Alison Weir: Six Tudor Queens

British historian Alison Weir has a new novel titled Katherine of Aragon: the True Queen, the story of Henry VIII's first wife. The novel is the first in a new series about Henry VIII's wives.

The novel opens with Princess Catalina arriving in England.  Adopting the English spelling of her name, the young Spanish princess marries Prince Arthur only to be a widow a few months later.  Her status remains uncertain for several years until the new King Henry VIII proposes to her.  Katherine becomes Queen of England and is beloved by her adopted country.  As time goes on, Katherine is unable to provide an heir, only Princess Mary survives.  A desperate Henry VIII seeks a solution, and Katherine must fight for her position and their marriage.

Overall, the novel is well-written and researched. You get Katherine's perspective so there are times when she learns about events after they occur. Looking in retrospect at events, you can see how Henry's actions devastated England. I enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it alongside Jean Plaidy's novel(s) on Katherine of Aragon.

Mrs. Weir has a dedicated page on her website for Katherine of Aragon: the True Queen if you'd like to read more.  The US cover edition is the middle one.