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The King's Pleasure (1969)

by Norah Lofts

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303985,756 (4.01)18
From the moment of Katharine's betrothal to Arthur, Prince of Wales, she looked upon herself as the future Queen of England. But Arthur died just after their marriage and it was as the wife of his brother, Henry VIII, that she went to her coronation. This delightful, richly tapestried novel tells of her life with Henry - the many happy years; the birth of their daughter, Mary Tudor; her popularity with the people; and, above all, her constant and unswerving love for the king. But after nearly twenty years, Henry - his eyes fixed firmly on the ambitious young Anne Boleyn - repudiated their marriage, submitted Katharine to the humilations of a 'trial' and banished her from his life. The King's Pleasure is a brilliant re-creation of one of history's greatest tragedies. This is a story which will impress Katharine in the reader's mind as a noble woman and a great queen.… (more)
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Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
Nobody writes historical fiction like Nora Lofts, whose stories get inside the character's heads so completely that you feel you are literally walking in their shoes, living through their lives, experiencing their loves, and suffering through their tragedies. In this book, she explores the marriage between King Henry VIII of England and Katharine of Aragon of Spain, which lasted from 1509 to 1533, until she died at fifty. Henry went to great lengths to have this marriage annulled by the Pope, even separating the Church of England from the Roman church's papal authority, to marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn—who he later had beheaded for treason. Because Katharine was extraordinarily pious and moral, Henry's quick solution to get rid of his first wife turned into an eight-year ordeal that ultimately got him excommunicated and placed in low esteem by his English subjects. This book has all the intrigue and trickery of the best spy novels. Nora's incredible research and attention to detail always makes history more exciting than fiction and more interesting than any traditional history book. ( )
  PaulaGalvan | Feb 9, 2021 |
  TheIdleWoman | Jul 20, 2016 |
I really liked the book which is a fictional account of the life of Katherine of Aragon. There were a couple of things that annoyed me such as the way the author tended to recap future events and then jump backwards to the point she leapt off and I thought the change in Henry was portrayed abruptly. He went from being fond of Katherine to practically despising her which was probably because four years passed in a paragraph and that would have been when his attitude was changing. That said, I loved the portrayal of Katherine. She was a courageous, principled woman and I think Lofts did an excellent job of showing that. ( )
  Oodles | Feb 16, 2016 |
3.5 - 4 stars This is a beautifully written novel of Katherine of Aragon, her marriage to Henry VIII and her doomed fight to stay married to him. The characters are very sensitively described and the author sticks closely to the historical facts as far as I can tell. Unfortunately, I lost interst somewhat after the middle, perhaps because I already know that Katherine's defiance, which was described in minute detail, will get her nowhere, so I think the book could have been at least 50 pages shorter. The end captivated me again and overall I was really impressed with the author's writing and her attention to detail and history. ( )
  SabinaE | Jan 23, 2016 |
The King's Pleasure is a well-written and well-researched novel of the life of Katharine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII. Of the novels I've read that focus specifically on Katharine, I consider this to be the one most worth reading. The ending was a little too drawn out for my liking, especially considering the end of Katharine's story is well-known, but overall an excellent work of historical fiction. ( )
  Melissa_J | Jan 16, 2016 |
Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
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Epigraph
A BALLAD FOR KATHARINE OF ARAGON

(From Union Street by Charles Causley)

The Queen of Castile has a daughter

Who won't come home again

She lies in the grey cathedral

Under the arms of Spain

O the Queen of Castile has a daughter

Torn out by the roots

Her lovely breast in a cold stone chest

Under the farmers' boots
Dedication
For Juliet O'Hea who shares Katherine's faith, kindliness and determination
First words
Mules, everybody agreed, were more sure-footed, so Isabella of Spain rode on a mule, her heavily pregnant body wrapped in a rain-repellent leather cloak, on her head a hood of the same material, her feet encased in a pair of boots similar to those worn by foot soldiers.
Quotations
"Maria, there is only one thing to add. Write--and lastly, I make this vow, that mine eyes desire you above all things."

That was the sentence which nobody could be expected to understand, except a woman who had known love.

The Countess wrote that extraordinary sentence, of which her mind disapproved and then blinked her eyes several times. She was not weeping. It was the strain of writing with a bad pen, by the light of a single candle, and the fluctuating gleam from the fire that was affecting her eyes. (page 416)
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From the moment of Katharine's betrothal to Arthur, Prince of Wales, she looked upon herself as the future Queen of England. But Arthur died just after their marriage and it was as the wife of his brother, Henry VIII, that she went to her coronation. This delightful, richly tapestried novel tells of her life with Henry - the many happy years; the birth of their daughter, Mary Tudor; her popularity with the people; and, above all, her constant and unswerving love for the king. But after nearly twenty years, Henry - his eyes fixed firmly on the ambitious young Anne Boleyn - repudiated their marriage, submitted Katharine to the humilations of a 'trial' and banished her from his life. The King's Pleasure is a brilliant re-creation of one of history's greatest tragedies. This is a story which will impress Katharine in the reader's mind as a noble woman and a great queen.

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Katharine of Aragon is a proud Spanish beauty who became Queen of England. From the moment of Katharine's betrothal to Arthur, Prince of Wales, she looked upon herself as the future Queen of England. But, Arthur died just after their marriage and it was as the wife of his brother, Henry VIII, that she went to her Coronation. This delightful, richly tapestried novel tells of her life with Henry - the many happy years; the birth of their daughter, Mary Tudor; her popularity with the people and, above all, her constant and unswerving love for the King. But after nearly twenty years, Henry - his eyes affixed firmly on the ambitious young Anne Boleyn - repudiated their marriage, submitted Katharine to the humilations of a 'trial' and banished her from his life. "The King's Pleasure" is a brilliant re-creation of one of history's greatest tragedies. This is a story which will impress Katharine in the reader's mind as a noble woman and great Queen.
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