“I have seen too many queens,” [WIll Sommers] says. “And too many of them are ghosts now. I don’t want to see a queen in danger; I don’t want to see another ghost. indeed, I swear that I won’t see one. Not even one.”

“You did not see me?” I ask, catching his meaning.

“I did not see you, nor Kitty Howard creeping down the stairs in her nightgown, nor Anne of Cleves, pretty as her portrait, crying at her bedroom door. I am a Fool, not a guard. I don’t have to see things, and I am forbidden to understand them. there’s no point in me reporting them. Who would listen to a Fool?”

-Will Somers, Court Fool, to Queen Kateryn Parr, after discovering her eavesdropping on Henry’s private discussions, The Taming of the Queen, page 194.

Kateryn Parr wants to survive. In the court of King Henry VIII, that means bowing to his shifting whims, even for his wives. Chosen by Henry to be his sixth queen, Kateryn is determined to avoid the fates of her five predecessors. She adopts several defensive strategies to placate and mollify Henry. But as the ominous title of the book suggests, in Henry’s court, survival requires submission.

In The Taming of the Queen, the eleventh historical fiction novel in Phillipa Gregory’s series, we follow Queen Kateryn from Henry’s first proposal in the spring of 1543 to his death in the winter of 1547. The book is not about her ascension to power or her scheming and plotting for the throne. The book is about her survival.

Synopsis

Kateryn is a reluctant queen. She has watched five predecessors come and go; two of them set aside, two of them executed, one neglected and died in childbirth. She has a secret lover that she hopes to wed. In short, she does not want to be queen. But Henry chose her, and queen she will be.

Queen Kateryn lives in apartments that other queens have lived in. She wears dresses and jewels commissioned by her predecessors, and her ladies have served several of them as well. Half of the court sees her as an impediment to their agenda; others see her as an avenue to riches and power.

Her biggest threat, however, is not another family or the next aspiring queen; it is Henry himself. Henry has been absolute ruler of England for decades, and has become quite adept at removing queens. He plays the factions of his court against each other, and not even Kateryn is safe from his tests and games.

To protect herself, Kateryn works to be the best queen she can be.She used her power and position to hire tutors. and teachers. She reconciles Henry with his children, bringing them together as a family for the first time in Henry’s reign. Kateryn even goes so far as to publish books in support of Henry’s reformation, the first woman to publish in her own name in English history. All in the hopes of keeping her position long enough to survive the king.

The Threat – Henry the Tyrant

King Henry VIII has been a threat to the characters for four books. He has executed four of the last eight POV characters and deposed two more. The absolute power he developed over previous novels is now perfected: he is the Divine King of England. He has long removed anyone who could — or would — argue with him.

But in Taming of the Queen, the threat is much more intimate. In previous books, Henry was a threat, but not a very present character. His will was known to the reader through correspondence, conversation with other characters, and the appearance of his officials to execute his orders. In Kateryn’s story, Henry is more present and more forceful. He actively debates with Kateryn, giving the readers a chance to see Henry’s mindset and trains of thought.

Henry is also old. His age and infirmities are taking their toll. He is aware that he is no longer a young man or the ‘handsomest Prince in Christendom.’ Death is coming, and Henry has but one male heir to the throne. Knowing this, Henry is scared, and that fear manifests itself in his whims and moods.

This is the tyrant Kateryn must placate to stay alive. A king, close to death, who is fearful of the future and lashing out with the power he has. A very dangerous foe indeed.

The Queen’s Defensive strategies

Kateryn Parr becomes queen with the goal to survive. To do so, she is dependent on Henry’s good graces. Kateryn sets to work immediately, learning from her predecessor’s successes and mistakes. Some of it is easy and obvious: don’t take a lover, as Kitty Howard did. Most of it is difficult, requiring constant application of intelligence and influence.

Kateryn never sits down and plans out her campaign for the reader to see. The campaign starts from page one, and Kateryn develops her defenses over time. The actions Kateryn takes in her defense can be grouped into three categories, based on what she is providing Henry. First, she is providing intimacy. Second, she is providing family. And third, she is providing religious advocacy.

Providing Intimacy

Kateryn Parr is no fool. She understands that the primary reason Henry has chosen her is because she is an attractive young woman who can bear children. Providing intimacy is the first strategy she is forced to employ.

