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Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Royalty
Britain's foremost female historian reveals the true story of this
key figure in the Wars of the Roses and the Tudor dynasty who began
life a princess, spent her youth as a bastard fugitive, but who
finally married the first Tudor king and was the mother of Henry
VIII.
Elizabeth of York would have ruled England, but for the fact that
she was a woman. The eldest daughter of Edward IV, at seventeen she
was relegated from pampered princess to bastard fugitive, but the
probable murders of her brothers, the Princes in the Tower, left
Elizabeth heiress to the royal House of York, and in 1486, Henry
VII, first sovereign of the House of Tudor, married her, thus
uniting the red and white roses of Lancaster and York.
Elizabeth is an enigma. She had schemed to marry Richard III, the
man who had deposed and probably killed her brothers, and it is
likely that she then intrigued to put Henry Tudor on the throne.
Yet after marriage, a picture emerges of a model consort, mild,
pious, generous and fruitful. It has been said that Elizabeth was
distrusted and kept in subjection by Henry VII and her formidable
mother-in-law, Margaret Beaufort, but contemporary evidence shows
that Elizabeth was, in fact, influential, and may have been
involved at the highest level in one of the most controversial
mysteries of the age.
Alison Weir builds an intriguing portrait of this beloved queen,
placing her in the context of the magnificent, ceremonious, often
brutal, world she inhabited, and revealing the woman behind the
myth, showing that differing historical perceptions of Elizabeth
can be reconciled.
From his earliest public appearances as a mischievous redheaded
toddler, Prince Harry has captured the hearts of royal enthusiasts
around the world, while his marriage to Meghan Markle has only
endeared him further. In Harry and Meghan, Britain's leading expert
on the young royals offers an in-depth look at the wayward prince
turned national treasure. Nicholl sheds new light on growing up
royal, Harry's relationship with his mother, his troubled youth and
early adulthood, and how his military service in Afghanistan
inspired him to create his legacy, the Invictus Games. She uncovers
new information about Harry's past relationships and reveals the
true story of his romance with Meghan Markle, the smart and
spirited American who captured his heart. Harry and Meghan: Life,
Loss, and Love features interviews with friends, those who have
worked with the prince, and former Palace aides. Nicholl reveals
behind-the-scenes details about the run up to the couple's
spectacular wedding day, their first tours as a married couple, and
their preparations for the arrival of the youngest new royal. Harry
and Meghan is a compelling portrait of the Royal Family's most
popular royal couple and the story of the most gripping royal
romance in a decade.
'Fresh, gripping and vivid' Simon Sebag Montefiore 'Majestically
narrated' Dan Jones 'A portrait that chills you to the bone' Leanda
de Lisle, The Times A dedicated brother and loyal stalwart to the
Yorkist dynasty for most of his early life, Richard's personality
was forged in the tribulation of exile and the brutality of combat.
An ambitious nobleman and successful general with a loyal
following, he could claim to have achieved every ambition in life
except one: the crown. By stripping back the legends that surround
England's most controversial king and returning to original
manuscript evidence, Chris Skidmore's compelling biography reveals
Richard III as contemporaries saw him.
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