, yet they are tragically too short as Lawless only spends a few pages on each woman. Just as you are starting to really get into the story, you move onto another lady and her history. It may seem a little bit unfair, but I think it should be noted that Lawless did this with a rather important purpose behind it. Lawless wanted to give an introduction to the lives of these women, both the fictional tales and the facts so that readers would be intrigued and decide to study more about them. It’s a great strategy to get more people interested in studying the obscure and forgotten royal women in history. Of course, I wanted more details, but that is because I love having a plethora of information about a subject in books that I read, yet in this case, I think the amount of details works in Lawless’s favor.
The one thing that I really wish Lawless did include was a bibliography or a list of books that helped her with her own research when it came to this book. I really like seeing an author’s research in the back of biographies or history books, especially for a book that covers different topics, so that I can have a starting point for my own personal research.
Overall, I found this book incredibly enjoyable. It is certainly a conversation starter for those who discuss the English monarchy. Lawless has a delightful writing style that feels like you are having a casual history conversation with her. This book is small in size, but it could be the stepping stone for new research for those novice historians who want to write about someone who has been stuck in the shadow for centuries. If you would like to read short stories about royal women who have stayed in the background for a long time, I highly recommend you read “Forgotten Royal Women: The King and I” by Erin Lawless.
July 19, 2019
For me - nothing new. I have read extensively on this subject matter and have come across all those mentioned - so an hour later I was finished.
However - for someone just dipping their toe, this will make the perfect starting point. The women featured are not the "big ticket names" one would readily associate with this topic - which makes a refreshing change. The stories are your typical vignettes and aren't meant to be anything more, which enabled author Erin Lawless to cover quite a number of women associated with the thrones of England, Scotland and Wales - no Ireland ..... maybe that's in the next edition.
Overall, the content was spot on; the style was easy and not overly bogged down with facts and figures, which can sometimes be off-putting for someone just starting out; and most of the major career / life high (and low) points were covered.
As I said, recommended as a starting point. And as to no bibliography - well, just what do you include or exclude. Go out in search of these women and their counterparts - explore all available resources and don't be limited to one authors' sources!
However - for someone just dipping their toe, this will make the perfect starting point. The women featured are not the "big ticket names" one would readily associate with this topic - which makes a refreshing change. The stories are your typical vignettes and aren't meant to be anything more, which enabled author Erin Lawless to cover quite a number of women associated with the thrones of England, Scotland and Wales - no Ireland ..... maybe that's in the next edition.
Overall, the content was spot on; the style was easy and not overly bogged down with facts and figures, which can sometimes be off-putting for someone just starting out; and most of the major career / life high (and low) points were covered.
As I said, recommended as a starting point. And as to no bibliography - well, just what do you include or exclude. Go out in search of these women and their counterparts - explore all available resources and don't be limited to one authors' sources!
February 11, 2020
I read quite a lot of non-fiction, often dipping in and out of the book over a few weeks. I do like to discover things that I know little about, and I certainly knew nothing about the majority of these forgotten royal women.
Erin Lawless writes about thirty women, ranging from Scota; a pseudohistorical character in Irish and Scottish mythology, right through to Princess Charlotte; the only child of George, Prince of Wales (later to become King George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick.
Erin Lawless writes in a very accessible way. All too often, non-fiction can be a little like reading a school text book, but she really engages her reader. The short chapters, almost conversational in style are both interesting and easily understood. I found it interesting to read about how the Royal lineage has changed down the centuries, whether because of death, or marriage.
At the moment, the media is full of stories about our current Royal women, and I found it fascinating to compare and contrast how Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex is being portrayed in today's press. She certainly will never be a 'forgotten royal woman', and I wonder how many of those featured in this book would be better remembered if they'd lived during times of Social Media?
This an ideal way to begin to find out more about these forgotten women. The book has certainly sparked an interest for me. I was particularly interested in the stories of Eleanor Cobham and Princess Charlotte.
