Publishers will be offering royal watchers an interesting assortment of new books next month, including:
Henry VIII: Man and Monarch edited by David Starkey and Susan Doran. Catalog for a British Library exhibition, with color illustrations of all 250 exhibits.
The Mistresses of Henry VIII by Kelly Hart. The king's mistresses influenced profound changes in society and religion.
Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France, Queen of England by Ralph V. Turner. Biography that strips away myths.
God's Wife, God's Servant: The God's Wife of Amun by Mariam Ayad. During the Egyptian Twenty-Third to Twenty-Sixth dynasties (c.754-525 BC), five Libyan and Nubian princesses were elevated to supreme religious authority.
The Rebel Princess by Judith Koll Healey. Novel set in 1207. Princess Alaïs, sister of King Philippe II of France, is caught up in palace intrigue.
A Secret Alchemy: A Novel by Emma Darwin. Tells the story of the Princes in the Tower through the eyes of their mother, Elizabeth Woodville; her brother; and a modern historian.
The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley. Novel about a real-life 20th century Manchu princess who spied for the Japanese.
Publication dates, as always, are subject to change. The full list of new royalty books will be published on the Royal Books page on June 1.
If I could pick only one of the above books to read, it would have to be "Henry VIII: Man and Monarch" because I'd like to see that exhibition, and the catalog is as close as I'm likely to get. Which book would YOU choose?
I'd like the one about the royal mistresses. I like to read about them for some reason!
Me too — because royal mistress books are almost never boring. Henry VIII is more famous for his wives than his mistresses, so I am curious about that book.