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| The Constant Princess (Boleyn) | 
 enlarge | Author: Philippa Gregory
Publisher: Touchstone
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  174 reviews
Sales Rank: 1568
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 1
ISBN: 0743272498
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780743272490
ASIN: 0743272498
Publication Date: August 28, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 169 more reviews...
 Good story, but remeber, this isn't a work of history, it's a work of fiction December 24, 2005
144 out of 166 found this review helpful
Since Katherine of Aragon is vastly underrepresented in fiction about Henry VIII (people tend to focus of Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard) it's nice to see a book just from her point of view.
This is the story of Katherine of Aragon, born to parents constantly on crusade against the moors (Muslims, Jews and other none Christians) in Spain, with a comparatively feminist mother for the time period. From the age of three she was betrothed to Henry Tudor's eldest son, Arthur. She was married, after great haggling by the royal parents, to Arthur when she was 16 and he was 15. There was a language gap, she spoke Spanish and French and Latin, and he spoke English, French and Welsh. But they got along. In this book the story of Katherine's first marriage is highly romantic and very sweetly written. This book is her life story, with a major gap between Princess Mary's (Later Queen Bloody Mary) birth and the time of the separation of Katherine from Henry so Anne Boleyn could be queen, told in third person and quite a lot of first person seeming journal entry type sections also from Katherine's view point (those parts can be quite boring.) This is a good book written about a largely ignored time period in the time of one of Henry's greatest queens and truest loves.
That said, I have some major issues with this book.
Philippa Gregory is a good writer, there's no question about that. But she made some very large historical presumptions in writing this book that I have problems with. I could understand if the book was supposed to be purely from a fictional standpoint, or had an author's note saying that pretty much all serious historians believe that Katherine and Arthur Tudor's marriage was never consummated, but this book doesn't ever say that. So, while this book is well written and a great story it's important for people to remember that it is fiction, and the facts in real life were quite different from what was represented in this book. No historian I can think of belives that Katherine and Arthur's marriage was consumated, and I really do know a lot on the subject of Henry VIII.
Henry's portrayal as hugely selfish I found a little offensive, considering that his goal in life of a male heir wasn't strange at all for the time period (he was the king and the last of his direct line) and wasn't brought up a total brat, he was royal yes, but that does not equel spoiled brat. Quite the opposit if you know your history. His parents were very careful royals (royal by right of conquest remember) with great people skills (they had to be charismatic to rule) who loved each other (probably) and loved order. He just wouldn't have been allowed to run wild in his childhood like he is shown to do in this book. Also the way Henry VII lusted after Katherine was odd, since there is absolutely no evidence that he ever cheated on his wife, or had a sexual relationship before he met her or after she died (the man was a prude and that is a fact.) Henry VII probably really did love his wife Elizabeth and while he did offer the princess of Spain his hand, it was mostly because he was a money lover who lusted after her dowry, not her.
Katherine has some very forward thinking tolerance ideas in this book, which are kind of strange and completly inaccurate considering her background and major Catholic belief system. In this book she seeks medical advice from a moor which is something that the real Katherine never EVER would have done. Her early life poisoned her gainst Islamic people and Jews to a total extent. That also makes it extremly unlikely that her people and family took on moorish customs while living in the captured moorish palace in Granada. Katherine was Catholic, and this was Catholic before Matrin Luther. If you were Catholic then even thinking about the moorish way of life with some tolerence was a sin. Also, the way Katherine lied in this book about the consumation of her first marriage would have-to the real Katherine-been a major sin, and thus not even a thing to contemplate.
If you want more, and very well researched info, about Katherine's early life check out The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir, which includes a very long section on Katherine's life before she married Henry and quite a lot about the consummation issue with Arthur. It is an extendedly researched book by THE expert in the feild and concludes that the marriage was never consumated. This conclusion is based partly on the fact that Katherine was pregnant almost all the time she was married to Henry and clearly fertile. So, if the marriage with Arthur was really consumated (and if it was more than once as in this book) she probably would have gotton pregnant. No baby, probably no sex.