The book is illustrated with black and white portraits of the women, and line drawings of scenes from their lives.
Erin Lawless writes about thirty women, ranging from Scota; a pseudohistorical character in Irish and Scottish mythology, right through to Princess Charlotte; the only child of George, Prince of Wales (later to become King George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick.
Erin Lawless writes in a very accessible way. All too often, non-fiction can be a little like reading a school text book, but she really engages her reader. The short chapters, almost conversational in style are both interesting and easily understood. I found it interesting to read about how the Royal lineage has changed down the centuries, whether because of death, or marriage.
At the moment, the media is full of stories about our current Royal women, and I found it fascinating to compare and contrast how Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex is being portrayed in today's press. She certainly will never be a 'forgotten royal woman', and I wonder how many of those featured in this book would be better remembered if they'd lived during times of Social Media?
This an ideal way to begin to find out more about these forgotten women. The book has certainly sparked an interest for me. I was particularly interested in the stories of Eleanor Cobham and Princess Charlotte.
The book is illustrated with black and white portraits of the women, and line drawings of scenes from their lives.
July 9, 2019
I quite enjoyed Erin Lawless’s Forgotten Royal Women, a collection of about thirty short biographies of (relatively) obscure royal women connected to the British Isles through marriage or birth. The biographies are short – sometimes only two pages long – and not particularly detailed, but it is intended to introduce readers to these women rather than be a definitive biography of them.
To that end, I would have loved a little “further reading” section at the end of each biography or of the book so that people who want to find out more about these women can easily locate more information. To her credit, Lawless ends the book suggesting the reader to get in contact with her for book recommendations so maybe that was a limitation imposed by the publisher rather than an authorial choice.
These are informative and – in the case of women I had heard of – relatively reliable and fair. Lawless’s light tone can sometimes obscure a more complicated history but again, that’s also part and parcel of condensing the lives of women into a short, snappy biography.
In whole, I really enjoyed getting a snapshot into the lives and personalities of some lesser known historical women.
To that end, I would have loved a little “further reading” section at the end of each biography or of the book so that people who want to find out more about these women can easily locate more information. To her credit, Lawless ends the book suggesting the reader to get in contact with her for book recommendations so maybe that was a limitation imposed by the publisher rather than an authorial choice.
These are informative and – in the case of women I had heard of – relatively reliable and fair. Lawless’s light tone can sometimes obscure a more complicated history but again, that’s also part and parcel of condensing the lives of women into a short, snappy biography.
In whole, I really enjoyed getting a snapshot into the lives and personalities of some lesser known historical women.
August 19, 2024
There was a bunch of spelling mistakes within the book. It does shine light on many forgotten women who hold such power within history and who have helped shape the monarchy today. It holds great insight to women in general throughout history and how they were treated. I feel as though they did leave out a lot of women who should’ve been inside the book, though you can’t exactly fit them all into one story. I believe the author should have written multiple books over the course of the years from the first woman who has been forgotten up to Princess Charlotte and anyone else who has come after her. It would’ve been interesting if say there was multiple books and each documenting women from all over the world in sections of every 400 years or have about 30odd women per book. That way you can get into the nitty gritty and go more in depth about things and their whole lives and not have to pick and choose who gets written about. Over all an amazing book with a lot of insight about women through history. Good for people just looking for a quick read or wanting to dabble in history books.
March 15, 2019
I recently read 'Forgotten Royal Women' by Erin Lawless which i was kindly sent by the publisher @penandsword.
Although this book is not specifically Tudor, it has a great selection of lesser known, but nevertheless, fascinating female characters who lived during this iconic age including; Margaret Pole, Margaret Tudor, Mary FitzRoy,Grace O'Malley, Mary Grey, Penelope Rich and Arbella Stuart! And as it is #womenshistorymonth, I had to share it with you!
