Alison Weir

Spanish princess Katherine of Aragon, after being widowed from the future King of England, marries his brother and shares a happy marriage that is overshadowed by her failure to bear a healthy son and the king's growing obsession with another woman.

A Novel

Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen

Lacy W

It is only by sheer luck that I actually pulled this book first, not knowing that it was an actual series. I guess it helps that anything related to Katherine of Aragon is going to be first in any sort of series. On to the review. 

So this whopping 600 page book was really good! It started Katherine's life when she was sailing to England to marry Arthur, who is next in line for the throne after HenryVII. The author prefaces this book by saying that a lot of the conversations that happened were imagined from her mind but the history is true. That made the book a lot more better, in my humble opinion. 

I was never truly bored with this book because Alison Weir installed so much emotion. You lived the life of Katherine, even though it wasn't in first person. You fell in love when she did, cried when she did, everything. I knew basically her history but yet, I still cried during parts because Alison Weir wrote it with such emotion. 

I am anxious to see what she does with Anne Boleyn, seeing as how she is portrayed as a witch and seductress. Alison Weir will probably make us feel pity for her and I'll probably become a fan of her, which is what I don't want.

Elda Mengisto

After reading "The Lady Elizabeth" and "Innocent Traitor" a few years ago, I fell in love with Alison Weir's historical novels. Accurate and to the point, I enjoyed how she takes historical events and weaved them all together into an interesting and compelling story. Naturally, I had to grab this one from my library and read it.

When I think of Catherine of Aragon, I think of her as a victim, if not one who was relegated to the sidelines of history. I know that she was Henry the Eighth's first wife, who bore his first daughter, and who was ultimately pushed to the side for Anne Boleyn (whose story always intrigued me, but that's for another time). I also knew she was quite religious, and that greatly motivated her. However, I felt like i haven't gotten to know her as well, seeing as she is one of history's "losers".

However, as soon as Alison Weir describes Catalina's first arrival into England, I got immersed into her world and her life, even in the most intimate moments. There were times in which Weir tends to tell a little, rather than to show; and it took time to get used to amount of copious detail. Once one gets beyond that, the details enlighten the times Catherine of Aragon lived in, rather than bog it down.

And throughout everything, I got to feel for Catherine as she goes through her trials and her triumphs. I am touched by her relationships to her servants and her maids of honor; saddened when she loses her infant children; and on my heels as the timeline progressed to where King Henry courts Anne Boleyn, and she persisted in that she wanted a judgement from the Pope. I expected nothing less from Weir, and she delivered, though sometimes I got a bit annoyed by how much the story was based on letters and intrigue as it came to a head. 

I always admired Alison Weir's books for being accurate and yet energetic; this book is among them and hits the mark. I learned about Catherine of Aragon and was in awe of her temporal influence in politics and her courage to continue on what's right, even though everyone else was against her. I sometimes thought i was going to like the book less than the two I've already read; when I finished it, it shared the same high quality. I cannot wait to read Weir's take on Anne Boleyn--a nice counterpart to Catherine's disdain of "the Lady".

i’ve always found katherine of aragon to be a compelling figure, but i’ve never been so invested or angry on her behalf before. the prose has moments where it shines, but ultimately the commitment to history, to the politics, religion, culture, and even clothing is what really brings katherine to life. definitely worth reading for those with an interest in the tudors

wren

Alyssa Jacunski

A friend of mine has been encouraging me to pick this book up for several years, especially as I started to get into the Tudor Era and learning about all the people included in that era. 

This historical fiction novel follows the story of Katherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. We follow her from her betrothal and marriage to Henry's brother, Arthur, through Arthur's death and what then begins her journey with Henry VIII. There's so much that happens in this story for a review to do it justice and capture it all.

Weir does a fabulous job with this book! It follows the historical events as true as they can be, with some creative liberties needed for dialogue between characters. Honestly, that's probably why I enjoyed it so much; the historical accuracy! After going to London in 2019 and visiting many historical places, I felt like I was right within the story at times and couldn't put it down. 

If you're interested in this era of history and enjoy reading about strong women, this novel is well worth the time. Highly recommend the series!

There are trigger warnings; especially related to the time period we're reading about.

Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen A Novel

Reviews