Also, just because I'm a hopeless romantic I like to imagine that until he met Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII really did love Katherine of Aragon, and she him. So while this book does have some of that, I would have liked to see that love story further developed. And if you're a romantic like me check out The Autobiography of Henry VIII : With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George, which has a very sweet Henry/Katherine early relationship.
So, while I have some major historical issues with this book, it is another good book by Philippa Gregory. Four stars for the story and the writing, but just remember, she's a novelist, not a historian, and this is not a true work of history, or even an accurate work of historical fiction.
 A Disappointment December 5, 2005
84 out of 96 found this review helpful
I'm a big fan of Philippa Gregory's novels, but it seems she's writing them too quickly. This one's subject -- Katherine of Aragon's girlhood and marriages to Prince Arthur and Henry VIII -- is potentially fascinating, as is the underestimated Katherine, or Catalina as she is known here. And without spoiling the novel's secret, it is bold of Gregory to make certain assumptions about Katherine's marriages. However, none of the characters is as well developed as in her better novels, such as Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth. The historical events are also presented superficially, with no real sense of the complexity of court intrigue at this time. Henry VII is sketched as a mere dirty old man lusting after his son's fiancee, and Henry as a spoiled adolescent. This novel also lacks the subtle supernatural touches that enliven Wise Woman, the Wideacre trilogy, and The Queen's Fool.
 a splendidly engaging read December 1, 2005
28 out of 35 found this review helpful
Even though I have found Philippa Gregory's Tudor series ("The Other Boleyn Girl;" "The Queen's Fool;" "The Virgin's Lover" & "The Constant Princess," to be excellent reads -- Gregory writes well and in an engaging manner -- I will have to admit that "The Queen's Fool" & "The Virgin's Lover" did not quite measure up (for me) to "The Other Boleyn Girl." I found those two books to be less emotionally engaging and a little less complex. Of course, this could well be because I'm not so partial to Elizabeth I. Whatever the reason, it was with relief that I found myself becoming totally involved and engaged with the plight of Catalina of Aragon as she circumvated her way through the treacherous English court politics of Henry VII.
Catalina of Spain, youngest daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, had been raised to believe fervently in her parents' causes (to unite all of Spain and make it a completely Christian country, and to create alliances with other Christian European countries that would enable them to beat back the Muslims) and to know her place in her parents schemes -- to marry the English Prince of Wales and become Queen of England, and to ensure England's help in her parents' crusade against the Muslims. But even though Catalina had anticipated that her life would not be a completely easy one (being so very far away from home and family, and feeling so completely alien in a foreign land), even she had not imagined how much pain, sorrow and heartache her life in England would be. Or just how tenacious she would have to be in order to ensure that she retained her rightful place.
Soon after her arrival in England, Catalina finds herself married off to the young Prince of Wales, Arthur, who behaves both in a rather immature and rather resentful way towards her initially-- something that the princess of the blood finds difficult to endure. But just as things begin to look up for our princess, disaster strikes; and Catalina finds herself a widow with no secure place in the English court. As Catalina battles for her rightful place, she comes face to face, for the first time, with the petty cruelties of Henry VII, as well as the almost casual indifference of her own parents. And faces the bitter truth that she can only depend on herself to survive (a lesson that will help her in future times) . With her faith and her pride as her only props, Catalina stubbornly clings to her belief that she was born to be Queen of England -- something that keeps her going through her long hard years living on the fringes of Henry's court, until he finally dies and Arthur's younger, charming but lazy brother becomes king. Will Catalina's faith and tenacity finally pay off?