The concept of the book is to bring to life those women who get left behind or forgotten about in history. Each chapter gives an overview of their life and achievements, it is not heavily detailed, but it is a great starting point to discover some amazing female characters. What I like about this book is you do not have to read it chronologically, you can jump in at any chapter to read about who intrigues you the most.
Often books like this tend to focus on England, but Erin covers ladies from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Germany. It also spans a broad timeline, so there truly is something for everyone's interests.
From reading this book i have discovered some amazing characters whom I am definitely going to research further, One notable woman that stood out to me was Grace O'Malley, a kick-ass pirate queen from Ireland who lived during the reign of Elizabeth I - need I say more?
Although this book is not specifically Tudor, it has a great selection of lesser known, but nevertheless, fascinating female characters who lived during this iconic age including; Margaret Pole, Margaret Tudor, Mary FitzRoy,Grace O'Malley, Mary Grey, Penelope Rich and Arbella Stuart! And as it is #womenshistorymonth, I had to share it with you!
The concept of the book is to bring to life those women who get left behind or forgotten about in history. Each chapter gives an overview of their life and achievements, it is not heavily detailed, but it is a great starting point to discover some amazing female characters. What I like about this book is you do not have to read it chronologically, you can jump in at any chapter to read about who intrigues you the most.
Often books like this tend to focus on England, but Erin covers ladies from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Germany. It also spans a broad timeline, so there truly is something for everyone's interests.
From reading this book i have discovered some amazing characters whom I am definitely going to research further, One notable woman that stood out to me was Grace O'Malley, a kick-ass pirate queen from Ireland who lived during the reign of Elizabeth I - need I say more?
May 4, 2019
This is the most wonderful surprise of a book. These royal women, some of whom I’ve not heard of, some I have, are all neatly explained in these tight short chapters. I found most of them to be our first feminists, most of them strong women. They all lived in interesting times. There’s AElfthryth, pronounced Alf-frith, who had King Edward in 978, murdered, so that her son could become King. And there are many similar tales about 29 other women. My favorite is Princess Charlotte. All are fascinating and all are worth reading about. I loved this book! And I could read about 30 more stories of history’s forgotten women!
September 11, 2021
I’m giving this book four stars for my great enthusiasm for the author focusing on strong female women throughout history. I do wish there was a little more meat with some of the characters’ stories, but perhaps the point was to pique my interest to read more.
As a side note (and not in any way related to my rating is this book), as the mother of a dyslexic daughter, historians and authors should look into the possibility that people known to history to have a a solid educations and strong intelligence, but terrible handwriting and notoriously bad spelling may have had dyslexia/dysgraphia. We do know that it can be hereditary and that current royals have been diagnosed with it.
As a side note (and not in any way related to my rating is this book), as the mother of a dyslexic daughter, historians and authors should look into the possibility that people known to history to have a a solid educations and strong intelligence, but terrible handwriting and notoriously bad spelling may have had dyslexia/dysgraphia. We do know that it can be hereditary and that current royals have been diagnosed with it.
May 22, 2019
Forgotten Royal Women: The King and I by Erin Lawless is a free advanced reader copy of a paperback book offered to me by Pen & Sword in exchange for an honest review.
3-4 page profiles of 30 lesser-known women from UK history (1300 BC - 1817 AD); this claim is quite accurate, since there was only a scant few I knew of already. Lawless has a way with ancient history, in that it's informed by verbal and written accounts as well as archaeology, but also told in a way that kind of transforms and fleshes out what you know of stories from folklore.
3-4 page profiles of 30 lesser-known women from UK history (1300 BC - 1817 AD); this claim is quite accurate, since there was only a scant few I knew of already. Lawless has a way with ancient history, in that it's informed by verbal and written accounts as well as archaeology, but also told in a way that kind of transforms and fleshes out what you know of stories from folklore.
