Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives Of Katherine Of Aragon And Juana, Queen Of Castile (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
Born to be royal poker chips, these daughters of Ferdinand and Isabella knew from their cradles that they would be bartered to other kingdoms as Spanish brides. They would travel far from home, live among people who did not speak their language, marry a stranger, give birth to children and do it all with grace, reflecting honor on Spain. This was how their lives were supposed to be. They were daughters of the Most Catholic Kings. They would be ambassadors for Aragon and Castile, promoting the good of their homeland and cementing allegiances for their dynasty.Well...sorta. For both Juana of Castile and her baby sister Catalina of Aragon, things became...complicated. Both traveled to distant lands, Juana to marry the heir to rich and powerful Burgundy, and Catalina to England to wed the Prince of Wales. Both prospective grooms were young, handsome and well educated. The Spanish sisters had hit the dynastic lottery. Or maybe not so much. Juana seems to have found love at first sight. Her Prince, Philippe le Bel, was a gifted athlete, fair-haired and charming. Unfortunately, his eyes began to stray and his feet followed them. Unpleasant scenes resulted.Catalina was greeted rapturously by huge crowds of her English subjects to be. Her Prince, Arthur of Wales was pleasant and attentive. They wed in a fabulously staged ceremony at Old St. Paul's in London. They traveled to Ludlow, where Arthur, with the guidance of a council, ruled Wales for his father. But only a few months after the wedding festivities, Arthur fell ill and died. Catalina was a widow and her value in the international chess game had plummeted.The sisters' older brother, Prince Juan, heir to the thrones of Spain, died young. So did their older sister and her small son. Suddenly Juana was heir to the kingdoms of Spain. She had proved fertile and had produced several potential heirs. Her value had sky rocketed.Perhaps Catalina, too might regain her power as a chess piece. Her father-in-law, Henry VII, was notoriously loathe to part with money. Catalina had come to England with an enormous dowry, much of which was already spent. Perhaps she could serve as a bride to a second Prince of Wales. Perhaps she would do for young Henry, her deceased husband's brother.We all know that despite their fairy tale beginnings, royal matches are often less glamorous than they appear, and sadly, both these Spanish sisters paid dearly for their pomp and riches. Julia Fox brings us their stories, wound together as they turned out to be. The early promise of these pretty girls brought forth both personal anguish and bitterness and political drama. All of these developments are covered with skill in Fox's lively prose. I found this book a real pleasure to read and I'm certain that most of you will also love it. The real history of these staunch ladies is better than anything HBO could dream of, so get this book and enjoy some Renaissance gossip with me. This dual biography of Katherine of Aragon and her older sister Juana, Queen of Castile, read more like historical fiction -- fast paced and entertaining. Katherine (the first wife of Henry VIII) is by far the better known personage, and nearly 3/4 of the book revolves around her story. Juana "the Mad" lived much of her life sequestered away (imprisoned and rendered powerless by, in succession, her father, husband, and son). I thought the book did a great job of revealing how the personalities and characters of the two sisters (and their other siblings) were formed by their parents, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. It also shed a lot of light on the complex European politics of the time, including the inter-marriages and familial ties among the many players. Although the author used a few stylistic techniques that I found annoying (like cliff-hangers at the end of most chapters), this was an enjoyabe and educational read.
What do You think about Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives Of Katherine Of Aragon And Juana, Queen Of Castile (2012)?
This is a stunningly written book, but it is just a tad bit dry. I would still recommend it.
—mwenda
good. The author makes an attempt to get past the myth
—rachcobb
i want read this book,i think it must be good
—Arina