Sex is the first and easiest intimacy Kateryn provides. Henry is used to getting his desires met, and he is still worried about having only one male heir to the Tudor line. But Henry is also old, and his health is failing. He is morbidly obese, to the point of needing pages and wheelchairs to move about. An open leg wound fills the room with the smell of decay. And Henry faces some level of impotency. Kateryn has to ignore all of that, and play the young, virginal bride for her husband.

Kateryn’s act must extend beyond the bedroom. Henry is her third husband, but Henry must be the best at everything. Luckily for Kateryn, Henry asks guiding questions. Kateryn is smart enough to answer the correct way, and placate Henry’s ego.

Of the three strategies Kateryn pursues, this thread is the most disturbing to read through. Henry is not a considerate lover, and the submission he expects is demeaning. Kateryn’s descriptions of their bedroom atmosphere are oppressive.

Providing Family

The second avenue Kateryn uses is as new mother to the three existing children from three previous queens. Mary (Catherine of Aragon) is almost the same age as Kateryn, while Elizabeth (Anne Boleyn) and Edward (Jane Seymour) are much younger. Henry has declared the two daughters illegitimate, and barely sees his son.

Kateryn makes an effort to bring them all together, to provide Henry with the family he never realized he had. If she can make him realize he has potential heirs already, perhaps he would calm down.

Kateryn is largely successful at this. She befriends Mary, brings Elizabeth back to court, and corresponds with Edward. Henry appreciates this effort, and revises the articles of succession to include the two daughters (after Edward, of course).

Of the three strategies, this one is the most rewarding to read. Mary and Elizabeth are innocents, declared illegitimate because of Henry’s falling out with their mothers, and largely disregarded because of their gender. Kateryn bringing them back together, and mending the family that Henry was at best oblivious to, is the best success she has. The submission for family is humiliating, but ultimately is not as terrible as some of the other things Kateryn must endure.

Religious Advocacy

The third and most dangerous avenue Kateryn pursues is the be part of Henry’s reformation. Kateryn is a dedicated Protestant, and her family pressures her to keep the king committed to the reformation. Henry has begun the reformation, but has not completed the process. He shifts from protestant to catholic leanings, based on internal court debates, the shifting alliances of Europe, or just his own whims and desires.

Kateryn uses her position as queen to educate herself. She learns languages, studies the Bible and religious texts. She invites learned scholars and popular speakers to lecture to her and her ladies on reformation topics. All this she does within the bounds of the Church of England, with Henry at its head, using his teachings and writings.

But Henry’s inconsistency can trap Kateryn as easily as anyone else. Henry rules that religious texts should be in English, so everyone can read them. Then he rules that only learned men should read them, as they’re too difficult for everyone to have an opinion on. Kateryn’s works that Henry praises one day he condemns her for the next.

Of the three strategies, this one is the most aggravating to read. Kateryn works hard, and yet her work is contently dismissed for reasons far beyond her control. The submission for this strategy is not one event. It is a constant stream of little abuses that Kateryn endures. Hence, aggrivation.

Conclusion

The Taming of the Queen is a hard book to read. Kateryn Parr is a likable, intelligent woman who spends the book simply trying to survive. She works hard to please Henry, only to find he’s more interested in her submission than her hard work. She is a character who constantly receiving my sympathy and respect.

On the plus side, with the death of Henry VIII, we can finally move on and into the next generation of Tudor leaders. I’m sure the next few books will be about easier times and perfect rulers.

Right?

Book Eight in the series (halfway through) follows Margaret Tudor, older sister to King Henry VIII and Queen of Scotland. The book takes place between November of 1501 and the summer of 1533. The title is a reference to the relationship and paths of Margaret and her sister Mary, Queen of France, and sister-in-law Katherina of Aragorn, Queen of England.

Overall, I liked this book. Not only did we get a chance to see how Scotland of the 16th century worked, but we get to see the same events of previous books through lenses that completely change how we interpret them. I found it a fascinating read.

Margaret in the Book

Margaret Tudor is introduced as a young woman in the Tudor court of Henry VII. She has the Tudor arrogance and belief in their divine right to rule, pickled with the humility enforced by the Red Queen and her supposed reduced value as a princess. She is present for the death of Arthur and the beginning of Katherine’s years of exile from court. Margaret is then married to James IV of Scotland and sent north.

