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Product Description: "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. Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-06
Wonderful story
I'm a huge fan of the whole Tudor series, and this is one of my favorites! Gregory creates a unique look at young Katherine in a way few other novels have portrayed her (and yes, there is fiction to fill in what we can't know for sure as fact). But the story is intriguing, and the book itself is a shorter read than the rest of the series- a fantastic way to start it off! Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-19
Not my favorite but learned a lot
I was expecting a lot more from this book. I found it actually kind of boring at times. I love Philippa Gregory but I wasn't impressed by this one. I think Katherine was a great and admirable woman and I hate how her life ended but nothing too much happened in this book. Here's a summary: Katherine came from a powerful kingdom whose parents were great warriors. She married King Henry VIII's brother out of love but he died and married King Henry VIII who was much younger than her and who did have a boy's puppy love for her. They reined side by side for the first few years of their marriage and Henry trusted and honored Katherine. Until he began to come into manhood and became paranoid and had a wondering eye. From there it tells how Henry falls out of love with Katherine and in love with Anne Boleyn and how he tries to denounce their marriage and cast her out which she eventually dies of emotional and physcial neglect. That sums it up. Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-19
Great Historical Fiction
The Constant Princess tells the story of Katherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII's first wife. Katherine was born "Catalina" to the King and Queen of Spain. Her marriage to Prince Arthur, the heir to the throne of England, was decided when she was an infant. She knew she would be Princess of Wales all of her life. When she turned 15, she was sent to England to marry Prince Arthur. At first she despised Arthur, but she grew to love him very much during the short months that they were married. As Arthur lay dying of a sudden illness, he made Catalina promise that she would marry his brother, Henry, and become Queen of England.
Chronologically, The Constant Princess comes before Gregory's other book, The Other Boleyn Girl. I really wanted to read The Other Boleyn Girl, but when I found out that this book takes place before it, I decided to read them in order. The book switches between telling the story in third person to Katherine's point of view in the first person, indicated by italics. I loved it, because it was like looking into her mind at certain points in her life. Her story is sad, but she is very strong throughout all of her hardships. I am ashamed to say that before reading this book, I had very little knowledge of King Henry VIII and the Tudors. Now I want to read anything I can about the subject. It's so interesting! I know a lot of people say that Gregory's books are not historically accurate, but I like them; she tells a good story. Rating:
Date: 2008-06-13
Kept me entertained
Very good book. I was entertained throughout. I enjoyed seeing things from Katherine's perspective. Rating: 
Date: 2008-05-20
The never ending story
I have read several books of this author and so far this is the most hard to read. For some reason the author decided to write the thoughts of the main character additional to the story. I ended up skipping entire pages. It got too boring. |
