The Tudors Series

I don't know that that is the "right' label, but I just finished the entire series of books by Phillipa Gregory.
The books were not written in order of the women's lives, so I did not read them in order. I read what turned out to be the last one first, and then the third one second. Then, I realized there was a whole series, so I began with the 'first' woman and ended with the last. You will see what I mean....


Last spring, I found  "The Constant Princess". A book about Catherine of Arragon. What a cool chick! I had no idea that she was Isabella and Ferdinand's daughter. (Go figure.) Then, I had my 'aha' moment. So,  I skipped "the Other Boleyn Girl" as I read it awhile ago.  I moved onto "The Boleyn Inheritance" which covered Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard, as well as Jane Boleyn. That book only slightly mentions Catherine Parr. But, it ends with the death of Henry VIII. There were some lusty women back then.

"The Queen's Fool" begins with Elizabeth as a young girl living with her living stepmother and  her second husband. The book includes the rise of Mary, and the imprisonment of Robert Dudley and Elizabeth. The tale turns back and forth through the eyes of a 'holy fool' that serves both women. It was interesting to read the varied looks of these two historic figures.

"The Virgin's Lover" was by far the most captivating. I have heard of the likelihood of Robert Dudley and Elizabeth's affair. However, I had never heard of Amy Dudley. (She appears briefly in "The Queen's Fool".) The players in this book are all familiar, except those that Lady Dudley is involved with. There is much 'talk' of her heart ache and desire to win her husband back. She is a simple person, born and raised in the country. Her demise ends the relationship between Elizabeth and Dudley. Its turn of events has me at the library tonight, borrowing an older biography of Elizabeth.
Just wanted to share!
Oops! I forget to add that the last book in chronological order for the lives of these ladies is "The Other Queen" . I read that years ago as well.