"I am Catalina, Princess of Spain, daughter of the two greatest monarchs the world has ever known...and I will be Queen of England."
Thus, bestselling author Philippa Gregory introduces one of her most unforgettable heroines: Katherine of Aragon. Known to history as the Queen who was pushed off her throne by Anne Boleyn, here is a Katherine the world has forgotten: the enchanting princess that all England loved. First married to Henry VIII's older brother, Arthur, Katherine's passion turns their arranged marriage into a love match; but when Arthur dies, the merciless English court and her ambitious parents -- the crusading King and Queen of Spain -- have to find a new role for the widow. Ultimately, it is Katherine herself who takes control of her own life by telling the most audacious lie in English history, leading her to the very pinnacle of power in England.
Set in the rich beauty of Moorish Spain and the glamour of the Tudor court, The Constant Princess presents a woman whose constancy helps her endure betrayal, poverty, and despair, until the inevitable moment when she steps into the role she has prepared for all her life: Henry VIII's Queen, Regent, and commander of the English army in their greatest victory against Scotland.
Engrossing ReadJanuary 4, 2009 I have owned several books by Philippa Gregory for a few years and finally just got around to reading them, and was not disappointed. From the very beginning I knew I was going to like this book. The characters are well described and believable. Ms. Gregory does a nice job of putting us into the mind of Katherine and to understand what she is going through from her perspective. I flew through this book. There were a couple times where parts felt repetitive but I believe it was used effectively to instill a point.
One thing that should be remembered while reading this book is that it is a work of historical fiction. I read this book for the enjoyment value, not to get a detailed historical account. If you are looking for that, you might want to use this as a reference for characters and events to research further.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable, can't wait to read the next one!
Great escapeDecember 28, 2008 I read this book in between the holiday craziness. It was a great way to relax and give myself few minutes of escape. Philippa Gregory has never disappointed me yet. This book took me to the mind-set of Henry VIII's first wife, Katherine of Aragon. It was interesting to know that she was the youngest daughter of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinend of Spain. I enjoyed reading the historical description of Kathrine's comparison between Moorish living and English living. It was a great novel to read and I thought Gregory did a wonderful job describing Katherine's thoughts and ambitions. I was a bit disappointed at the ending, however. It was too sharp a drop. It went from Katherine's victory over Scots to her trial, some 16 years later. We all know that Ann Boleyn came between Henry and Katherine. While I got Gregory's imaginery perspective of Ann in "The Other Boleyn Girl", I would've wanted Katherine's perspective of Boleyn sisters in this novel. Would it have made the novel too complicated? And what of Katherine's daughter, Mary? I don't mean what happend to Mary, because we got that from Gregory's "The Queen's Fool", but I mean the birth of her. Was Henry disappointed, even angry, that it wasn't a boy? Other than the abrupt ending, I enjoyed reading this book.
The Constant PrincessNovember 3, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I thought this was a very good book with a lot of historical information in it.
Good but sometimes repetitiveOctober 14, 2008 This is the first book that I have read from this author. It was overall a good read but it did at times get repeditive.
Not as good as the othersOctober 14, 2008 I am a huge fan of Phillippa Gregory, and this was probably one of the most disappointing of her books. The beginning of the book does a good job of providing insight into the life of Katharine of Aragon while she was still the daughter of Philip and Isabella, but it fails to portray her as the strong woman that she was. She was the most defiant of Henry's wives, and was truly set aside on a whim. Overall, it wasn't dull, but certainly not as engaging as Gregory's other books.
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