Sisters to the King: The Tumultuous Lives of Henry VIII's Sisters - Margaret of Scotland and Mary of France

Much has been written about Henry VIII and his six wives, but his sisters, Margaret and Mary, had less of the limelight until Maria Perry examined their amazing lives and their influence on European history. In the Tudor age, both Margaret and Mary were thought to be more important personalities than Henry's six wives. Margaret became Queen of Scotland at the age of 13. Mary, Henry's famously beautiful younger sister, was married off to the ageing King of France. Against convention both chose their second husbands for love. Maria Perry wonderfully illuminates the characters of these two remarkable women in this engrossing study, as well as uncovering new evidence on other aspects of the Tudor age: fresh information about Henry's upbringing and his wedding night; and a revealing new study of Henry's 'worldly jewel', his illegitimate son the Duke of Richmond, previously a shadowy figure. Truly groundbreaking in both depth and scope, Sisters to the King not only reveals two remarkable historical figures, but also radically alters our view of Henry VIII and Tudor history.* 'Eminently readable.' Dr David Starkey * 'A splendid book with two absorbing subjects.' Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times