Mary I: Queen of Sorrows

'Alison Weir transforms Henry VIII's much-maligned fourth wife into a woman of passion, courage and mystery' Tracy Borman <BR><BR>Alison Weir, historian and author of the Sunday Times bestsellers Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen, Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession and Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen, paints a spellbinding portrait of Anna of Kleve, Henry VIII's fourth queen.<BR><BR>'This six-book series looks likely to become a landmark in historical fiction' The Times<BR><BR>A GERMAN PRINCESS WITH A GUILTY SECRET.<BR> <BR>The King is in love with a portrait, but the real Anna does not enchant him.<BR><BR>She must win him over. Everyone knows that Henry won't stand for a problem queen. <BR><BR>But rumours of Anna's past are rife at court - dangerous talk that could mark her downfall. Can this clever, spirited young woman reach out in friendship to the King, and gain his love forever? <BR><BR> ANNA OF KLEVE<BR> THE FOURTH OF HENRY'S QUEENS<BR> HER STORY<BR><BR> Acclaimed, bestselling historian Alison Weir draws on new evidence to conjure a startling image of Anna as you've never seen her before. A charming, spirited woman, she was loved by all who knew her - and even, ultimately, by the King who rejected her.<BR><BR> History tells us she was never crowned.<BR>But her story does not end there.<BR> <BR> SIX TUDOR QUEENS. SIX NOVELS. SIX YEARS.<BR><BR>'Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else' Barbara Erskine<BR><BR>'Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life' Guardian

'A must for Tudor fans everywhere' Tracy Borman<BR><BR>'Thrilling, captivating... unforgettable' Kate Williams<BR><BR>Sunday Times bestselling novelist Alison Weir returns with the spellbinding story of Mary I.<BR><BR>A DESTINY REWRITTEN. A ROYAL HEART DIVIDED.<BR><BR>Adored only child of Henry VIII and his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary is raised in the golden splendour of her father's court. But the King wants a son and heir.<BR><BR>With her parents' marriage, and England, in crisis, Mary's perfect world begins to fall apart. Exiled from the court and her beloved mother, she seeks solace in her faith, praying for her father to bring her home. But when the King does promise to restore her to favour, his love comes with a condition.<BR><BR>The choice Mary faces will haunt her for years to come - in her allegiances, her marriage and her own fight for the crown. Can she become the queen she was born to be?<BR><BR>MARY I. HER STORY.<BR><BR>Alison Weir's new Tudor novel is the tale, full of drama and tragedy, of how a princess with such promise, loved by all who knew her, became the infamous Bloody Mary.<BR><BR>---<BR><BR>PRAISE FOR ALISON WEIR'S TUDOR FICTION<BR><BR>'Alison Weir gives us her most compelling heroine yet... This is where the story of the Tudors begins' Tracy Borman<BR><BR>'History has the best stories and they should all be told like this' Conn Iggulden<BR><BR>'As always, Alison Weir is ahead of the curve - and at the top of her game' Sarah Gristwood<BR><BR>'Weir is excellent on the little details that bring a world to life' Guardian<BR><BR>'Profoundly moving... lingers long after the last page' Elizabeth Fremantle

It is the year 1152, and a beautiful woman rides through France, fleeing her crown, her two young daughters and a shattered marriage.<BR><BR>Her husband, Louis of France has been more monk than monarch, and certainly not a lover. Now Eleanor of Aquitaine has one sole purpose: to return to her duchy and marry the man she loves, Henry Plantagenet, destined for greatness as King of England. It will be a union founded on lust, renowned as one of the most vicious marriages in history, and it will go on to forge a great empire and a devilish brood. <BR><BR>This is a story of the making of nations, and of passionate conflicts: between Henry II and Thomas Becket; between Eleanor and Henry's formidable mother Matilda; between father and sons, as Henry's children take up arms against him - and finally between Henry and Eleanor herself.