June 24, 2020
I was a bit disappointed in this book, especially for the price. First of all, it was very short and the bios on the forgotten ladies were very short. Most of them, except for the ancient historical ones, I'd already read about and gotten more in-depth material from other sources. In addition, since this was a reputedly a historical book, I was surprised to find that their were some historical inaccuracies that I was able to pick out easily. I can't give this book a very good rating, and I don't like to write poor reviews.
September 27, 2023
The main thing that I got from this book is that women in the early middle ages to the Georgian period which this book covers really didn't have it easy at all as often they were treated with derision and suspicion and at the very worst in an abusive manner without little cause. A lot of these women were punished due to who they fell in love with and where they fell in the succession of the various royal dynasties.
May 18, 2024
Interesting but Needs Better Editing!
I enjoyed this, reading about several women I had never heard of and others I had. I did wonder with the very earliest ones how factual any of it was, or if was entirely based on legends. Also there were some grammatical errors that were annoying. On the whole, it was fun and quick to read...I recommend it to anyone interested in history, especially that of the royal families of Great Britain.
I enjoyed this, reading about several women I had never heard of and others I had. I did wonder with the very earliest ones how factual any of it was, or if was entirely based on legends. Also there were some grammatical errors that were annoying. On the whole, it was fun and quick to read...I recommend it to anyone interested in history, especially that of the royal families of Great Britain.
October 14, 2020
Personally, I found it rather disappointing, but it is a starting point for any novice wanting to learn more about history, including little-known women mentioned in this book.
I was surprised to read that Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle was referred to as just 'Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick.' I always thought she was best known as 'Sophia Dorothea of Celle'.
I was surprised to read that Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg-Celle was referred to as just 'Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick.' I always thought she was best known as 'Sophia Dorothea of Celle'.
December 1, 2020
2.5 stars
I would like to thank Pen and Sword for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting, but would have preferred more information on less women. This also should have been far more diverse than it is, there are plenty of books like this focusing solely on white women. The tone of the book is also a little chatty.
I would like to thank Pen and Sword for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Interesting, but would have preferred more information on less women. This also should have been far more diverse than it is, there are plenty of books like this focusing solely on white women. The tone of the book is also a little chatty.
December 29, 2021
I was entertained by this - it's a series of short sketches of various royal women whose stories may not be as well known. If you just want a quick, fairly light read, or maybe some ideas for seeking out people to read more about, this may be what you're looking for. If you want something more in depth, look elsewhere.
June 23, 2019
Fascinating read! A great and varying selection of lesser-known royal women throughout history that certainly deserved to be spoken more about. Love historical books about strong women and I was pleasantly surprised that I hadn't heard about most of them. Great book as always from Erin.
September 29, 2020
Lovely book
This is a tastefully well written and informative book on forgotten royal women. Many details were added to lived of women I only heard of through their associations with English royalty.
This is a tastefully well written and informative book on forgotten royal women. Many details were added to lived of women I only heard of through their associations with English royalty.
August 10, 2021
Not to be missed!!
Anyone who is interested in history of England please make this book part of your collection. It is wonderful--these women are so special-- forgotten no longer. This is such an incredible period of time.
Anyone who is interested in history of England please make this book part of your collection. It is wonderful--these women are so special-- forgotten no longer. This is such an incredible period of time.
July 3, 2019
This is a series of short mini-biographies of royal women from Scota to Princess Charlotte. The book is a bit disorganised but it's a fun, light reading.
July 17, 2020
Who dared to forget them?
Very interesting and, although I thought I knew these royal ladies, Ms Lawless sure made me discover sides of their personalities I ignored completely.
Very interesting and, although I thought I knew these royal ladies, Ms Lawless sure made me discover sides of their personalities I ignored completely.
July 23, 2020
This really held my interest. The author brought to life some interesting characters that graced the history of Great Britain over the last 800 some odd years.
June 30, 2021
Great book of biographies if you like royalty.
October 3, 2022
An excellent book with each chapter being about those women who are less well known and have been forgotten by history.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews