The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory Heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort never surrenders her belief that her house is the true ruler of England and that she has a great destiny before her. Her ambitions are disappointed when her sainted cousin Henry VI fails to recognize her as a kindred spirit, and she is even more dismayed when he sinks into madness. Her mother mocks her plans, revealing that Margaret will always be burdened with the reputation of her father, one of the most famously incompetent English commanders in France. But worst of all for Margaret… Read more »

england historical medieval philippa gregory wars of roses

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory 1464. Cousin is at war with cousin, as the houses of York and Lancaster tear themselves apart… …And Elizabeth Woodville, a young Lancastrian widow, armed only with her beauty and her steely determination, seduces and marries the charismatic warrior king, Edward IV of York. Crowned Queen of England, surrounded by conflict, betrayal and murder, Elizabeth rises to the demands of her position, fighting tenaciously for her family’s survival. Most of all she must fight for her two sons, who become the central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the Princes… Read more »

england historical medieval philippa gregory wars of roses