The Secret Bride: In The Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger

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The Secret Bride: In The Court of Henry VIII

by Diane Haeger

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tanzanite | Dec 31, 2009 |

A light, easy read that dwells on a figure that is often left out of Tudor historical fiction. It's not a book I would recommend for those who like dense histories stuffed full of research and facts, but because it does focus on a period of time that is usually glossed over anyways, it's enjoyable enough. (

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damsel58 | Sep 3, 2009 |

This story was about Mary Tudor, the sister of Henry VIII. She is determined to do right by her brother and marry for political reasons but she extracts from him a promise that if she should outlive her first husband, then the second husband she would marry for love.

Of course there ends up being severe consequences for Mary following her heart, yet Mary is courageous and holds to her convictions.

I was surprised that the secret bride did not really come into play until the last chapters of the book. I enjoyed finding out the relationship of all the royalty. The sea battle was also well described. This book gets a big thumbs up for being informative in an entertaining manner. (

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scarpettajunkie | Apr 27, 2009 |

This was a quick great read, about Henry viii sister Mary Tudor and her struggle for control over her love life. Nothing deeply rooted in the historical timeline but a fun-to-read fictional account of her love for Charles Brandon, not a biography of her life. (

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marieburton2004 | Mar 17, 2009 |

This book caught my attention on the display table, so I thought I'd give it a read; the topic sounded interesting, as I am a fan of Tudor history. Unfortunately, I cannot give it a good recommendation. One of the most important parts of historical fiction for me is authenticity, which this book completely lacks. Perhaps the major moments are correct, but she confuses some of the side characters, melding fathers and sons it seems. If the writing was more engaging, this might not have been so bothersome, but it was not. I was never pulled into the story and ultimately finished it feeling unsatisfied. If you are looking for some good Tudor historical fiction, try Philippa Gregory instead. (

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scvitek | Feb 28, 2009 |

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Series (with order)

Canonical Title

Original publication date

2008-04-01 [2008]

People/Characters

Mary Tudor, Queen of France (1496-1533)

Louis XII, King of France (1496-1533)

Henry VIII, King of England (reigned 1509-1547)

Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk

François I, King of France

(show all 8 items)

Important places

Important events

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Awards and honors

Epigraph

The ever whirling wheel of change; the which all mortal things doth sway.--Edmund Spenser

If a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing, he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness, they shall be childless.--Leviticus

Now unto my lady a promise to her I make,
From all other only to her I me betake...Adieu mine
own lady, adieu, my special, who hath my heart truly,
be sure, and ever shall.--From "Green Groweth the Holly," written by Henry VIII for Katherine of Aragon

I have no fear but when you heard that our Prince, now Henry 8th, whom we may call our Octavius, had succeeded to his father's throne, all your melancholy left you at once. What may you not promise yourself from a Prince with whose extraordinary and almost Divine character you are well acquainted.--Lord Mountjoy to Erasmus, 1509

Time to pass with goodly sport our spirits to revive and comfort; To pipe, to sing, to dance, to spring with pleasure and delight
To follow Sensual Appetite.--Henry VIII

(show all 21 items)

The new king is...a worthy king, and most hostile to France....It is thought that he will indubitably invade France.--A Venetian diplomat

If thou wouldst get a friend, prove him first.--Apocrypha 6:14

A prince should therefore have no other aim or thought, nor take up any other thing for his study, but war and its organization and discipline, for that is the only art that is necessary to one who commands.--Niccolo Machiavelli, "The Prince"

Men flourish only for a moment.--Homer

Look with favor on a bold beginning.--Virgil

The common folk do not go to war of their own accord but are driven to it by the madness of kings.--Sir Thomas More

Gossip has it that Maximilian's daughter Margaret is to marry that new duke, whom the King has recently turned from a stableboy into a nobleman.--Erasmus

Friendship is constant in all things Save in the office and affairs of love.--William Shakespeare

On the twenty-second of September, 1514, King Louis 12th, very old and feeble, left Paris, to go to meet his young wife, Queen Mary.--Louise de Savoy, from her journal

Wives are young men's mistresses, companions for middle age, and old men's nurses.--Francis Bacon

They brought an Almain and put him to my Lord of Suffolk to have put us to shame, but advantage they got none of us, the contrary....The Queen continues her goodness and wisdom and increases in the favour of her husband the Privy Council. She has said to my Lord of Suffolk and me that the King her husband said to her that my Lord of Suffolk and I did shame all France and that we should carry the prize into England.--A letter from the Marquess of Dorset in France to Henry VIII in England

The Queen has hitherto conducted herself, and still does every day, towards me, in such a manner that I cannot but be delighted with her, and love and honour her more and more each day; and you may be assured that I do, and ever shall, so treat her, as to give both her and you perfect satisfaction.--A letter from Louis XII to Henry VIII

And I thank you for the good service while he was here of the Duke of Suffolk. I beg you to believe that independent of the place that I know he holds with you, and the love you bear him, his virtues, manners, politeness and good condition, deserve that he should be received with even greater honor.--From Louis XII's final letter, December 28, 1514, sent to Henry VIII

Destiny waits alike for the free man as well as for him enslaved by another's might.--Aeschylus

I was contented to conform myself to your said motion, so that if I should fortune to survive the late king, I might with good will marry myself at my liberty without your displeasure. Whereunto, good brother, ye condescended and granted, as ye well know.--Mary Tudor, in a letter to Henry VIII

Time eases all things.--Sophocles

Dedication

For Alex, my joy, with all my love

First words

A collection of columbines, sweet peas and lillies of the valley clutched tightly in her hand, Mary dodged through the rows of apple trees in the orchard, chasing butterflies out behind the palace.

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▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Amazon Product Description:
For fans of The Tudors comes a captivating drama about the only woman who could defy Henry VIII -and keep her life.

Mary Tudor, the headstrong younger sister of the ruthless King Henry VII, has always been her brother's favorite-but now she is also an important political bargaining chip. When she is promised to the elderly, ailing King Louis of France, a heartbroken Mary accepts her fate, but not before extracting a promise from her brother: When the old king dies, her next marriage shall be solely of her choosing. For Mary has a forbidden passion, and is determined, through her own cunning, courage, and boldness, to forge her own destiny.

The Secret Bride is the triumphant tale of one extraordinary woman who meant to stay true to her heart and live her life just as her royal brother did- by her own rules...

▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0451223136, Paperback)

For fans of The Tudors comes a captivating drama about the only woman who could defy Henry VIII -and keep her life. Mary Tudor, the headstrong younger sister of the ruthless King Henry VII, has always been her brother's favorite-but now she is also an important political bargaining chip. When she is promised to the elderly, ailing King Louis of France, a heartbroken Mary accepts her fate, but not before extracting a promise from her brother: When the old king dies, her next marriage shall be solely of her choosing. For Mary has a forbidden passion, and is determined, through her own cunning, courage, and boldness, to forge her own destiny. The Secret Bride is the triumphant tale of one extraordinary woman who meant to stay true to her heart and live her life just as her royal brother did- by her own rules...

(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:05:43 -0500)

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