I enjoyed Philippa Gregory's portrayal of the Princess of Aragon, warts and all. We see Catalina at her very best and at her worst -- her pride and her arrogance, her stubborn faith in her parents' manifestoes, refusing to see that her parents' claims were often at odds with their actions; but we also see Catalina at her most vulnerable and get to admire her for her courage and tenacity -- one may not always like the manner in which this Catherine acts, but one cannot help but admire the bravery and strength of mind she exhibits in order to obtain the results she so desires. I also liked the manner in which the author portrayed Henry VIII, laying the foundations for what would happen in the years to come, by showing the man to be a very vain, lazy and easily manipulated character. And what a wonderfully chilling portrait of autocratic and proud Margaret of Beaufort (Henry VII's mother) Ms Gregory provides us with! She definitely hit the nail on the head for me with that characterisation. And if I didn't totally buy Philippa Gregory's contention that Catherine and Arthur's marriage was consummated (too many people would have known and Henry VIII's henchmen would have left no stone unturned in their bid to discredit Catherine), I found myself devoutly wishing that it had been so, as this would definitely transform Catherine from the pious and devout wife who allowed Henry to ride roughshod over her, to a Queen who had loved and lost, but who survived her loss and achieved her ultimate goal to be Queen of England. All in all, a captivating and riveting read.
Being royalty does have a down side December 1, 2006
22 out of 22 found this review helpful
Philippa Gregory tells a beautiful story about a tantalizing period in history. At age 3,Catalina, Infanta of Spain and dauthter of Ferdinand of Aragon, is bethothed to Arthur, son of King Henry of England. She leaves Granada and the warmth of her families Moorish palace at age 15 and travels to cold, damp, dark England to wed. Arthur dies of a fever soon after the marriage and Catalina marries his brother Henry, Prince of Wales. Upon Henry's ascention to the throne he is crowned Henry VIII and Catalina becomes Catherine, Queen of England. It's then that her troubles really begin.
Little is actually known about Catherine of Aragon, but Ms. Gregory has demonstrated the fine art of taking the few facts available and embellishing them to weave an interesting historical novel featuring a central character you can't help but empathize with. (Rating 3 1/2 stars.)
 Boring narrative and questionable history. Not recommended. May 11, 2008
18 out of 19 found this review helpful
I've recently developed an interest in the Tudors and King Henry VIII. This was a dynasty that changed Europe forever. I've been watching the TV series and absolutely loved the novel "The Other Boleyn Girl" by this author. Naturally, I've also been doing my own research on the internet and trying to figure out the truth among all these fictionalized versions. That said, I'm still interested in reading the novels. I like a good story line and a well-paced tale. In the few versions of the story I've encountered, Katherine of Aragon was already a mature woman who King Henry VIII divorced and changed the history of Europe forever. I was drawn to this book because I wanted to learn something about Katherine's earlier history.
Katherine was the youngest daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. This was the couple who funded Columbus's expedition to the new world. They also were the couple who brought Christianity to Spain, expelled the Moors and created the inquisition. Spain was on the rise at that time and Katherine was betrothed to Henry's older brother when she was only three years old. As a teenager she was sent to England. It was a shock to her. The English climate was cold and damp and she missed the gardens and the warmth and the baths of Spain. Her wedding to Arthur was all pomp and ceremony and the couple was married for a few months before he died. The history books do not record the nature of their relationship, but in this novel, the couple had a hot romance.
After Arthur died however, Katherine was treated badly. For seven years or so, she lived in limbo. As her dowry wasn't fully paid, she wasn't given living expenses and she was not accepted at Court. However, when Arthur's younger brother Henry was about 18 and she was about 24 they were married, after the Church gave them a special dispensation. According to the novel, Katherine led a battle against the Scots while he was away in France. According to the internet, this battle occurred but it is credited to someone else. This part of the novel disturbed me because I am sure that if an English woman had ever led a battle, this is a part of history that would have been applauded by ever feminist group in the world. It's a good story, but true fiction. We do know though that Katherine bore six children. With the exception of her daughter Mary, all the others were stillborn or died shortly after birth. Later, Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn, divorced Katherine and separated England from the Catholic Church. This novel doesn't get into all those details. It basically applauds Katherine's life in her early twenties and summarizes the rest in a couple of pages.
I found "The Constant Princess" hard to read because it seemed to add parts of history that never existed in real life. Surely, there were enough real experiences to base the novel on without going into conjecture. It also moved slower because much of it is about Katherine's feelings and there are pages and pages and pages of her thoughts about what was going on around her with very little action. So, unlike "The Other Boleyn Girl" which I read in one fell swoop and couldn't put down, "The Constant Princess" was a struggle to get though.
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