As Queen of Scotland, Margaret has a tumultuous life. She bears the next king of Scotland, but James is then killed in battle with the English (under Katherine’s banner, which Margaret never truly forgives her for). French and English factions at court threaten both her and her son. She falls for a Scottish lord and marries him in secret, upsetting the Scottish families and her brother. Her husband, it turns out, is stealing her wealth and putting his clan over the safety of the nation, yet because he is her husband she had little recourse to save herself or protect her son. He is eventually disposed, and her son safe.

While Margaret is navigating the intricacies of Scottish politics and her own heart, she is in constant correspondence with Henry, Katherine and Mary. These letters tie the book in with the rest of the series.

Margaret and Katherine

Margaret’s relationship with Katherine changes constantly throughout the novel and is dependent on Katherine’s position in relation to Margaret. When Katherine is in a superior or stable position, she is Katherine of Arrogant, and Margaret is dismissive of her advise. When Katherine is reduced or suffering, Margaret is more sympathetic.

Where Margaret and Katherine’s stories truly conflict is in regard to divorce. As we saw in The Constant Princess, the concept of divorce is seen as a threat to women everywhere. Women cannot work for themselves (or rarely can) and if a man can set his wife aside at will, then all women are threatened.

But Margaret’s second marriage is an example of the dangers of not having the option of divorce. Her second husband, Archibald Douglas, uses his position to steal her income for himself. Margarets attempts to defend herself and protect her son, King James V, are often ignored because he is her husband, and it is his right to steal from her.

Both Margaret and Katherine know that Margaret’s success will doom Katherine. Henry is looking for a reason to set Katherine aside so he can marry Anne Boleyn and sire an heir. Katherine repeatedly writes to Margaret to respect her marriage, as terrible as it is, so that her own will survive.

I read these exchanges with interest. I know Katherine’s impossible situation and understand how devastating the concept of divorce would be. At the same time, I’m reading Margaret’s impossible situation and knowing that divorce is her only salvation (that or untimely death). I know how it ends for Katherine. I was invested in learning how it ends for Margaret.

Margaret and Mary

Of the three sisters, Mary Tudor was the one I expected the least from. I barely remember her from earlier books. She’s the younger sister, married to the King of France for three months before his death, then married in secret to a friend of Henry’s before her return to London. Her early letters are about dresses and hair styles and jewelry and lack much substance.

Mary’s second marriage is much like Margaret’s second, yet the two are received entirely differently. Mary’s results in acceptance and a heavy fine, while Margaret’s takes much longer and some bloodshed to achieve any recognition. Mary’s is longstanding and true, but Margaret’s turns false and ends in divorce. Several times I came to the conclusion that Margaret, as much as she sees Mary as frivolous, she is also jealous that Mary gets to lead an easier life.

Mary is easily dismissed early on, but towards the end her letters become important windows into Henry’s court. She writes of the shift of Henry’s attention and the court moving its focus from Katherine to Anne, and how impetuous Anne and her family becomes as Anne’s influence grows. Anne acts as a queen long before Katherine is removed. Her family even goes so far as to assault and murder their opponents without fear of punishment, indicating just how far Henry is willing to let Anne have her way.

Margaret and Henry

The relationship between Margaret and Henry has two aspects. One is political, regarding their respective royal positions, and the other is legal, regarding their respective and evolving positions on divorce.

Politically, Henry expects Margaret to act as an extension of the English Court rather than an independent Queen of Scotland. In fact, we learn that much of the Scottish court and nobility is in the pay of either the English or French courts. Her decisions to marry Archibald, then her attempts to remove herself from his control, are constantly viewed by Henry as an embarrassment. We, as the reader, know she is navigating Scottish politics, but Henry does not see that. He instead tries to influence and intimidate her into passive acceptance of her situation.

Legally, Henry does not support her attempts to divorce until he himself becomes interested in divorcing Katherine. He spends much of the book telling her to be a devout wife, but then suddenly shifts his tone. He not only promotes divorce but attempts to convince James V to follow his lead and separate from the Catholic Church, citing not only the power but the wealth one can obtain from raiding the churches. James rejects the notion, but the cynical nature of Henry’s decision is clearly obvious.

Conclusion

I liked this book. I liked learning about Scotland of the time. And I liked how the author managed to give us the same events that we’ve already seen but through new lenses that change how those events were interpreted. Easy to see how the same action can be great for one individual (Margaret’s divorce from Archibald), and terrible for another (Katherine’s divorce from Henry). I look forward to continuing in the series.